British bust plot against Internet

Published 21 March 2007

Suspected Al Qaeda operatives planned to infiltrate a major Internet hub and detonate explosives; MI5 creates a critical infrastructure protection unit

This is why our Uncle Julius always kept his stock certificates in his desk drawer: British police have revealed that they last year uncovered an al Qaeda plot to bring down the country’s Internet systems and throw the stock markets into chaos. According to Scotland Yard, the suspects planned to infiltrate a Docklands hub facility called Telehouse Europe and detonate explosives. The target may have been symbolic: Telehouse itself is intended to provide backup power for Britain’s networks in case of a terrorist attack, and it is nicknamed CTU after the counter-terrorist headquarters in the heartpounding (and torture-boosting) television show 24. The discovery of the plot also resulted in a second positive outcome. MI5 has established a special unit to focus on infrastructure protection.