Pakistani intelligence discovers terror plot

Islamabad: Eight Germans and two British brothers are at the heart of an Al Qaida-linked terror plot against European cities, but the plan is still in its early stages, with the suspects calling acquaintances in Europe to plan logistics, a Pakistani intelligence official said Thursday. One of the Britons died in a recent CIA missile strike, he said.

The revelations underscore the role of Pakistan as a haven for many would-be Islamist militants with foreign ties, a worrying prospect for western countries who face additional challenges when tracking terror suspects among citizens who have passports and easier access to their shores.

Tracking suspects

Pakistan, Britain and Germany are tracking the suspects and intercepting their phone calls, the official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to release the information to the media.

The official is part of an intelligence team that has been tracking the two British brothers of Pakistani origin for nearly a year and the Germans for more than six months. He said the suspects are hiding in North Waziristan, a Pakistani tribal region where militancy is rife and where the US has focused many of its drone-fired missile strikes.

"They have been making calls to Germany and London," the official said. "They have been talking about and looking for facilitators and logistics they need there to carry out terror strikes."

Western security officials said on Wednesday that a terror plot to wage Mumbai-style shooting sprees or other attacks in Britain, France and Germany was still active. Both European and US officials said the plot was still in its early stages and not considered serious enough to raise the terror threat level.

Eiffel tower

Still, the Eiffel Tower in Paris was briefly evacuated Tuesday — the second time in two weeks because of an unspecified threat — and there was a heavy police presence around Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and Big Ben. Police on Wednesday evacuated a street near Britain's Parliament in London after reports of a suspicious vehicle but said they did not regard the incident as serious.

Although he characterised the plot as immature, the Pakistani official warned against underestimating the suspects, whom he said have backing from Al Qaida, the Pakistani Taliban and the Afghan Taliban, all groups that are separate yet interconnected.

"It does not mean that they are not capable of materialising their designs," the official said. "They are very much working on it."

The US has dramatically stepped up its missile attacks in North Waziristan, and is believed to have launched at least 21 this month.