How did the RAF Fairford incident go from 'suspected bomb plot' to police bail?
The investigation into a suspected bomb plot at RAF Fairford has shifted after police found no explosives in the suspects' vans, only petrol. Despite criticism from President Trump regarding the decision to grant the five suspects police bail, UK counter-terrorism officials defended the move as a strategic investigative decision.
Why it matters
This case illustrates the tension between political rhetoric and operational police strategy in high-stakes counter-terrorism investigations.
Figure caption, Watch: What's next for the RAF Fairford counter-terror investigation?
On Sunday morning, the world was watching as drama unfolded in the village of Whelford.
Before sunrise, residents were called from their beds and told to evacuate as a huge police operation unfolded in the village, which is next door to RAF Fairford, a base used by the US Air Force.
One villager managed to take a picture of five men sitting on the ground, stripped to the waist, handcuffed and under armed guard.
They were arrested for offences under the Explosives Act. But now counter-terrorism detectives say no explosives were found in their three vans, only an "accelerant" - petrol.
What some newspapers called a "suspected bomb plot" ended in the suspects being bailed. So what was going on?
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