Questions Surround Counterterror Probe 09/29 06:04

   

   FAIRFORD, England (AP) -- A surprise decision by the U.K.'s counterterror 
police to release five suspects on bail during an investigation into a 
https://apnews.com/article/fairford-raf-base-suspects-arrested-plot-86a2e0fe16a2
01cee5e40b2ee54e4ce0 targeting a U.S.-operated air force base in England has 
raised questions and concern from many, including U.S. President Donald Trump 
and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

   Five young British men were 
https://apnews.com/article/britain-explosives-us-air-base-fairford-49495441036e7
8763e106bbeadd1e839 on explosives and terrorism charges near the RAF Fairford 
base, which has been used by American bombers during decades of conflicts in 
the Middle East, including this year's war with Iran.

   Counterterror detectives said they were investigating "multiple lines of 
inquiry," including whether the suspects had a link to Iran. Iran has denied 
involvement.

   The men -- all British nationals in their 20s, according to police -- were 
https://apnews.com/article/uk-fairford-us-air-base-arrests-investigation-4b6fb8b
4636c0c360bd7d3d2c44e8075 Monday. The head of U.K. Counter Terrorism Policing, 
Laurence Taylor, stressed that the suspects face stringent conditions and 
"absolutely remain under investigation."

   Trump told reporters on Monday he was surprised that the men were allowed to 
be freed.

   "I'm surprised that they released them. I wouldn't have done that," he said.

   Rubio echoed the sentiment, saying: "I know a lot of people are disturbed by 
the news that some of these people have been released on bail, as some of the 
people are being investigated."

   He added in an interview with Fox News that the case "clearly involves the 
hands of a foreign actor," but did not name a specific country or give more 
details.

   It appears police did not find explosives in suspicious vehicles 

   A police cordon remained in place around three vans found near the Fairford 
base on Tuesday, as armed police and counterterrorism officers continued to 
examine the scene.

   Earlier, army bomb-disposal experts used a robot to examine the vans. It 
wasn't clear what was found inside the vehicles, but the decision to bail the 
suspects -- and the fact that residents who were evacuated have started to 
return home -- suggested that no viable explosives were found.

   A local farmer said she called police after seeing the vans blocking a road 
as she drove home late Saturday night, and that nearby she came across a group 
of men, some with their faces covered. She said they ran away when they saw her 
vehicle.

   She declined to be identified because she was describing what she saw as 
potential security lapses.

   Officials hint at possible Iran role 

   Taylor, the counterterror police chief, said lines of inquiry include 
whether the suspected offenses were committed by "proxies or individuals, 
either knowingly or unknowingly, working on behalf of a foreign state."

   Investigators haven't concluded whether the incident was state-backed or 
what the motive was, but authorities have strongly hinted that Iran is possibly 
involved. They are also investigating a possible link to Russia or non-state 
militant groups. RAF Fairford has also been the focus of protests by anti-war 
campaigners.

   Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said the U.K. "shouldn't be cowed by saber 
rattling from Iran," adding that "the Iranian regime is one that wishes harm to 
our country, our allies, and the freedom and democracy that we enjoy."

   Iran and allied militant groups have been accused of plotting or carrying 
out attacks on 
https://apnews.com/article/trump-attempted-assassination-iran-threat-secret-serv
ice-87f9a1e6e74c2ac18636334e9b2e03a3, 
https://apnews.com/article/iranian-journalist-stabbed-trial-pouria-zeraati-londo
n-fdf8dba164fd7f0835aa18ca9e6c1d87 and 
https://apnews.com/article/argentina-1994-jewish-center-bombing-iran-investigati
on-36b4f9cbe20900d39d8f28477589a444 in the past, allegedly acting through local 
proxies while denying responsibility.

   British intelligence services saying Russia and Iran have both used proxies 
to commit crimes on U.K. soil. In March, officials said the number of national 
security cases involving activity by hostile states, including Iran, increased 
by 50% in the six months to December 2025.

   Questions about possible security or intelligence failures 

   It was unclear whether the arrested men had been on security services' 
radar. Local residents described seeing heightened security around RAF Fairford 
in recent days, with heavy vehicles parked across entrance gates.

   Trump said the suspects were detained following cooperation between the U.S. 
and Britain, and had been "under view" for some time. Police, however, said the 
arrests were triggered by a late-night call about the suspicious vehicles near 
the base.

   The farmer who called the police alleged that it took several hours between 
her call and when police "suddenly decided to evacuate people" in the area.

   "But meanwhile, those vans were right in the middle of the village next to 
everyone's houses and no one did anything," she said.

   Streeting, the defense secretary, said Monday that the farmer only had a 
"partial picture" of the operation.