JOIN USIt was “inevitable” that the al-Qaeda would eventually turn to using women with a western appearance to carry out suicide attacks.
Airliners and all forms of transport as well as sports stadium, ports and power stations could be targeted, “The Daily Telegraph” reported quoting security officials.
The women, who may have a “non-Arab” appearance and travelling on Western passports, have been prepared for their missions by the Yemeni group. US law enforcement agents have been told to be on the lookout for female suicide bombers who may attempt to enter the country.
At least, they are believed to be connected to the al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula which has been accused of sending underwear bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab who tried unsuccessfully to explode a transatlantic airliner over Detroit last month.
Details of women suicide bombers emerged hours after British intelligence officials raised the state of terror threat on Britain to “severe” amid fears that the al Qaeda was planning a wave of attacks against western targets.
Terror experts within the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, a unit of London-based MI5, now believe that an attack against the UK is “highly likely”, the daily said.
Richard Clarke, a former chief White House counter-terrorism adviser, said: “They have trained women. “There are others who are still out there who have been trained and who are clean skins — that means people who we do not have a record of, people who may not look like al-Qaeda terrorists, who may not be Arabs, and may not be men.”
A US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations report also revealed that around 70 American citizens, some ex-convicts, have disappeared into Yemen and Somalia and pose a ‘jihadist’ threat to the US.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown warned earlier this week that “a number of terrorist cells are actively trying to attack Britain and other countries.”
Osama ‘behind plane bombing bid’
Cairo, pti: Al-Qaeda supremo Osama bin Laden on Sunday claimed responsibility for the botched Christmas Day US airline bombing attempt and warned America of new “raids” unless it backed off from supporting Israel.
In a short recording broadcast by the Al-Jazeera Arabic news channel, bin Laden addressed US President Barack Obama saying the December Day attack on Northwest Airlines was a message that more strikes similar to the September 11 against America would be forthcoming.
“The message delivered to you (Obama) through the plane of the heroic warrior Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was a confirmation of the previous messages sent by the heroes of the September 11,” bin Laden said referring to 23-year-old Nigerian national’s attempt to blow up the plane mid-air during a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit.“America will never dream of security unless we will have it in reality in Palestine,” bin Laden said.