British Played Central Role in Foiled Bomb Operation: Sources
British intelligence played a central role in the undercover investigation to foil an underwear bomb plot involving al Qaeda’s Yemeni offshoot, counterterrorism sources told Reuters.
The undercover informant in the plot linked to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, was a British citizen, possibly of Saudi origin, the sources said on condition of anonymity. The informant was working in cooperation with Britain’s two principal spy agencies.
The Obama administration had been under heavy pressure not to disclose the role of British authorities in the investigation.
U.S. officials revealed publicly on Monday that AQAP tried to arm a suicide bomber with a non-metallic device that was an upgraded version of the “underwear bomb” that was carried on to a Detroit-bound plane on Christmas Day 2009.