A counter-terrorism operation near RAF Fairford in the UK was mired in confusion on Tuesday after police released five suspects on bail prompting concern and surprise from the US president and secretary of state. Five British nationals from London were detained on suspicion of explosives offences and terrorism after three suspicious vans were reported to police in the early hours of Sunday, outside the base in the village of Whelford, Gloucestershire. A rapid and significant security response was triggered with the village locked down, residents evacuated for 36 hours and bomb disposal robots dispatched to the scene.
However, on Tuesday, the head of counter-terrorism policing in the UK announced all five men had been released on bail. Their release suggests detectives believe it is unlikely they were on the brink of a mass casualty attack by exploding a bomb close to the base, sources said. Donald Trump later told reporters at the White House that he would not have released the suspects on bail.
We would not have released them.” Asked whether the case was linked to Iran, Trump said: “It might be.” Pressed to give details, Trump said: “I’d rather not. I mean I know the answer, I could be very specific, but I’d rather not say. I would not have released them.” Likewise, Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, said a lot of people were “disturbed that some of these people [being investigated] have been released on bail”.
Rubio provided no evidence for his claims. Tensions have been high at RAF Fairford since Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in July that the base was a legitimate target. Iran’s embassy in London has denied any involvement in the events of the last few days.
Adding to the sense of confusion on Sunday, Trump suggested the plot was known to the US authorities, but British sources were suggesting the specific activities of the men were unknown. MPs and councillors representing the local area said the messaging was inconsistent. Tristan Wilkinson, a councillor representing the ward, said: “It seems insane that this appears to have been a tipoff from a member of the public, and the security services are claiming that there was a level of intelligence involved as well.
I don’t see how those two things can both come through at the same time.” The head of UK counter-terrorism policing, the assistant commissioner Laurence Taylor, said the release of the men on bail did not mean the investigation was over and that they were subject to “stringent conditions”. He said: “I know there is significant interest in whether the current geopolitical context has a bearing on this incident. At counter-terrorism policing we are working within this context every day, and at this stage we are keeping an open mind in this investigation.
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