London Bombers May Have Had Ties To Prudential Plot: Report

The New York Times today reported that there may have been a vague link between the terrorist bombings in London July 7 and an alleged bomb plot against the Prudential Building. [@@]

Unnamed British and European counterterrorism officials said at least 2 of the bombers who struck the London transportation system might have been known to British police before July 7, the Times reported. The suspects’ names came up during U.K. investigations of 2 different suspected plots in 2004, the report says.

One of those investigations led to the arrest of 8 men accused of planning to attack the headquarters of Prudential Financial Inc., Newark, N.J., along with the New York Stock Exchange, the headquarters of Citigroup Inc., New York, and other buildings. At the time, British authorities said 1 of the 8 men possessed a plan of the Prudential Building.

Today’s report did not specify what link any of the London bombers may have had to the alleged U.S. plot.

According to European counterterrorism officials, British authorities had investigated one of the London bombers, Mohammed Sidique Khan, last year about an alleged plot to detonate a fertilizer bomb in London, the Times reported. Khan was not arrested.