The British police and Her Majesty's secret services are investigating a possible terrorist plan, unveiled by ISIS terrorists, to detonate an IED, like a pressure cooker, during VJ Day ceremonies, scheduled in London in the next weekend.
Secondo Sky News, MI6 would learn of the attack by a woman named Sally Jones, a British convert to Islam who is fighting alongside terrorists in Syria. The woman revealed the attack on undercover journalists who used fake online profiles to give the impression of being interested in the cause of the Islamic State. Journalists would have pretended to be potential terrorists and ready for martyrdom. Aspiring jihadists would have expressed only one condition to the woman: to remain in her own country, thus avoiding the trip to Syria for field training.
Upon learning of the alleged attack (some sleeping cells would have been activated, the order would have left Syria), journalists have informed Scotland Yard. Immediate activation of the anti-terrorism of the Secret Intelligence Service.
Commemoration ceremonies for the victory over Japan will see the participation of Queen Elizabeth II, British Prime Minister David Cameron, veterans of World War II and other dignitaries. He also expected thousands of people to attend the parades that will wind from Horse Guards Parade to Westminster Abbey. Since last week some plans are already in place to guarantee the safety of the ceremonies that will unfold in three main points of the British capital.
According to MI6, the terrorists would plan to detonate the impromptu IED, like a pressure cooker turned into a bomb, as happened during the Boston Marathon, the 15 April 2013 (photo opening). At that juncture, the two bombs placed near the finish line of the marathon killed three people and wounded more than 260. Not having a real army to fight in the open, the terrorists aim to create small untraceable units, completely unsuspected cells that make their anonymity the best weapon.
To carry out the attacks, the Islamic State would have trained four to five British citizens in Syria. The latter, having returned home, would have waited months for the order to take action. That order would come a few weeks ago. The standard training of those who vote for the cause of terrorists is the same as ever: kalashnikovs, small arms, bombs, grenades and IEDs. To date the "Lone Wolf" represent the most dangerous weapons on the planet for their difficult identification and the ability to hit highly sensitive or poorly protected targets, but of enormous emotional impact.
It reads in an official statement from the British government. "The threat level in the UK remains high, but we would like to reassure the public. Our priority is to ensure security for those attending the ceremonies for those who will be involved in the commemoration." As happened in previous episodes with very high risk of attacks terrorists, the British have already mobilized numerous army departments that will act in plainclothes among the crowd, and assault departments and drones have been patrolling the entire sewerage network that runs through the ceremony since Sunday, elements will be deployed in the crowd of the SAS, ready to intervene should they notice anything suspicious In this particular case, the "rules of engagement" will be modified. The simple suspicious attitude will be enough to trigger a control and a possible stop.
Set up, in the key points of the ceremony, real command centers, with emergency response and rapid exfiltration groups. Some units will be equipped with special heavy equipment: they will act, if required, by force multipliers (even if you do not expect such an attack).
Finally, the ban on airspace over London is likely. To date, despite the possible existence of a terrorist plan, the London police have not yet made any arrests even if the threat is considered plausible.
What is the "pressure cooker bomb"?
It is simply a pressure cooker filled with explosives. It is considered the easiest IED to make because, in addition to the explosive itself, it can be made with readily available materials, some of which are available in every home. The detonation can be activated by a simple electronic device such as a digital clock, an alarm clock or a mobile phone.
The power of the device depends on the amount of explosive that can be stored inside. The pressure cooker, due to its particular shape and closure, in fact under pressure, initially contains the expansion of energy, multiplying it exponentially. Finally, considering the incredible possibility of placing any household object inside, such as nails or bolts, we understand the fragmentation capacity of the potentially lethal pressure cooker at a very short distance.
Even the last-minute terrorist, reading Inspire (al-Qaeda magazine) and following step by step instructions in the article "Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom", published in the summer of 2010, could make a bomb. The article, signed by "AQ Chef", should be the work of the terrorists Anwar al-Awlaki, US engineer and Samir Khan, editor of the magazine. "The pressure cooker is the most effective method of making a simple bomb. Fill it with chips and gunpowder. Then create a detonator with the filament of a light bulb and a timer ".
Anwar al-Awlaki: the engineer of Al-Qaeda
Anwar al-Awlaki, one of the most charismatic figures of Al-Qaeda, continues to be the main source of inspiration for many terrorists. Influenced by the works of Sayyid Qutb, creator of anti-Western jihadist thought, Anwar al-Awlaki soon became the leading expert of the extremist fundamentalist line.
A highly skilled speaker, he wrote numerous essays that can be defined as the guide for Islamic extremists, a sort of lone wolf bible that consecrates itself to martyrdom. He understood the fundamental importance of the Internet as a tool to spread anti-Western culture and recruit new cells, opening a blog, a Facebook page, a Youtube channel and becoming the first columnist of the Al-Qaeda column. Inspire (in his first article, al-Awlaki called for attacks against those who had slandered the prophet Muhammad and attacks against Western targets).
Contrary to what has been assumed, Anwar al-Awlaki did not obtain the command of the organization in Yemen (led by Nasser al-Wuhayshi, former personal assistant of Bin Laden, finished the 16 last June by a CIA drone), confirming one of the figures more authoritative of Al-Qaeda, a role also recognized by Bin Laden and perhaps indicated by him as his possible successor.
He received a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University and a doctorate in Human Resource Development from George Washington University. He also attended "Education Leadership" at San Diego State University. The 30 of 2011 was terminated by a CIA drone.
