Authorities in the United Kingdom say that the 12 would-be terrorists who were apprehended last week were plotting attacks on multiple shopping centers in the Manchester area. The attacks were to take place around Easter, perhaps on the Easter “bank holiday,” one of England’s biggest shopping days.
All but one of those arrested were Pakistanis who came to the UK on student visas. British authorities are vowing to clean up the student visa program, described as “the major loophole in Britain’s border controls.” 10,000 student visas are issued annually to Pakistanis alone. The plotters are believed to have been directed by al Qaeda members in Pakistan.
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