Al Qaeda terrorists plotted to assassinate British Prime Minister Tony Blair during the Queen's golden jubilee celebrations in London 3 years ago, a former British police chief has said.
In his memoirs, Lord Stevens, former metropolitan police commissioner, said he ordered a secret operation to protect the prime minister and his wife after receiving intelligence about the plot, weeks before the event in June 2002.
Blair was "absolutely unfazed" at the potential threat to his life, Lord Stevens said, adding, "Blair and his wife said they were determined to continue to take part, spurning bulletproof vests."
The couple was surrounded by "covertly-armed" officers for the jubilee parade but Lord Stevens said he was particularly worried as dignitaries gathered near Buckingham Palace.
"I felt acutely nervous," he said, adding, "I was constantly scanning faces in the crowd for signs of trouble and hoping that nothing came from somewhere. The fact that nothing untoward happened, was again a tribute to our intelligence gathering and the precautions we took."
Lord Stevens, who was commissioner from 2000 to 2005, has previously said that 8 attacks had been thwarted in the past 5 years.
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