Intensified Effort to Investigate London Attacks, With Little Hard Evidence of American Involvement

Federal investigators have been scouring leads from Queens to Oregon, examining the connections between the recent spate of terrorist attacks overseas and potential follow-on attacks against American targets. While there has been an expansion of surveillance and efforts to interview people in custody, officials have found little hard evidence to suggest that anyone in the United States was involved in the attacks or that any new attacks are being planned.

Key Takeaways:

• Federal investigators have been following leads in multiple locations, including Queens, New York; Oregon; Virginia; and other areas, but have found little hard evidence of American involvement in the London attacks.
• The surveillance of extremists has been expanded, and efforts to interview people in custody and show them photographs of plotters in the attacks have been intensified.
• Michael Chertoff, the Secretary of Homeland Security, has warned Americans to be vigilant and prepare for the worst, but emphasized that there is currently no specific credible information indicating an Al Qaeda plot to attack the transit systems in the United States.
• Investigators have been examining the connections between the London bombings and individuals in the United States, including Mohammed Junaid Babar, a Pakistani-American who pleaded guilty to providing material support to Al Qaeda, and Haroon Rashid Aswat, a 31-year-old British man suspected of having ties to Osama bin Laden.
• The investigation is ongoing, and officials are mindful of the need to establish clear links before moving against suspects in the United States, as was the case with Brandon Mayfield, a Muslim lawyer in Portland, Ore., who was mistakenly arrested after his fingerprint was linked to the Madrid bombings.

Statistics:

• 1,300 pounds of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, which can be used to make explosives, was seized by British authorities during the investigation of the London bombings.
• 8 Britons of Pakistani origin have been arrested in connection with the plots to bomb pubs and train stations in Great Britain.
• Mohammed Junaid Babar has been in jail in the United States for more than a year, making it unlikely that he would have had any advance knowledge of the recent attacks.

Sources:

• Justice Department official, anonymous interview
• Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security, statement
• Brian Roehrkasse, Homeland Security Department spokesman, statement
• Mr. Babar's court transcript, June 2004
• British authorities, August 2005
• Joseph Price, lawyer for Randall T. Royer, statement