‘Plot to blow up planes’ foiled in UK ~ Terror Alert Level Raised to Critical!

A major terrorist plot to blow up planes in mid-flight has been disrupted, Scotland Yard has said. It is thought the plan was to detonate explosive devices smuggled on aircraft in hand luggage, with flights from the UK to the US being targeted.
As many as 20 planes were targeted! And 18 have been arrested.
UPDATE on amount of planes: AT 4:05 a.m. they are saying it was 6 planes.
“MAJOR TERRORIST OPERATION, SOME ‘PLANNERS’ MIGHT BE IN US”
During the night, police arrested a number of people in London after a counter-terrorist operation they said had lasted several months.
Security at all airports in the UK has been tightened and delays are expected.
Scotland Yard said in a statement:

“We would like to reassure the public that this operation was carried out with public safety uppermost in our minds.”

“This is a major operation which inevitably will be lengthy and complex.”

The Department for Transport set out the details of the security measures at UK airports.
Transparent bags
Passengers will not be allowed to take any hand luggage on to any flights in the UK, the department said.
Only the barest essentials – including passports and wallets – will be allowed to be carried on board in transparent plastic bags.

“We hope that these measures, which are being kept under review by the government, will need to be in place for a limited period only,” the statement said.

BBC journalist Joe Lynam encountered the increased security measures at Gatwick airport.

“I was handed a piece of paper saying that pretty much nothing could be taken on board the plane,” he said.

“Everything had to be checked in and that includes mobile phones, ipods, wallets – even spectacle cases had to be checked in.”

The MI5 and UK Intelligence Community websites are displaying that the UK Terror Threat Level has been raised to ‘Critical’, which indicates an attack is expected imminently.

Wild Thing’s comment……
I am wondering if this has anything to do with what happened at the airport in London.

A man from Scotland’s Lebanese community waves the Scottish and Lebanese flags outside Prestwick Airport in Scotland during a demonstration against the UK government’s decision to allow U.S. military aircraft carrying bombs destined for Israel to re-fuel at airports in the UK July 30, 2006. It has recently emerged that Prestwick Airport had re-fuelled U.S.aircraft carrying weapons without the UK government’s knowledge.

UPDATE:
U.S. raises threat level in response to British threat
The Associated Press, Aug. 10, 2006
WASHINGTON
The U.S. government raised its threat level to the highest level for commercial flights from Britain to the United States early Thursday in response to a reported terror plot in London and also stepped up the general level for all flights within the U.S. or entering the country.
“We believe that these arrests (in London) have significantly disrupted the threat, but we cannot be sure that the threat has been entirely eliminated or the plot completely thwarted,” said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff in announcing that the threat level for flights from Britain to the United States has been raised to the highest “severe or red” level.
“To defend further against any remaining threat from this plot, we will also raise the threat level to High, or Orange, for all commercial aviation operating in or destined for the United States,” Chertoff said.
UPDATE:
10 August 2006; 0200 ET:
Police in the U.K. have reportedly foiled a plot to smuggle explosive devices in airline hand luggage to blow up planes in mid-flight, or take over aircraft and crash them into targets inside the U.S.
Police in the United Kingdom have reportedly arrested 18 suspects, and more being sought in the UK and at least 2 other countries, including the US. According to US intelligence sources close to the Northeast Intelligence Network, the investigation is expected to expand “well beyond the UK,” and described the threat to the US as “just the tip of the iceberg and very significant.”