Rubio says foreign actor involved in RAF Fairford plot

Marco Rubio said the suspected plot against RAF Fairford, a British air base used by US forces to strike Iran, clearly involved a foreign actor, after five British men arrested near the base were released on bail. President Donald Trump said the incident might be linked to Iran and said he would not have released the men.theguardian.com

The comments put Washington at odds with British counterterror police, who released all five suspects on bail on Monday while stressing the investigation continues. The gap matters because RAF Fairford is the only base on Britain's mainland used for US strikes on Iran, and because the arrests have already prompted evacuations, roadblocks and political questions in the UK about how the suspected plot was handled.

What the officials said

Rubio said's Hannity programme late on Monday that what happened in the UK over the weekend was a very serious situation that clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor. He provided no evidence and no specific details. Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday that the incident might be connected to Iran, with which the United States has been at war since late February.cbsnews.com

Trump said he was surprised the men were released and that he would not have done that. He said US and British authorities had worked very closely on the matter and that the United States knows everything about the men. When pressed for more detail on a possible Iranian link, Trump said he would rather not say.

Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of the London Metropolitan Police's Counter Terror unit, told reporters on Monday the incident may be activity committed by proxies, or individuals knowingly or unknowingly working on behalf of a foreign state. A source familiar with the situation said that the response had not been intelligence-led, indicating the five were not under direct surveillance, though security at the base was increased.al-monitor.com

How the arrests unfolded

Police declared a major incident at RAF Fairford after the arrests in the early hours of Sunday, and the UK government held a national emergency meeting. A local farmer called police after returning home around 0100 local time and finding three large vans parked in the road, one with a fake telephone number, and a group of hooded and masked men running away. The five men are British nationals in their early 20s from London.

All five were released on bail on Monday. The head of UK Counter Terror Policing said they remain subject to stringent conditions on their movement and contact with others and absolutely remain under investigation as multiple lines of enquiry are explored. Police said no viable explosive device was found in the three vans. A cordon around the vans and roadblocks near the base remained in place on Tuesday morning.

Some UK security sources have suggested the men may have been stealing fuel rather than planning an attack. Two people described as military sources told local outlet Wiltshire 999s the suspects were just thieves syphoning fuel, with barrels and equipment found in their vehicles. A British legal expert said it would be reasonable to release suspects on bail to see where they go and who they talk to.

Where the numbers came from

Nick Aldworth, former national co-ordinator for UK counter-terrorism policing, said bail decisions rest on risk rather than geopolitical concerns, and that he has every confidence the suspects do not pose a risk to the public. He cautioned that comments from US politicians may be made for geopolitical as well as domestic political reasons.

Iran's embassy in London rejected speculation linking Iran to the arrests, saying it categorically rejects and strongly condemns unfounded and malicious speculations. Iran has previously said any base used to attack its territory is a legitimate target. In July, the UK government said Iran's Quds Force almost certainly directed attacks in Europe by the Iran-aligned group IMCR.

Roz Savage, the Liberal Democrat MP for South Cotswolds, whose constituency covers RAF Fairford, said she would write to the prime minister and the defence secretary with her concerns, saying events cast earlier safety assurances into doubt. About 85 households in the Cotswold village of Whelford were evacuated on Sunday morning and told on Monday they could return home.