Airliner terror plot yields no U.S. link

WASHINGTON – There is no evidence that terrorists were working within the United States as part of a plot to detonate explosives on airliners, but U.S. officials remain vigilant after last week’s arrests in Britain and Pakistan, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Sunday.

Appearing on several morning television talk shows, Chertoff warned that it is clear in the wake of the foiled terrorism operation that enemies of the United States “still want to carry out spectacular plots” and have been developing innovative ways to skirt security.

“As we speak right now, we have not found any indication of active planning in the U.S. or plans to conduct operations within the U.S.,” Chertoff said on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” discussing the plot to use liquid explosives on airplanes headed to American cities.

Much of the discussion Sunday concerned the investigative tools available in Britain that U.S. officials credit with allowing authorities to get ahead of the plot before it proved catastrophic. Chertoff said the ability to monitor monetary transactions and communications and to arrest suspects for a period of 28 days on an emergency basis made a significant difference in the case.

Although Chertoff did not suggest any specific changes in U.S. law to allow such flexibility, he alluded to the controversial Bush administration programs of secretly wiretapping suspects and of monitoring financial records.

Chertoff said it is unclear whether al-Qaida leaders were involved in the plot but said the attacks, as planned, bore all the hallmarks of the group’s prior work. He said officials remain committed to stopping attacks in the United States.