Terror plot against English airbase

Reports: Men may have been "clueless fools"

Were the men arrested outside the RAF Fairford airbase "clueless fools" who did not understand their mission, or was the thwarted terror plot a diversionary tactic ahead of a larger attack? These are two theories being investigated following last weekend's incident in the English countryside, according to reports by the *New York Times*.

Three white vans were reportedly heading toward the base during the night leading into last Sunday when one of the suspected perpetrators, for some reason, raised the alarm about the plan.

The alert led to a major operation in which the men were arrested on suspicion of plotting a terrorist attack. However, police found no explosives in the vehicles, and according to reports, there are no concrete signs that the men were in the final stages of an attack.

The men were later released on bail—a rarity in cases involving suspected terrorism. The newspaper writes that this may indicate authorities were constrained by the need to keep evidence classified.
Terror plot against English airbase — the facts

Terrorplanen mot engelska flygbasen — det gäller saken

• Five men were arrested on September 27 near RAF Fairford in England on suspicion of plotting a terrorist attack against the airbase.
• RAF Fairford is used by the US for bomber operations targeting Iran and has been identified as a target by Iran's Revolutionary Guard since July. 
• British police are investigating possible links to Iran, and a 27-year-old man holding both British and Iranian citizenship was later arrested in London. 
• No explosives were found in the suspected men's vans, but a large quantity of gasoline was discovered, according to the police.
• Following the incident, the US has flown its B-1 bombers back from the base, and the governments of both the US and the UK see signs of foreign interference.