Rubio Sees Foreign Hand in UK Base Plot as 5 Are Arrested
In an interview with Fox News, Rubio called the weekend incident “a very serious situation” and signaled that more details on the suspected foreign role could surface within days.
“There’s some things I cannot say on the air for a lot of different reasons,” he said.
"Suffice it to say that what happened, what almost happened, what could have happened in the UK over the weekend is a very serious situation. It’s one that clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor."
His remarks followed Sunday's arrests by British counterterrorism police of five men near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. All five are British nationals from London in their early 20s. Officers moved in after a local farmer alerted authorities to three white vans heading toward the base.
Police said Monday they are examining whether people acting on behalf of a foreign state were involved. The five suspects have since been released on bail as the investigation continues.
RAF Fairford is used by the US military and has hosted American bombers involved in operations in the region.
Rubio commended British officials for working closely with Washington throughout the inquiry.
“I do want to thank the authorities in the United Kingdom, who have been very cooperative and on top of it,” he said, adding that US officials were engaging with British authorities regarding the arrests and subsequent releases on bail.
The secretary also framed the episode within a wider pattern of threats to US interests abroad, singling out Iran. He said Iranian actors have openly threatened American interests around the world and that Washington treats those threats as a serious matter.
“We are dealing with elements in the world, and in the case of Iran, for example, who have openly threatened to attack American interests globally,” he said. “We’re going to always take that very seriously.”
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