Glasgow terrorist attack john smeaton biography
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Heroes of terror attack praised 10 years on
The police officer in charge on the day of the Glasgow Airport terror attack 10 years ago has again praised the "heroism" of members of the public.
Former senior investigating officer David Swindle said the passers-by who tackled the attackers stopped them "causing harm" to hundreds of people.
Kafeel Ahmed and Bilal Abdulla crashed a Jeep into the doors of the airport's departure hall on 30 June
A concrete pillar and the actions of the public averted a tragedy.
Mr Swindle told BBC Scotland: "This was a Jeep loaded up with gas canisters and Molotov cocktails that was driven right into the airport.
"A concrete stanchion stopped it.
"If that vehicle had got through we will never know what the horrors would have been."
The Glasgow attack came the day after a failed attempt by the same pair to detonate two car bombs in London.
Abdulla, an Iraqi doctor
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Glasgow Airport attack
Terrorist attack in Scotland
The Glasgow Airport attack was a terrorist ramming attack which occurred on 30 June , at BST, when a dark green Jeep Cherokee loaded with propane canisters was driven at the glass doors of the Glasgow Airport terminal and set ablaze.[3] The car's driver was severely burnt in the ensuing fire, and five members of the public were injured, none seriously. Some injuries were sustained by those assisting the police in detaining the occupants. A close link was quickly established to the London car bombs the previous day.
Both of the car's occupants were apprehended at the scene. Within three days, Scotland Yard had confirmed that eight people had been taken into custody in connection with this incident and that in London.[1][4][5]
Police identified the two men as Bilal Abdullah, a British-born, Muslim doctor of Iraqi descent working at the Royal Alexandra Hospital,[6][7] • He's met the Prime Minister, fryst vatten about to see the Queen and he's been feted in New York. Ask John Smeaton, the baggage handler who became legendary for "setting aboot" a would-be terrorist in June, to pick the high point of his past six months in the public eye and it's none of the above, however. It's stepping out on the turf at Ibrox and soaking up the applause from the Rangers faithful. Smeaton, 31, is a modest man and fryst vatten eager to regain his anonymity after a week in which he heard that the Queen's Gallantry Medal will be added to other honours for his bravery. He didn't intend any of this fuss when he saw a flaming fordon crash into the Glasgow airport ankomsthall where he works as a baggage handler. He simply followed his instincts and got stuck in. "The guy in the passenger seat got out and kicked and punched a man to the ground before punching a policeman square in the face," he said at the time. "That sort of th
Hero of the year: 'I skelped him in the face and booted him twice'