Terrorists who planned to blow up commercial airlines might have succeeded if they passed through American, and not British, airports, D.C.’s delegate said Thursday.
At least 21 people have been arrested in Britain in connection with a plot to blow up between six and 10 planes as they flew to the U.S.
One of the planes was scheduled to fly to Dulles, authorities.
The conspirators were using “a peroxide-based substance” and filaments from light bulbs and were planning to mix the explosives on the planes, D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton said.
Norton, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, said the U.S. doesn’t have machines sophisticated enough to pick up on these kind of bombs. And Norton said she’s not confident American authorities have the kind of “human intelligence” to infiltrate terrorist cells like the one found in Britain.
“This whole thing is unsettling to me because I’m not sure we could have detected any of this,” Norton said.
“The only question to ask if you’re an American or if you’re a member of Congress is whether or not these terrorists could have been stopped if they passed through our airports on their way to London,” Norton said. “I am very doubtful.”
Norton said she expects the Homeland Security committee to open hearings next month to review America’s defense against terrorist plots like the one purportedly foiled in Britain.
