Heathrow nuclear airport scare could be a Litvinenko-style attack, ex-general says
Met Counter Terrorism Command officers rushed to Terminal 4 at Heathrow Airport on December 29 after a package set off alarms regarding "contaminated" materials - which turned out to be uranium< /p>
Maj-Gen Chapman is a former counter-terrorism chief (
Image: http://www.paradata.org.uk/people/clive-chapman)
The fear of the uranium airport at Heathrow could have been used for a Litvinenko-type attack, a former general has claimed.
On December 29, officers from Met Counter Terrorism Command rushed to Terminal 4 at Heathrow Airport after a package from Oman triggered alarms about 'contaminated' equipment .
The force said the material had been identified as being contaminated with uranium.
There have been no arrests as the investigation is still ongoing.
Although the uranium has been reported as not being weapons-grade, there are concerns that it could have been used as a weapon in the "radiological sense", a former general said this morning.
Former Major General Chip Chapman told TimesRadio, "It could have been used in a radiological sense, the same way it was used on Litvinenko in 2006.
Picture:
Contributor Getty Images)"It could be something as simple as dangerous air cargo, but it could be more clever. So, for example, right now we know there is the Iranian revolution.
“And this could have been where it was going to be, this is a front for the Al-Quds Force of the IRGC, i.e. the Al-Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards - Quds meaning Jerusalem."
The package was destined for Iranian nationals in the UK, originated in Pakistan and arrived on a flight from Oman, reported.
Police said the "extremely small" amount of uranium found posed "no threat".
Testifying before the London Assembly's Police and Crime Committee this morning, Commander Richard Smith, head of the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command, said...
Met Counter Terrorism Command officers rushed to Terminal 4 at Heathrow Airport on December 29 after a package set off alarms regarding "contaminated" materials - which turned out to be uranium< /p>
Maj-Gen Chapman is a former counter-terrorism chief (
Image: http://www.paradata.org.uk/people/clive-chapman)
The fear of the uranium airport at Heathrow could have been used for a Litvinenko-type attack, a former general has claimed.
On December 29, officers from Met Counter Terrorism Command rushed to Terminal 4 at Heathrow Airport after a package from Oman triggered alarms about 'contaminated' equipment .
The force said the material had been identified as being contaminated with uranium.
There have been no arrests as the investigation is still ongoing.
Although the uranium has been reported as not being weapons-grade, there are concerns that it could have been used as a weapon in the "radiological sense", a former general said this morning.
Former Major General Chip Chapman told TimesRadio, "It could have been used in a radiological sense, the same way it was used on Litvinenko in 2006.
Picture:
Contributor Getty Images)"It could be something as simple as dangerous air cargo, but it could be more clever. So, for example, right now we know there is the Iranian revolution.
“And this could have been where it was going to be, this is a front for the Al-Quds Force of the IRGC, i.e. the Al-Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards - Quds meaning Jerusalem."
The package was destined for Iranian nationals in the UK, originated in Pakistan and arrived on a flight from Oman, reported.
Police said the "extremely small" amount of uranium found posed "no threat".
Testifying before the London Assembly's Police and Crime Committee this morning, Commander Richard Smith, head of the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command, said...
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