The newswires are on fire this morning with news that British officials foiled a major terrorist plot that allegedly was in its final stages of planning and execution. It involved the smuggling of liquid explosives and small electronic detonation components aboard several aircraft bound for the United States from Britain. Heathrow airport is in chaos from the sudden imposition of strict security measures, and ripple effects on air travel are being felt around the world. The US moved the terrorist alert level to “code red” for air travel, the highest level ever since September 11th.
The news suggests several things. First, if this is the work of Al-Qaeda as stated by officials then one must wonder why they have focused their efforts in Britain instead of the US (officials say there is no evidence of plot members operating out of the US.) Hopefully that means security measures at home are working despite the inability of federal agencies to coordinate their homeland defense efforts five years after the 9/11 attacks.
Second, it suggests that Al-Qaida may be wounded but is not dead, if indeed Al-Qaeda is responsible for the plot. Despite five years of chasing down this terrorist organization it seems they still have the wherewithal to mount these kinds of attacks. Maybe that’s because the US has been so distracted “fighting terrorism” where none was to be found in Iraq rather than focusing on the real war on terror.
Third, it highlights the continued need for strong security measures in a post 9/11 world where it is clear that traditional military force is of little avail in defending the homeland. We cannot let our vigilance lapse. On the other hand we cannot be governed by fear and allow the unjustified suppression or curtailment of our civil liberties in the name of national security. A careful balance must always be kept ensuring that the benefit of a security restriction outweighs the burden on the liberty interest being infringed. We should remain vigilant against any restriction that doesn’t meet this test (such as many examples coming from the Bush administration including military tribunals, indefinite detentions for Americans without access to a lawyer, et cetera.) Hopefully this plot will not be used as an excuse by Bush for justifying even more radical ideas to quash our basic constitutional and legal rights.
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