0:00
Now, of course, we say British UK nationals. We don't know what that means, really
0:04
We do know that there have been worries about whether this is Iranian connected
0:09
And we also know that in the past, Iran and indeed Russia have used relatively low life criminals and paid them to carry out acts
0:17
And those fires at the farmer's house. Yeah. And against the Jewish ambulances in North London
0:23
So the fact that these are UK nationals doesn't really tell us much
0:27
We're right by one of the fences to the base. And in fact, you can see the sort of airplanes that would have taken part in those American operations just over my shoulder
0:37
But that doesn't mean that this whole area is freely accessible. There is a police cordon further up the road and certainly much of the village also remains shut off
0:46
The reaction in the last hour or so here has all been in relation to the news that you just explained
0:52
the suspects potentially behind this threat. Five men aged in their 20s from London and counter-terror police
1:02
were also understood to be investigating if this plot could be potentially linked to Iran
1:08
And the reason that I mention that with caution, Sheila, is only because of the context that this RAF base has been used by the Americans
1:16
as part of their military operations in Iran. and Iran has also said that any base used as part of that American war effort is a legitimate target
1:30
I want to caveat just by saying that we also have a quote from the Deputy Assistant Commissioner
1:35
of Counterterrorism Policing, Vicky Evans. And I'll read the quote. She says, I'm very aware of the levels of speculation about the motivation behind this incident
1:43
and the geopolitical questions that are being raised. However, she goes on to say, I ask that at this time, counterterrorism policing are given the space to work carefully and clearly
1:55
And there might be some time and space required. There could be 14 days, Sheila, before these suspects, these men are officially charged
2:03
One man who potentially hasn't heeded that message is none other than the president of the United States, Donald Trump
2:09
who has suggested that this was an ongoing joint operation and that these suspects were under view for a very long time
2:16
And this is what the U.S. president said yesterday. Working with Britain it was an amazing job We had them under investigation They were looking to do big damage to our port And working with the British worked out great
2:32
It may have been Scotland Yard. I don't know. We worked with a lot of them
2:36
We had them under view for a long time and we got them. Thank you. Now, the mention of Scotland Yard at the time caused some confusion
2:43
Potentially now it makes sense, Sheila, given these suspects, we're told, are from London
2:47
However, what is less certain is how that testimony from Donald Trump squares with that that we've heard from one of the locals who'd called 999, a resident here, a farmer who's spoken with LBC and says that she saw a large group of hooded and masked men by white vans before she alerted authority
3:08
She held a press conference in the past hour. It's a bit embarrassing. I'm just a farmer who happened to live there, that they were bristling with security and guns
3:19
And there I am in my own vehicle, just minding my own business. And I'm the one that has to phone and alert them to where they are
3:25
I know it's been said by some of the higher ups today that I didn't have the full picture
3:31
But the picture I had was three extremely unusual vehicles parked in the middle of our village and a group of unknown men running around
3:40
And as part of that interview, she also maintains her claim that she saw eight to ten men in the vicinity, even though we know that fewer than that have been arrested
3:50
Nonetheless, Wes Streeting, the Defence Secretary, insists that the situation is contained and he also has defended the security services
3:57
Our friendship with America is the closest alliance of any two nations on Earth
4:03
And we will always stand together against those who hate our freedom and those who wish us harm
4:10
What we saw yesterday from our security services, our armed forces and our police
4:22
was just a small glimpse of the extraordinary work they do every day
4:28
around the clock and around the world behind the scenes and without recognition to keep our country safe
4:38
to all of them, from all of us, thank you. still understand that bomb disposal teams are on site with robots to try to defuse this potential
4:52
threat. And it means that there are still a number of villagers who remain out of their homes
4:58
having been evacuated from them yesterday. And just interestingly, on that question of whether
5:02
the Trump Britain operation was ongoing at the time, or, you know, the farmer that we heard from
5:09
there was the key, you know, as she put it, was pure luck that I was able to call them and alert
