U.S. Air Force removes all bombers from British air base targeted in a suspected terrorist plot
NBC News · LC · trust 58/100
A Defense Department official told NBC News that all bombers that had been deployed to the base “have been re-deployed to their home stations in the United States.”
“The Airmen that operate America’s bomber force, including B-1s, B-2s, and B-52s, remain ready to deliver precision global strike capabilities — including through operations that launch and recover from the continental United States — anywhere, anytime,” the official said.
The rushed withdrawal of at least 12 bombers included several that had just arrived as part of a rotation to the base, two Pentagon officials told NBC News.
Aviation watchers, such as the Military Air Tracking Alliance, have observed dozens of B-52 and B-1 bombers operating out of RAF Fairford since the opening days of the Iran war . Observers noticed a host of B-1 bombers flying out of the base Sunday.
President Donald Trump is weighing options for his war on Iran — including new strikes — despite his initial promises to Americans that the campaign would last a matter of weeks .
“We have decisions that I’ll make about Iran. Iran’s been decimated. So the only question is — it’ll either be the easy way, or the hard way,” Trump told reporters Saturday as he left the White House for a rally in Ohio.
FOR SUBSCRIBERS In early clinical trial, people with Type 1 diabetes are able to go off insulin FOR SUBSCRIBERS ‘Daddy, we don’t want to die’: Daughters’ words pushed Flydubai passenger to confront attacker FOR SUBSCRIBERS Poll: The Latino vote isn’t a monolith. Here’s how it breaks down by gender, generation and more. FOR SUBSCRIBERS Why 7 million fewer working women get paid time off than men FOR SUBSCRIBERS Taiwan reckons with the prospect of fending for itself as Trump pivots on China FOR SUBSCRIBERS How Trump’s strikes against Houthis foreshadowed struggles in Iran war FOR SUBSCRIBERS Walmart’s quest for market share expands with a new bohemian fashion brand FOR SUBSCRIBERS Dating under fire: With a shrinking population, Ukraine faces a demographic crisis FOR SUBSCRIBERS High-profile special prosecutor takes over Cornell investigation FOR SUBSCRIBERS More than 10,000 ICE officers to receive additional training to reduce violent encounters FOR SUBSCRIBERS Kremlin critic and chess champion Garry Kasparov said FBI warned his life was in danger FOR SUBSCRIBERS Tom Cruise takes on a new mission: Selling ‘Digger’ FOR SUBSCRIBERS ‘I am Jane Doe’: Cornell case spurs women to share their experiences of sexual assault on campus FOR SUBSCRIBERS A sluggish Congress punts a long list of tasks until after the election FOR SUBSCRIBERS ‘Some of the medication has worn off’: Witness recalls failed Tennessee execution of Christa Pike A dual British-Iranian national was arrested in central London last week on suspicion of plotting a terrorist attack following a security incident at RAF Fairford in late September. In total, six people have been taken into custody and released on bail during the investigation.
FOR SUBSCRIBERS In early clinical trial, people with Type 1 diabetes are able to go off insulin FOR SUBSCRIBERS ‘Daddy, we don’t want to die’: Daughters’ words pushed Flydubai passenger to confront attacker FOR SUBSCRIBERS Poll: The Latino vote isn’t a monolith. Here’s how it breaks down by gender, generation and more. FOR SUBSCRIBERS Why 7 million fewer working women get paid time off than men FOR SUBSCRIBERS Taiwan reckons with the prospect of fending for itself as Trump pivots on China FOR SUBSCRIBERS How Trump’s strikes against Houthis foreshadowed struggles in Iran war FOR SUBSCRIBERS Walmart’s quest for market share expands with a new bohemian fashion brand FOR SUBSCRIBERS Dating under fire: With a shrinking population, Ukraine faces a demographic crisis FOR SUBSCRIBERS High-profile special prosecutor takes over Cornell investigation FOR SUBSCRIBERS More than 10,000 ICE officers to receive additional training to reduce violent encounters FOR SUBSCRIBERS Kremlin critic and chess champion Garry Kasparov said FBI warned his life was in danger FOR SUBSCRIBERS Tom Cruise takes on a new mission: Selling ‘Digger’ FOR SUBSCRIBERS ‘I am Jane Doe’: Cornell case spurs women to share their experiences of sexual assault on campus FOR SUBSCRIBERS A sluggish Congress punts a long list of tasks until after the election FOR SUBSCRIBERS ‘Some of the medication has worn off’: Witness recalls failed Tennessee execution of Christa Pike British authorities have linked the incident to Tehran . Iran has denied involvement.
American bombers have used the air base, 100 miles west of London, during decades of conflicts in the Middle East.
The U.S. military still maintains a sizable presence in the Middle East. On Thursday, a U.S. official said the recently deployed USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier and the USS Malkin Island amphibious readiness group — a group of ships that together carry over 7,000 sailors and 2,000 Marines — are heading for the region. The official said the move could have three carriers in the region as early as the end of October.
Courtney Kube Courtney Kube is a correspondent covering national security and the military for the NBC News Investigative Unit.
Read the original at NBC News →
Open in TruthVane →