UK counter-terror chief keeps ‘open mind’ on foreign-actor theory
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that a foreign actor was “clearly” behind a suspected bomb plot at RAF Fairford in England, offering no evidence for the claim hours after British police released the five suspects arrested near the base on police bail. In a Fox News interview Monday evening, Rubio said “what could have happened in the UK over the weekend is a very serious situation” that “clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor.” The Guardian reported Rubio “provided no evidence for his claims.”
The five men — all British nationals from London in their early 20s — were detained early Sunday after a local farmer alerted police to three white vans driving toward RAF Fairford, a British base that houses US bombers that fly missions against Iran. They were arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and preparing an act of terrorism, with an Iranian link a key line of inquiry. Their release on police bail suggests detectives believe it is unlikely they were on the brink of a mass casualty attack by exploding a bomb close to the base, sources told the Guardian.
President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, said he would not have released the suspects on bail. “We know everything about them. We would not have released them,” Trump said. Asked whether the case was linked to Iran, Trump responded: “It might be.” Pressed for details, he said: “I’d rather not. I mean I know the answer, I could be very specific, but I’d rather not say. I would not have released them.” Trump has previously suggested the plot was known to US authorities, though British sources indicated the specific activities of the men were unknown.
Laurence Taylor, the assistant commissioner who heads UK counter-terrorism policing, said the release of the men on bail did not mean the investigation was over and that they remained subject to “stringent conditions.” “I know there is significant interest in whether the current geopolitical context has a bearing on this incident,” Taylor said. “At counter-terrorism policing we are working within this context every day, and at this stage we are keeping an open mind in this investigation.”
Taylor added: “But be assured, we are considering this from every possible angle. Including, that this may be activity committed by proxies, or individuals either knowingly or unknowingly working on behalf of a foreign state.” An initial examination of the vans led police to suspect they carried explosive materials, with assessments made as to whether they were viable improvised explosive devices. After the suspects’ release, however, it emerged that no explosive material had been found.
Rubio, while thanking British authorities for their handling of the incident, also said a lot of people were “disturbed that some of these people [being investigated] have been released on bail.” Iran’s embassy in London has denied any involvement in the events near RAF Fairford. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in July that the base was a legitimate target. Iran is suspected of using proxies in the UK, in incidents ranging from alleged arson attacks against Jewish targets to men flying a basic drone near the Israeli embassy.