Underpants bomb agent was British

[Gromit]

The Headlines screamed...

US foils bomb threat

CIA agents capture underpants bomb.

Turns out he has a British passport

// The man, who risked his life to get close to al-Qaeda’s master bomb-maker in the Yemen, is of Saudi origin but holds a British passport, sources told the Daily Telegraph.
MI5 recruited the agent for an operation in which the CIA planned to target the bomb-maker with a missile from an unmanned drone.
MI6 then worked with the Saudis who have previously infiltrated al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsular (AQAP), based in Yemen.
The individual was sent to target Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri, the ruthless Saudi-born bomb-maker for AQAP.
He infiltrated the terrorist group, risking execution if he was discovered, and volunteered to be a suicide bomber. //

http://www.telegraph....rpants-bomb-plot.html

[emmie]

A brave man if true.

[jake-the-peg]

I'm waiting in anticipation for AOG to come on the thread and salute this brave British moslem

[Philtaz]

Why oh why is this even being reported?
Do the journalists who have broken this story realise the amount of pressure and danger they put covert operatives in when they do so?
Terrorist groups are wary and often paranoid about such infiltrations and journalism like this endangers the lives of some very brave people even further.

[boxtops]

I agree with Phil

[mightyWBA]

I agree with Phil as well..These stories should be hidden.

[jno]

sources don't tell the Daily Telegraph things unless they want them known. Gromit identified in another thread why the security services might want to announce this success now. This story is being deliberately publicised, for better or worse, and journalists aren't betraying or endangering anyone.

[Philtaz]

This story is being deliberately publicised, for better or worse, and journalists aren't betraying or endangering anyone.
-------------------------------

If it's being done deliberately so, why are official sources refusing to comment?
SIS infamously do not report incidents or details of successful operations of this nature for fear of endangering the lives of operatives and covert activities, that's the whole point of being a clandestine organisation.

Many remember when our journalists (from the BBC of all people) told the Argentine Forces via the World Service that the Para's were advancing on Goose Green and reported the taking of it before the battle even took place!

[jno]

the guy in question will have been whisked out of reach by now - mission accomplished but it will have put him in danger.

The officials are commenting - but unofficially, off the record, and only to chosen recipients. (They've long leaked to the Telegraph and I think used to do it to the Times as well; but are unlikely to do so to the Guardian.)

[Philtaz]

From the BBC website:

However, as well as reporting that the secret agent was a British citizen, NBC News in the US also says UK intelligence agencies were "heavily involved" in his recruitment.

The agent is now reported to be safe in Saudi Arabia while FBI analysts in the US study the device.

The BBC's Paul Adams, in Washington, says it is unorthodox for intelligence agencies to disclose details about each others' operations.

If true, the revelations about the undercover agent could raise eyebrows in UK intelligence agencies, he adds.
------------------------------

Doesn't sound like MI5/MI6 will be too pleased and I doubt any of them will be divulging details of this to any Britsh newspaper, The Times or otherwise.

[boxtops]

It's on the news at the moment, discussing this very thing

[EDDIE51]

Hot Pants ?

[jno]

I wouldn't bet against MI6 knowing about it already. It is unusual for the US or UK services to acknowledge each other's contributions to successful operations, though. They're usually busy briefing against each other.

[ludwig]

// They're usually busy briefing against each other. //

Or de-briefing in this case.

[jno]

true

[ludwig]

Here's some exclusive film of him doing the infiltrating..

[Gromit]

As jno said, i speculated why the the story of the underpants bomb was revealed.

In the US there is an agency responsible for airport security called the TSA. They are widely hated and there has been years of bad press about them harassing air passengers.

There is now a campaign to have the agency scrapped. And there is a Bill before Congress that will be voted on soon. So a story about a new threat that only the TSA with their full body scans can detect has been planted to remind Congressmen voting and to save the dreaded TSA.

http://www.gather.com...cleId=281474981308178

[jno]

and there is of course a US election approaching.

Which makes it even more unusual that someone - apparently in America - would say, actually, he's a Brit. But you can't be sure which side of the Atlantic the leaks are really coming from.

But I stand by my claim that journalists aren't endangering anyone; the leaks are deliberate and the double agent has already left the building.

[Gromit]

Here is how the news was first revealed:

New Underwear Plane Bomb Plot Foiled By US
http://uk.news.yahoo....b-plot-202723870.html
The CIA thwarted the latest plan by al Qaeda's branch in Yemen and the new device has been recovered.

CIA foils second underwear bomb plot
http://www.thisislond...aircraft-7722155.html

[jno]

it now seems MI6 may well be upset by all this and it's some sort of politically inspired leak from the US rather than the UK.

http://www.guardian.c...mb-plot-mi6-cia-leaks

[Philtaz]

As ever, in a vain attempt to gain some form of kudos the Septics broke the first and most sacrosanct rule of military intelligence:

You NEVER reveal your sources.

The good ol' U S of A, compromising covert operations unnecessarily and putting SIS and/or UK Forces at risk again.