DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: "Inside Al Qaeda" is the title of a new book that is the result of a five-year investigation of the terrorist group. Its author is with our Mike Boettcher, who is at a conference on international terrorism, and it's underway in Scotland. The book contains some startling new information about Al Qaeda. Mike, hello.</s>MIKE BOETTCHER: Hello, Daryn. Well, Rohan Gunaratna, the senor research fellow at the Center for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence here at Saint Andrews University, as you said worked five years on this book. He reports in the book, called "Inside Al Qaeda," that the plot on September 11th was not confined just to the United States. But was supposed to target locations in the United Kingdom.</s>GUNARATNA: In parallel with 9/11 attacks, Al Qaeda also attempted to take simultaneous targets in the United Kingdom and, in fact, one target that they mounted reconnaissance and they sent a team of suicide pilots to Heathrow with the intention of simultaneously crash-diving an aircraft onto the Houses of Parliament in Westminster.</s>BOETTCHER: Now, Rohan Gunartna says that the attack was thwarted in the U.K. when all planes were grounded after the attacks in the United States. So that particular attack was not carried out. At the conference, which is now concluded, it was determined by the top intelligence and defense officials from around the world who attended this conference, that Al Qaeda is working hard to reconstitute itself and still poses a very serious threat and as it is still trying to obtain weapons of mass destruction. And, Daryn, frankly the events of the last two days point that out all too clearly.</s>KAGAN: Fascinating. Mike Boettcher, joining us from Scotland. Thank you very much.
'Inside Al Qaeda' Result of Five-Year Investigation