British police release five men on bail after airbase incident
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Armed police officers working on a road outside Royal Air Force Fairford in Gloucestershire, Britain, on Sept 28, after a major incident was declared at the airbase.
PHOTO: REUTERS
FAIRFORD, England – The British police said on Sept 28 that five men arrested near an airbase used by the US were released on bail, as Washington asserted a “foreign actor” was involved in the suspected bomb plot.
US President Donald Trump, speaking in Washington, said he was “surprised that they released them”, adding, “I wouldn’t have done that”.
The release of the five – all London-based Britons in their mid-20s – came as British Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced an emergency meeting of top officials to ensure they have “the full picture”.
Earlier, Iran had denied involvement in any plot to target the Royal Air Force Fairford base in Gloucestershire, south-west England, following the security scare there early on Sept 27.
Counter-terror probe
British counter-terror police are leading the investigation after the authorities received reports on Sept 27 of three “suspicious” white vans near the airbase, which the US has used to bomb Iran.
The police said in their latest update on Sept 28 that the five men held, who all live in inner London boroughs, had been released on bail.
“This does not mean the investigation is over,” Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, the head of Counter Terrorism Policing, said, adding that the five would be subject to “stringent” bail conditions.
He said officers were “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”.
The men were arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and “preparation of a terrorist act” under British anti-terrorism laws, according to the police.
They had been travelling in the three suspect vehicles, which have since been subject to “extensive examination, with the support of military assets and forensic experts”.
Bomb-disposal team
The authorities have not confirmed any details of the threat, but bomb-disposal experts were seen working at the scene.
The Daily Mail and Press Association both reported late on Sept 28, citing sources, that tests on materials in the back of the vans established that they were “not viable explosives”.
A farmer living in the village of Whelford near the airbase said she rang the police after seeing the vans blocking a road and a group of masked men.
The anonymous woman told the media on Sept 28 that she believed the police had “dropped the ball” on the threat.
But British Defence Minister Wes Streeting said the woman only had a “partial picture”.
Iran denies involvement
Trump, on Sept 27, said Britain and the US had the suspects “under investigation” for a while and alleged that “they were looking to do big damage to our fort”.
After hearing news of their bail, Trump said on Sept 28 that the case “might be” linked to Iran but declined to elaborate.
Trump’s top diplomat Marco Rubio said the incident “clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor”, without giving further details.
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, the head of Counter Terrorism Policing, said the five men arrested would be subject to “stringent” bail conditions.
PHOTO AFP
Iran’s Embassy in London said on social media platform X that it “categorically rejects and strongly condemns” speculation that Tehran was involved.
It criticised “the recent unfounded and malicious speculations published by some British individuals and media outlets attempting to link Iran” to the incident.
US used base
In March, Britain gave the US permission to use Fairford for “specific defensive operations into Iran” to destroy Iranian missiles at the source.
Since then, US bombers and other planes have been seen taking off and landing at the base – the only one on the British mainland used for this purpose.
Residents in the rural Cotswolds area surrounding Fairford said the site, which hosts a range of US military equipment and personnel, has seen increased activity and security in recent months.
The authorities evacuated around 85 households from the village early on Sept 27, and they were allowed to return home the next day.
Tehran has previously warned London against allowing its bases to be used by the US in operations against Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has accused London of “putting British lives in danger” by allowing the bases to be used “for aggression against Iran”. AFP