Our British friends have just broken up a plot to blow up as many as 10 international flights simultaneously. The plan was apparently only days away from execution. Rather than box cutters and guns, this group had more sophisticated plans.

British authorities said the threat involved terrorists who aimed to smuggle liquid explosive material aboard airplanes in hand baggage, including timers and detonators that could be assembled in flight. ...

[Director of Homeland Security] Chertoff, who was briefed by the British, said the conspirators "had accumulated and assembled the capabilities they needed and they were in the final stages of planning for execution. . . . There were very concrete steps," he said. ...

Chertoff said the attackers planned to carry explosive material and detonation components on planes "disguised as beverages, electronic devices and other common objects."

Homeland Security is involved and reacting, once again demonstrating their ability to identify that a horse is missing so they can close the barn door.

U.S. officials raised the "threat level" for air transport to red, the highest alert. The terrorists had intended to target flights to Washington, New York and California operated by American Airlines, Continental Airlines and United Airlines, a U.S. official said.

Passengers at all airports in the United States were told to expect intensified searches, considerable delays and new restrictions on carry-on items. The Transportation Security Administration announced that passengers on all U.S. flights, domestic and international, would be banned from transporting any type of liquid or gel in their carry-on luggage. The ban applies to all types of beverages, shampoo, toothpaste, hair gels and other items of a similar consistency, the TSA announced.

I guess it's not totally pointless to lock down on liquids. It should help control the copycatters.

One can only imagine the riots if they ban people from bringing their own shampoo and toothpaste in their checked luggage. I wonder if this means I won't be able to carry on a fresh Starbucks? My guess is it will be OK, as long as I buy it inside security. At worst, I might have to demonstrate that the contents are injestible by drinking some. Horrors!

Thankfully, they don't seem to be making motions toward banning electronic devices. Such an action might truly lead to rioting. Business people couldn't bring their laptops, cell phones and PDAs, vacationers couldn't bring all their many cameras, and worst of all, parents of young kids couldn't bring their CD/MP3/DVD players and GameBoys. I was just on a flight that was at least half families. The noise level was higher, but not as loud as it would have been a few years ago. I thank electronics for that.

[via The Washington Post]