Anti-terrorism boss quits over blunder

By Michael Holden

LONDON (Reuters) - The country's top counter-terrorism officer quit on Thursday after his security blunder forced police to bring forward a major operation to thwart a suspected al Qaeda plot involving Pakistani nationals.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said officers had been dealing with a "very big terrorist plot" which security officials had been following for some time.

He said he would speak to Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari, urging more action to tackle extremism in Pakistan.

Scotland Yard's Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick was photographed entering Brown's 10 Downing Street residence on Wednesday openly carrying a secret document revealing plans to crack down on a group suspected of plotting attacks in Britain.

Hours after Quick and the document were pictured, police arrested 12 men in unusual daylight counter-terrorism raids across northwest England. Most of those arrested were Pakistani nationals.

"I have today offered my resignation in the knowledge that my action could have compromised a major counter-terrorism operation," Quick said in a statement.

Most terrorist plots in Britain since September 11, 2001 have had links to Pakistan, including suicide bombings in July 2005 which killed 52 people on London's underground and bus network.

"We know that there are links between terrorists in Britain and terrorists in Pakistan," Brown told Sky News. "Pakistan has got to do more to root out the terrorist elements in its country."