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MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: This operation is, in some respects, suggestive of an al Qaeda plot. But because the investigation is still underway, we cannot yet form a definitive conclusion.
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GIBSON: The White House calls the foiled terror plot on trans- Atlantic flights, quote, "a serious threat to the U.S. and the U.K.," but the scheme may be part of an even bigger plan. From the Israeli-Hezbollah war in the Mideast to the Iranian president's end-of-the-month deadline, to talk about his nuke program, our next guest says there are links and they don't point to any escalating war against the West.
Joining us now, terrorism expert Dave (sic) Copley, president of the International Strategic Association and also, remaining with us, Mamoun Fandy, director of the Middle East program at the International Institute for the Studies of Terrorism.
Mr. Fandy, can I ask you first, does it surprise you very much that these were British Muslims and probably homegrown, maybe even have been born in Britain?
MAMOUN FANDY, INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES: It doesn't surprise me at all, John. I mean, if you are here in London, practically London looks like the capital of the Muslim world and also there is a great deal of flax either due to inefficiency or arrogance that somehow these guys will not threaten the western democracy.
So, certainly, I think the worst is yet to come as far as Muslims in Europe in general, as well as more in Britain. I think there's a great deal of luck to foil this plot, but I think certainly there is a community that protects these kinds of people, and there are messages that they receive from Pakistan and from the Arab world and from Iran and probably, as you pointed out earlier on, you know, these people never give up.
I mean, they tried the same thing since 1995 when they were coming from the Philippines and wanted to blow up airlines over the Pacific. They tried it this time and will try it again. And the environment here is hospitable to these activities because there is no serious crackdown on these activities.
GIBSON: Mr. Copley, Mr. Fandy says the worst is yet to come. How does that strike you?
GREGORY COPLEY, INT'L STRATEGIC STUDIES ASSOC.: Absolutely correct, right on the money. This is all part of a very broadly-based offensive against the West, and I include Israel in that, and basically it's coordinated by the Iranian authorities who host many of the al Qaeda people, despite the differences they've had with al Qaeda. And so this is all part of operations which are building up this month.
And if you look at the news coverage in the West this morning, there was no coverage of the Iranian-sponsored attacks by Hezbollah against Israel. The thunder was completely stolen by this event. So these terrorist attacks do have the capacity to divert public and political attention away from the broader, global strategic threat.
GIBSON: Mr. Fandy, I saw a poll in Britain that 81 percent of Muslims in Britain call themselves Muslims before they call themselves British. Is that a number that ought to be scary?
FANDY: I think it is. It is very scary and it tells you a bigger story about how Europe in general are accommodating its Muslims. Actually, the surprising thing, John, is that Britain is probably the best among the Europeans that try to promote a program of citizenship, and yet the citizenship have not yet stuck or Muslims have always identified themselves as Muslim first and British next.
But the same situation goes for a huge population of Muslims in Germany, and throughout and in France. So the issue in Europe is very, very important.
GIBSON: Mr. Fandy, Mr. Copley, thank you very much. Mr. Copley, sorry I didn't get to you more. I wanted to talk to you, but it's busy day. We'll talk to you again.
Security measures increased across the globe after September 11th. Some of those helped nab these suspects.
GIBSON: The alert for all flights coming or going from the U.S. has been raised. Some flights have been canceled, others delays. What you shouldn't pack, what you shouldn't carry and what you can expect. All that coming up on the "Big Story."
