News of the World--about a half-step up from the Nat Enquirer

LONDON IN HIS SIGHTS

A HIJACKER caught as he tried to board a Ryanair flight planned to fly the jet into a US Embassy in Europe. And last night security sources said the only possible target was the American embassy in London's Grosvenor Square.

The attack by Muslim fanatic Kerim Chatty would have killed 189 on the plane—and hundreds more on the ground.

Around 2,000 people were working in the building when the attack was due to take place, at 6.00pm on Thursday.

Thousands more were working in nearby offices.

Oxford Street—London's main shopping area—is just 500 yards away.

Military sources in Stockholm said yesterday: "We know for sure the plan was to crash the plane into a U.S. embassy."

CIA sources confirmed the report, and experts said London was the ONLY possible target.

Officials

An attack elsewhere would have taken the Boeing 737-800 plane — flying from Sweden's Vasteras Airport to Stansted — miles off course and made military officials aware there was an attack.

It was also revealed yesterday that Chatty, 29, received pilot training at a flying school in the US — just like the September 11 hijackers.

He was also said to be working with four other terrorists, one an expert in explosives.

Police across Europe were hunting them last night.

It would have taken just five minutes for the 500mph Ryanair jet to have diverted from its course to Stansted and reach the embassy in Mayfair.

PM Tony Blair would have had the final say on whether to shoot down the jet — but there may not have been time. Unlike many of America's embassies in Europe the Grosvenor Square building is easy to identify from the air. It has a large open space in front, and is just 100 yards from Hyde Park.

And for Chatty it represented the perfect target.

A security source said: "He hates the Americans and British for their involvement in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans.

"To hit the American Embassy in London would deal a massive blow to both countries."

There is also a large NATO building in Grosvenor Square which would have suffered severe damage if the attack had succeeded.

Chatty was stopped when his 6.5 calibre pistol was spotted hidden in his luggage as it was put through an airport scanner.

It was loaded with at least three rounds.

But security sources yesterday suggested Chatty may have been under surveillance for some time. One report even suggested the Swedish secret service, SAPO, may have tipped off airport police that Chatty was booked on the flight and was a prime terrorist suspect. Although not thought to be a member of al-Qaeda he had numerous links to the September 11 hijackers.

He attended a flying school in Conway, South Carolina, in 1996 — the hijackers in the US attacks underwent flight training in the US too.

Soon after the American atrocity, Chatty made a pilgrimage to Mecca. SAPO was already suspicious and brought him in for questioning.

Chatty also travelled extensively throughout the Middle East. In the past 18 months he went on an amazing 32 trips.

He visited Yemen eight times and Saudi Arabia seven times. Chatty also travelled three times to the US, five times to France, twice to Italy and Tunisia.

He was also known as a Muslim fanatic by friends.

One said: "He wanted to be a part of the holy war—Jihad. He talked a lot about it."

Chatty also had previous convictions for assault after attacks on the Americans that he hated.

Beating

One was for hitting a Marine guard at the US Embassy in Stockholm in 1999.

Two years earlier he had received a severe beating himself when he attacked a group of four US marines as they ate in a Stockholm restaurant.

Witnesses said he had called them "murderers".

The same month, he attacked US diplomats at a high-class gym in Stockholm.

He received a one year prison term for the assault, but was released for good behaviour after five months.

Last night, Swedish police said Chatty would probably be charged tomorrow.

A spokesman said: "The arrested man will be questioned during the weekend, because the prosecutor has a deadline — Monday midday — to apply for a court appearance."

Police are considering charges of both hijacking and illegal possession of a firearm.

Chatty could face life imprisonment if found guilty.

-- Anonymous, September 06, 2002