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As international disruption began to cause delays at US airports, Mr Chertoff and Robert Mueller, the director of the FBI, became the first officials to publicly suggest al-Qaida might have been involved. Speaking to reporters in Washington DC, Mr Chertoff repeatedly cited the British legal system as a reason for withholding details, but he did call the disrupted plans "suggestive of an al-Qaida plot". Mr Mueller also said the scheme "had the earmarks of an al-Qaida plot."

There was no evidence that any planning had taken place inside the United States, Mr Chertoff said, but he stressed that there was still "uncertainty about whether the British have scooped up everybody". The US attorney-general, Alberto Gonzales, hinted that prosecutions could yet take place "in this country".

Mr Chertoff said that while the investigation had been pursued by British authorities "for some considerable period of time", it had only been within the last two weeks that the plot had taken the direction of targeting the United States. By last night, he said, the potential attackers "had accumulated and assembled the capabilities they needed, and were in the final stages of planning for execution".

Citing British legal system as reason to withhold information from US public, Bush team "suggest" al-Qaeda may have been involved and while no evidence of any planning inside US, Atty. Gen. Gonzales "hinted" at prosecutions in this country.

As international disruption began to cause delays at US airports, Mr Chertoff and Robert Mueller, the director of the FBI, became the first officials to publicly suggest al-Qaida might have been involved. Speaking to reporters in Washington DC, Mr Chertoff repeatedly cited the British legal system as a reason for withholding details, but he did call the disrupted plans "suggestive of an al-Qaida plot". Mr Mueller also said the scheme "had the earmarks of an al-Qaida plot."

There was no evidence that any planning had taken place inside the United States, Mr Chertoff said, but he stressed that there was still "uncertainty about whether the British have scooped up everybody". The US attorney-general, Alberto Gonzales, hinted that prosecutions could yet take place "in this country".

Mr Chertoff said that while the investigation had been pursued by British authorities "for some considerable period of time", it had only been within the last two weeks that the plot had taken the direction of targeting the United States. By last night, he said, the potential attackers "had accumulated and assembled the capabilities they needed, and were in the final stages of planning for execution".

Citing British legal system as reason to withhold information from US public, Bush team "suggest" al-Qaeda may have been involved and while no evidence of any planning inside US, Atty. Gen. Gonzales "hinted" at prosecutions in this country.

As international disruption began to cause delays at US airports, Mr Chertoff and Robert Mueller, the director of the FBI, became the first officials to publicly suggest al-Qaida might have been involved. Speaking to reporters in Washington DC, Mr Chertoff repeatedly cited the British legal system as a reason for withholding details, but he did call the disrupted plans "suggestive of an al-Qaida plot". Mr Mueller also said the scheme "had the earmarks of an al-Qaida plot."

There was no evidence that any planning had taken place inside the United States, Mr Chertoff said, but he stressed that there was still "uncertainty about whether the British have scooped up everybody". The US attorney-general, Alberto Gonzales, hinted that prosecutions could yet take place "in this country".

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