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Terror plot leaves Britain on highest alert
 Police take a computer from a house in east London. UK CONTACT NUMBERSSPECIAL REPORT
YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS(CNN) -- The United Kingdom remained at its highest threat level Friday, the day after authorities arrested 24 suspects in a suspected plot to blow up as many as 10 passenger jets leaving Britain for the United States. Home Secretary John Reid said the government wanted to "err on the side of caution," according to Britain's Home Office. Flight schedules in Britain were improving Friday. Still, there were still several cancellations, including 30 percent of all short-haul flights out of Heathrow Airport, said Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander. The crowds and lines that logjammed British airports the day before were largely gone, he said. Across the Atlantic, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the alleged plot should not deter Americans from boarding planes. "I want to reiterate: Flying is safe," Chertoff said. "It is safe precisely because of the measures we're taking here and have been taking elsewhere in the world. And the commitment of the people of (the Transportation Security Administration) is to keep it safe." Pakistan connectionTwo of the suspects held in connection with the alleged plot to blow up jetliners had contact with a Pakistani suspected of being an al Qaeda operative, U.S. and British officials said Friday. The officials allege that Matiur Rehman, described as an explosives expert in Pakistan who is now at large, met two of the British suspects in Pakistan. Officials said they do not know whether Rehman was involved. However, the officials said the suspected plot displays signs of al Qaeda participation, and investigations into that angle continue. (Watch how the plot had hallmarks of al Qaeda -- 3:19) After the two suspects returned to Britain, they received a wire transfer of money from Pakistan, the officials said. Authorities in Britain on Thursday announced the arrests of 24 people in connection with the alleged plot. While the investigation continues, the government officials say the primary players are in custody. One of those arrested in the overnight raids Thursday was released Friday "with no further action by police," according to the Metropolitan Police Service. The police said it is common to release someone who has been arrested and keep others in custody, especially "in large and complex criminal enquiries where a number of arrests have taken place." Plot felt around worldOn Friday, police arrested 40 people in raids on Muslim gathering places throughout Italy, the Italian Interior Ministry said, according to The Associated Press. The arrests were made in Rome, Milan, Venice, Florence, Naples and other cities as "part of an extraordinary operation that followed the British anti-terrorist operation," the AP quoted the ministry as saying in a statement. Raided were call centers, Internet points and money transfer" offices, the ministry said, according to AP. Twenty-eight people were arrested for violating rules on residence permits, and 12 were arrested for property crimes, AP reported the statement as saying. Reid acknowledged the Pakistani role in breaking the case. "We are very grateful for all the help and cooperation we have received from our international partners, including Pakistan, and I would like to thank them for the assistance they have given us," he said. Pakistani officials said the arrests of two British citizens and five Pakistanis last week directly contributed to terror arrests made Thursday in Britain. Intelligence sources identified one of the British citizens as Rashid Rauf. The original information about the plan came from the Muslim community in Britain, according to a British intelligence official. "The plotters intended this to be a second September 11th," said U.S. Homeland Security adviser Frances Townsend. "It's a frightening example of multiple, simultaneous attacks for explosions of planes that would have caused the death of thousands." The leadThe tip was from a person who had been concerned about the activities of an acquaintance after the July 7, 2005, terror attacks in London, the official said. U.S. government officials say there were two phone calls made from London to the United States recently by suspects. Those calls were tracked down and investigated. But there is no evidence of any involvement of people in the United States in the alleged plot. The reported plan to smuggle liquid explosives onto planes has led to new security measures at airports around the world. In Britain, airline passengers were not allowed Friday to take hand luggage onto planes for a second day, said British Airports Authority Chief Executive Stephen Nelson. Passengers in the United States faced stringent security checks, the day after liquids like shampoo, lotions and water became banned as carry-on items. (Read about the latest situation at U.S. airports) A number of men were in the "final stages" of a plot to blow up as many as 10 jets leaving Britain for the United States, Chertoff said. The Bank of England on Friday froze the accounts of 19 suspects who were arrested in connection with the plot, a British treasury spokesman said. (Suspects' names) Reid, the home secretary, said Britons faced a "common threat" and appealed for tolerance and resilience. He said Friday that Britain was grateful for Pakistan's cooperation in breaking up the plot. The United States on Friday renewed its warning to U.S. citizens to defer nonessential travel to Pakistan amid rising concerns over terror activity that could be directed against U.S. interests. The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India, on Friday warned American citizens of possible terrorist attacks across India in the coming week. (Full story) Group infiltratedThe men detained in Britain on Thursday had not bought plane tickets, the officials said, but they had been perusing the Internet to find flights to various cities that had similar departure times. An undercover British agent had infiltrated the alleged plotters, giving the authorities intelligence on the alleged plan, several U.S. government officials said. (Watch as neighbors describe the dramatic arrests -- 2:18) Among those arrested were a Muslim charity worker and a Heathrow Airport employee with an all-area access pass, according to Britain's Channel 4. The suspects were planning to stage a test run within a couple of days, a U.S. intelligence official said. The suspected terrorists had been under surveillance in Britain since December, Channel 4 reported. A senior congressional source said it the plotters planned to mix a British sports drink with a gel to make an explosive that could be detonated using an MP3 player or cell phone. (Watch how liquid explosives could be devastating -- 2:32) The sports drink could be combined with a peroxide-based paste to form a potent "explosive cocktail," a U.S. counterterrorism official said. "There are strong reasons to believe the materials in a beverage like that could have been part of the formula," the official said. As many as 50 people were involved in the plot, an internal Department of Homeland Security document said. Information gathered after the arrests in Pakistan convinced British investigators to act urgently, sources said. Two of the suspects left "martyrdom tapes," according to sources familiar with the details of the British investigation. After the alleged plot was exposed, authorities immediately banned passengers headed to or departing from U.S. airports from carrying any liquid in their carry-ons. The massive lines that resulted at security checkpoints made air travel chaotic worldwide as flights were delayed or canceled. (Full story) Air passengers across Europe faced a second day of delays Friday. However, the situation had eased from the previous day, when London's Heathrow Airport was closed to many incoming flights. (Full story) CNN's Kelli Arena contributed to this report Copyright 2006 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report. 
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