The Plot

The suspects allegedly wanted to board planes in groups of three, each carrying an ingredient of a liquid explosive, either in bottles of shampoo or after-shave lotions to evade detection. The ingredients were to be mixed during the flight, and ignited through an electronic device such as an MP3 player.

1. Post-7/7, MI5 recruits more than a thousand agents to keep tabs on suspect groups. Thousands put under close surveillance. Rewards offered for critical information.

2. Weeks later, a Muslim mole in a suspect group warns about plans to blow up US-bound planes midair. Surveillance of this group, as also of a dozen others, stepped up.

3. Phone taps, bugs and tracking devices mobilised to keep tabs on suspects. Closeshadowing as they travel between Britain and Pakistan.

4. July-end 2006: Rashid Rauf, a British Muslim, is picked up in Pakistan. Confusion over whether Pakistan acted on its own or under pressure from London.

5. A call is intercepted where one suspect asks his comrades to bring forward their bombing plans. Pakistan claims to have intercepted the call. London hasn't endorsed the claims explicitly.

6. The phone intercept prompts the anti-terror police's decision to arrest the suspects. Fearing large-scale air traffic disruption, transport minister Douglas Alexander recalled from his holiday in Scotland.

7. Prime Minister Tony Blair leaves for Barbados for his annual vacation. This prompts many to ask: was the plot as big as the British government was tosubsequently make it out to be?

8. Home secretary John Reid summons high-security Cobra group after warnings that bombers might strike within 48 hours. At 1.30 am, police begin raids, round up 24 people from four different locations. Critical threat to Britain is declared.

9. New air travel restrictions imposed. Air traffic disruption beginsworldwide.

10. The Bank of England freezes assets of 19 suspects. One suspect is released.Others are interrogated, but no liquid bombs or material for such bombs is recovered. None of the suspects is found to have air tickets. But they can all be detained up to 28 days without charge.