Two Britons charged over RAF Fairford security incident
Two British men aged 24 were charged on Tuesday 27 Oct under the National Security Act over an incident at RAF Fairford in southwest England. Counter-terrorism police say one man is accused of assisting a foreign intelligence service believed to be Iranian, and the other of entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK. Police were called to the base in the early hours of 27 Sep after a farmer reported men with white vans acting suspiciously. The US withdrew all its B-1 bombers from the base days later. Both men are due at Westminster Magistrates' Court later on Tuesday, and six other people remain on police bail.
Key facts
- Police found petrol-type accelerant in vans at the scene but no explosives, according to police.
- The suspected activity linked to one charge covers 31 Aug to 28 Sep, per UK police.
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Why it matters
The case concerns alleged foreign intelligence activity at a US-used air base in the UK.
What changed
First published from Al Jazeera English, The Straits Times, DW, Al-Monitor and Asharq Al-Awsat