British Charge 11 Suspects in Airliner Plot

A British police officer takes a rest from his patrol and guard duties in King's Wood, High Wycombe, England, Monday Aug. 14, 2006. (Max Nash - AP)

The eight men named on murder conspiracy charges were identified as Ahmed Abdullah Ali, Tanvir Hussain, Arafat Waheed Khan, Assad Ali Sarwar, Adam Khatib, Ibrahim Savant, Waheed Zaman and Umar Islam, who is also known as Brian Young.

They intended "to smuggle the component parts of improvised explosive devices onto aircraft and assemble and detonate them on board," according to the charges.

The 17-year-old is not being named, but authorities said he possessed items useful for the alleged conspirators, including their suicide notes and wills, as well as a book on bombs.

The suspects charged with failing to pass on information to authorities were identified as Mehran Hussain and Cossar Ali. Ali, 23, is married to Ahmed Abdullah Ali, and is the mother of an 8-month-old.

Most of the suspects are from London. But the investigation has also involved inquiries in Pakistan. Rashid Rauf, a Briton detained two weeks ago in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, is still being questioned there.

Under British law, police can hold the remaining suspects until Wednesday before charging them or seeking an extension to keep them in custody.

Clarke said that while he wanted to reassure the British public that the police were doing everything to keep them safe, he had to be realistic.

"The threat from terrorism is real. It is here, it is deadly and it is enduring," he said.