Unanswered questions on RAF base ‘bomb plot’ – ‘international actors’ to ‘explosives’ riddle
The sleepy Cotswold village of Whelford was plunged into an international ‘terror plot’ mystery when a farmer raised the alarm after seeing masked men near an RAF airbase. But three days on, much remains unanswered
Bomb disposal teams examined the vans(Image: Sky News)
Five men arrested over a suspected ‘terror plot’ to bomb an RAF base were freed on bail yesterday (September 28)– just 24 hours after a huge counter-terror operation to seize them.
The men – Brits in their 20s from London – were held on suspicion of explosives offences and terrorism.
Armed cops acting on a farmer’s tip-off that “something very odd is going on” arrested the men near RAF Fairford, Gloucs, on Sunday. But they were bailed amid reports that tests on materials in three vans seized near the base found they were “not viable explosives”.
Counter-terror cops stressed the suspects had been bailed under strict conditions and remained under investigation. But the story has sparked global intrigue and so much remains unanswered. Here, your Daily Star takes a look at what we still don’t know.
The farmer raised the alarm in a neighbours’ group WhatsApp
Was there a foreign actor involved?
The airbase was used by the US Air Force to bomb Iran, sparking fears it may have been the target of Iranian proxies. Reports suggested there were clear signs that security was being stepped up at the base last week.
And both Donald Trump and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio have hinted the incident involved the hand of a ‘foreign actor.’ Rubio said on Fox News: “It’s one that clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor.”
Counter terror cops said they were exploring “every possible angle”, including the suspects may have been working on behalf of a foreign state. But nothing has been confirmed yet and Tehran has strongly denied any involvement.
Armed cops swooped on the scene(Image: Ben Birchall/PA Wire)
Former MI6 agent Christopher Steele told Sky News: “State-backed organisations and operatives are using criminals that they’re recruiting online inside our country to carry out some of these grey-zone kinetic attacks.
“And so it’s quite difficult sometimes to differentiate between a state-backed action and a purely criminal action.”
The airbase was used by the US Air Force to bomb Iran(Image: Getty Images)
Why were the suspects bailed?
The release of all five suspects after just 24 hours of questioning raised eyebrows around the world. US President Trump said on Monday: “I will tell you, I would have said ‘Don’t let them have bail’. I’m surprised that they released them. I wouldn’t have done that.”
They were arrested after a farmer spotted a group of men running around in masks and balaclavas in the middle of the night on Saturday. Counter-terror cops stressed the suspects had been bailed under strict conditions and remained under investigation.
Media law expert David Banks said on Twitter: “I would make the point that in terror investigations the police can hold people for up to 14 days without charge. So if people are bailed within a couple of days have a think about what that tells you about their direction of travel of their inquiry.”
Trump weighed into the row(Image: SKY News)
Were the suspects on a watch list?
Trump appeared to suggest there had been a secret joint surveillance operation carried out by the US and the UK. Weighing in on the news on Sunday, he said: “Working with Britain – it was an amazing job… we had them under investigation.
“They were looking to do big damage to our fort… and working with the British worked out great. It may have been Scotland Yard. I don’t know, we worked with a lot of them. We had them under view for a long time and we got ’em.”
But a well-placed source suggested Trump is ‘broadly accurate’, Sky News reported. Other sources have also suggested the Iran link is accurate too, US correspondent Mark Stone reports.
US soldiers at the gates of RAF Fairford,(Image: Ben Birchall/PA Wire)
Did they have explosives or were they on the rob?
One theory is the five may have “knowingly or unknowingly” been working as proxies for Iran. Asked if the rogue state was involved, Trump said: “They might be.” Pushed for more details, he said he would “rather not say”.
But reports claim no explosives were found in the vans. And a number of outlets have reported claims from military sources that the arrested men may have been thieves syphoning fuel. And its also been alleged that barrels to store the stolen liquids and other equipment were found in three vans.
The vans were reportedly found close to a diesel supply. It’s unclear whether Gloucestershire Police or counter terrorism police will issue an update today, but security is still high around the military base.
