In the last two days, there have been one successful terror attempt (no deaths) at the Scotland Airport, two vehicles rigged to explode in London (both found and defused before any casualties), and great concern for those kinds of things happening in the US.

According to Michael Chertoff, the Director of US Department of Homeland Security, there is no valid information suggesting that there might be similar attempts of the same kind. His comments as of this morning are:

At this point, I have seen no specific, credible information suggesting that this latest incident is connected to a threat to the homeland. We have no plans at this time to change the national threat level, although we remind everyone that the aviation threat level has been raised to orange since last fall.

The Glasgow incident (eyewitness video) was witnessed by many, and involved at least two individuals who dorve the blazing Jeep Cherokee vehicle into the departures section of the main terminal of the airport Saturday afternoon.

In the Friday incidents, two different vehicles parked near nightclubs (actually only a few hundred yards away) were rigged to explode, yet failed to go off. Had they been rigged to create a secondary attack, where first one bomb goes off, and when the area is swarming with first responders and onlookers, then a second device explodes killing even more? I’ve yet to see this suggested in media, but it makes sense. With this in mind, it does seem to have all the earmarks of Al Queda connections.

According to Foxnews,

it emerged that a 53-page document alerting businesses to the threat posed by VBIEDs — vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices — had been issued to police two weeks ago. It had been passed on to the Tiger Tiger club only a few days before yesterday’s events.

The incident also appeared to be foreshadowed by a posting on an Internet forum used by terrorists, saying: “Today I say: Rejoice, by Allah. London will be bombed.”

Because of these events, the UK has raised their alert level to its highest rating of Critical Threat, which means “an attack is expected imminently”. Over half a million closed circuit cameras cover London, one of the most surveillance capable cities in the world. Given this fact, it should come out sometime in the next few weeks that video of the culprits has been found, leading to quite a bit of action in tracking them down.

Until then, all of us should remain vigilant in the US for similar activities, especially given this weekend of Independance Day celebration.

Be careful out there.

Rich

EDIT UPDATE ONE: I did receive a reference from at least one source that the multiple vehicles COULD have been intended for a layered, delayed, secondary attack.

EDIT UPDATE TWO: The complete story from the Daily Mail can be found at the Daily Mail website. It has on the seen photos of the terrorist actually on the seen and being doused with water by responders.