Al-Qaida may target Bush in London

Stewart Tendler/
The Times, London

LONDON, Nov. 12. — Al-Qaida terrorists using the cover of huge anti-war protests are a very real threat to the safety of Mr George W Bush during his state visit to London next week, Britain’s most senior policemen have warned.
Scotland Yard says that concerns over an attack on the US President are the reason for the biggest security operation Britain has seen for any visiting head of state. The threat of demonstrators embarrassing Mr Bush during his three-day stay is a secondary worry.
Senior officers finalising security arrangements with the White House described the trip as “a nightmare”. One source told The Times, London that the original demands made by the US Secret Service were “simply unacceptable”.
An officer said: “They (US Secret Service) wanted to turn London into little Washington by closing roads for miles around, hours before the President’s motorcade passes, and that is just not acceptable here.”
While the White House has been told that it will not get its own way on every demand, police have had to agree to greater restrictions on protesters and the public than they wanted. Few people will see Mr Bush, who no longer risks walkabouts or unscheduled stops.
His security team fear that if street protests lead to running battles with police and gridlock in the centre of London, Islamic terrorists could take advantage of the disorder to stage an attack.
Because of the 9/11 attacks, no President has been given tighter security and Mr Bush’s bodyguards fear that too much of the President’s itinerary has leaked out.
Wherever he goes, Mr Bush is surrounded by a tight security cordon, known to the White House as “the bubble” and which forms an impenetrable wall between him and the outside world.
The White House regards London as a high risk target for a suicide attack. Militant cells of mainly North African extremists are known to operate in Britain.
White House concerns have led to a row over how many of the President’s Secret Service detail, the “Men in Black”, will be allowed to carry guns and on the rules of engagement about when US agents can open fire. They now carry firearms openly in front of American crowds.
Whitehall officials insist that US agents must follow the law and can only use arms if there is “an imminent or direct threat to life”.
The US Secret Service wants immunity from prosecution for any agent who uses a gun and insists that Mr Bush’s personal safety is its responsibility, not Scotland Yard’s.
The White House wanted to bring 250 armed officers with Mr Bush. Diplomats argued for fewer saying there will be well over 4,000 police on the streets, including many who are armed.
Scotland Yard said last night that it would not seal off the centre of London during the visit, from 18 to 21 November. “Some roads will be closed for a time for operational reasons but the Mall and Whitehall will remain open,” an officer said.

Anarchists switch strategy
Anarchists have abandoned the methods that defined their movement in an attempt to outwit police ahead of Mr Bush’s three-day state visit to London.
As Secret Service agents scout the capital for sniper perches in an unprecedented security operation, anarchists are planning a cat-and-mouse game to dodge police and cause maximum disruption.
Groups have grown wise to police and security services eavesdropping on their plans and have abandoned open website communication, their traditional modus operandi. Instead, they are sending text messages on mobile telephones and using password-protected e-mail groups to co-ordinate supporters. Some have even resorted to paper and ink to spread the word.
“We have been driven away from the internet since May Day,” Mr Guy Taylor, of the anticapitalist group Globalise Resistance, said. “People are sending letters this time. It is extraordinary the lengths people will go to. There are text networks, e-mail groups and word-of-mouth.”
Other groups are running legal seminars around London this week to advise protesters of their rights if they break the law. They are handing out details of “friendly” solicitors for protesters to call after arrest.
Mr Bush’s three-day trip is set to be the biggest public showdown yet between the President and anti-war protesters. Anarchists view it as their last chance to grab headlines after failing to cause as much damage as they intended at recent international summits.
Some hardcore groups have pledged to do more than just join in the planned marches across the capital.
Many activists were travelling to Paris today to mobilise an army of protesters at the European Social Forum. Mr Taylor said: “We have 700 people going out to Paris and we will be trying to get people there to come over to London. Many groups and activists are uniting to make London inhospitable for Mr Bush. We need to make the place as unwelcoming as possible.”
He said the heavy-handed security measures demanded by the Bush Administration have acted as a red rag: “We do not want to get shot, but it is becoming an occupational hazard. We are refusing to let them scare us. If we are attacked, we will defend ourselves.”
Known troublemakers are being told to get to Britain before strict security measures are put in force at ports and airports in the days running up to Mr Bush’s arrival.