5:14
them. Other members of the community have said that a couple of hours before the farmer or before
5:23
the operation was very obviously launched after the farmer made the call, they had been sent back
5:28
into their homes and told to stay in their homes for the foreseeable, which I think would suggest
5:32
that both of these things could have been happening at the same time. The farmer doing her due diligence
5:37
as a member of the community and the security people doing what they needed to do. I mean
5:41
It's difficult without speculating, isn't it, Sheila? But that is certainly a view that is held by experts that we've had, you know
5:48
and heard from earlier this morning, that the two can work hand in hand. It is entirely possible, given the facts we know
5:54
that these men were known to authorities, but the actual kind of instigator and call was made by a local farmer
6:01
It still opens various questions as to how it got so far
6:04
that these men were literally right outside this base in those white vans
6:08
before there was any sort of action by police, never mind counter-terrorism, please, just local police
6:14
But, as I've mentioned, the Defence Secretary and counter-terror authorities really say
6:19
they need the space and time to piece this together before we get any sort of transparency
6:23
as to what unfolded or could have unfolded here. Some people insisting that it's a false flag operation by Mossad
6:31
and at the other end of the idiot's political scale, people adamant that it must have been undertaken
6:36
by people who arrived here in a small boat yesterday. The police have revealed that the five men arrested
6:41
over the suspected bomb plot at RAF Fairford are all British nationals from London
6:46
aged in their 20s. We now know that three are 24 years old
6:50
from Camden, Westminster and Wilsdon. The others are 23 and 25. If we follow their logic
6:56
we should now be punishing all British nationals in their 20s. Or we should be calling for all British nationals
7:02
from London in their 20s to be locked up. Or we should be suggesting that the British public
7:06
should not trust. They're all fighting age. Is that fighting age? British nationals in there
7:10
Do you see what I mean So it doesn matter whether they had turned out to be X Y or Z You couldn hold anybody who not them responsible for what they may or may not have done i going to keep pointing that
7:21
out and i'm never going to get bored of it this apparent attempted attack on area fairford was
7:26
carried out by british citizens not people who came here illegally or came here on a boat as you
7:32
maybe suggested in a post on x i just wonder what you think about that we don't know we don't know
7:38
when they came here, whether they were born here, with no idea what their motives were, with no idea
7:42
I repeat the point. I've been saying this now for years, that we are very, very vulnerable
7:48
to people coming into Britain on small boats, throwing away their identities
7:53
Iran is one particular vector, but there could be many, many others. I think our national security is frankly very, very weak
8:01
What is clear is that we and the Americans have been working for a very long time
8:06
looking at what the threats to Fairford and probably Lake and Heath as well were
8:11
So let's find out what their motives are. Let's find out more. But my point remains that for a country to remain safe
8:16
it has to control who comes into it. John Healy, though, says that there are robust methods
8:20
is how he's described it, to protect military bases like that. Do you not believe that
8:25
Well, there should be. But then if a farmer coming in from a party at 1am
8:29
is the person that discovered these people, it does raise questions. And Donald Trump has praised the actions of counter-terrorist police here
8:38
but also US citizens now being warned to exercise caution when they're in the UK
8:43
Is that an overreaction from him? Donald Trump is telling you more about the national security situation
8:49
and about what I privately know than we as a country are being told
8:53
We are in a very serious situation, a very serious situation. We have cells inside this country of people who are enemies to us
9:03
And that's why Trump's saying what he's saying. And when you say you privately know this information, what are your sources
9:09
You might not want to identify them individually, but how do you know this
9:13
And is this information you've passed on? Yes, and I've been talking about this publicly for some months, indeed for years
9:19
I've said for years that the Muslim Brotherhood, the IRGC, were allowed to operate and raise money and be active in our country
9:28
when, frankly, they're open enemies of everything that we stand for. But I certainly, over the course of this summer, did get more precise information as to what was going on
9:37
As I say, Trump saying what he says verifies my worst fears
