Six men were arrested last week by the counterterrorism unit of Britain’s West Midlands police. The men, from Birmingham, Britain’s second largest city, were charged with planning an act of terrorism in Britain. They trained in Pakistan for suicide bombings and made explosive devices. The men were between the ages of 25 and 32. A police statement said the men appeared in court in west London on Monday but were denied bail.
The police would not make the details of their terrorist plot public, but they did say that this was part of a major operation. This implies that it involved a long-term surveillance operation which may have even included phone tapping. The police would not say more and would not allow officers to be interviewed.
During recent years, other major British cities have been known to have groups preparing themselves for acts of terrorism that have caused Washington to be concerned. American officials have said that many who have been a threat to American and British security are from Britain’s large population of migrant families who have roots in Pakistan. These men were the first to be arrested for this in Britain in several months.
Britain has expanded its counterterrorism efforts to deal with threats, but officials have said that a shortage of qualified agents has forced it to leave some potential leads unchecked.
-AMELIA HERNIGLE
