British Attacks Thwarted?
Don't know if this has been posted yet...
Britain's security services thwarted a September 11-style attack on targets including Canary Wharf and Heathrow Airport, according to reports. The plot is said to have involved pilots being trained to fly into target buildings including London's famous financial centre and the world's busiest airport. It is one of four or five al-Qaeda planned attacks, since 9/11, that have come to nothing, after the authorities intervened, reports claim. The disclosure comes as the Government prepares to unveil a series of tough law-and-order Bills in tomorrow's Queen's Speech, setting out the legislative programme for what is expected to be the final session of the current Parliament. The speech will contain Bills designed to protect the UK against al- Qaeda attacks as well as plans for a crackdown on major organised crime and petty offences which ruin people's lives. Chief among the measures announced will be a move towards introducing ID cards and steps to create a nationwide serious crime agency dubbed the British equivalent of the FBI. Civil liberties campaigners have expressed alarm at plans by Home Secretary David Blunkett for the sweeping anti-terror laws should Labour win the next General Election. Mr Blunkett revealed a raft of measures at the weekend - from jury- less anti-terror courts to allowing wire-tap evidence in major trials - which could be implemented if Labour was re-elected. He acknowledged that his anti-terror proposals will raise civil liberties concerns, but insisted that the Government was acting "proportionately" to protect the public from the threat of an al-Qaeda attack. "We will have to take whatever steps are necessary, particularly in terms of security and intelligence, because it's no good picking the pieces up - literally - afterwards," he said. Under his plans, civil orders could be issued against individuals suspected of planning terrorist acts, restricting their movements and precluding such activities such as using the internet or particular banking networks. Mr Blunkett's comments came after Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens spoke of his frustration at not being able to talk about anti-terror successes. And MI5 chief Eliza Manningham-Buller also spoke publicly about Britain's success in thwarting fanatics. Mr Blunkett said he would have to await the outcome of an appeal in the House of Lords against existing anti-terrorism powers to detain foreign suspects without trial, before bringing forward new measures. In a separate move, he said that he is also considering allowing wire tap evidence in court cases - including serious criminal trials as well as for terrorism charges. In the past the measure has been opposed by the security services, who fear that they could be forced to disclose secret operations in court, and Mr Blunkett admits that there are still problems to be overcome |
What complete and utter nonsense. I've got a similar one for you: Yesterday, the Venusians were getting ready to blast the Earth with a death ray, but I found out about it and stopped them. Oh, I am such a hero! Congratulations, Bruce! :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
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Originally Posted by bdschobel
What complete and utter nonsense. I've got a similar one for you: Yesterday, the Venusians were getting ready to blast the Earth with a death ray, but I found out about it and stopped them. Oh, I am such a hero! Congratulations, Bruce! :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
Bruce, come on, don't steal other people's thunder. You know good and well it was I who stopped the death ray.. |
Drat! Busted! :D
Bruce |
How so very convenient that this little report comes out on the very same day as the Queen's Speech, when her government announces new and draconian measures in the interest of the that ever elusive and poorly defined "security". Mandatory ID cards with information stored such as face image, fingerprints, iris scan (very Orwellian indeed), among other things.
"See, see? See...? We need these things!" |
Originally Posted by bdschobel
What complete and utter nonsense. I've got a similar one for you: Yesterday, the Venusians were getting ready to blast the Earth with a death ray, but I found out about it and stopped them. Oh, I am such a hero! Congratulations, Bruce! :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
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Gee -- the US gets a for-no-reason orange alert timed to coincide with Kerry's acceptance speech at the Democratic Convention. Now they've got similar "We're saving you" hype in the UK just prior to the election.
Disgusting! |
Don't worry, its been well noticed here..... its great to have a sceptical media, whose first question was "isn't this all a bit co-incidental?" to which all governement minsters went "oh we don't know where the story has come from..." :rolleyes:
Incidentally, nobody has corroborated it yet, looks like someone's Westminster spin got a bit out of control. As for the id thing, the most distressing thing is that it will double the price of renewing a passport from £40 to £80 :eek: never mind the civil liberties, thats a lot of money, and I think what will ultimately stop it going ahead.... families aren't going to be able to afford it! |
Originally Posted by Jenbel
Don't worry, its been well noticed here..... its great to have a sceptical media, whose first question was "isn't this all a bit co-incidental?" to which all governement minsters went "oh we don't know where the story has come from..." :rolleyes:
Bruce |
Originally Posted by bdschobel
It's great to have a skeptical public, too! The U.K. has that; the U.S. does not. Far too many Americans believe that anything done in the name of "security" is just fine. Strip naked in Central Park? Sure, if it keeps me safe! A nation of idiots!
Bruce The other point to consider is that with an election due next year, this programme outlined in the Queen's Speech is not going to be implemented.. I don't think ID cards are going to go away, as Blunkett (spit) has been pushing them for years now, but there are other measures listed which won't see the light of day. |
Enough about IDs, already!
When are the various "security" agencies going to get over their ID fetish? Observing that somebody has an ID tells you absolutely nothing about what's going on inside his head. Osama bin Laden probably has an ID somewhere. I guess he can wander around unmolested!
All kinds of vicious people have IDs. Charles Manson had one. So did Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, etc. Even OJ has an ID. Does that make them OK? Get over it already. Bruce |
Originally Posted by bdschobel
When are the various "security" agencies going to get over their ID fetish? Observing that somebody has an ID tells you absolutely nothing about what's going on inside his head. Osama bin Laden probably has an ID somewhere. I guess he can wander around unmolested!
All kinds of vicious people have IDs. some people who would have carried one: Timothy McVeigh John Allen Muhammad Ted Kazinsky some people who would not have been required to carry one: Ramzi Yusef Mohammad Atta I think that about covers the "keeping us safe" notion. |
Originally Posted by Wally Bird
Imagine a US 'national ID' implemented several years ago....
some people who would have carried one: Timothy McVeigh John Allen Muhammad Ted Kazinsky some people who would not have been required to carry one: Ramzi Yusef Mohammad Atta I think that about covers the "keeping us safe" notion. |
Originally Posted by bbc1969
The plot is said to have involved pilots being trained to fly into target buildings including London's famous financial centre and the world's busiest airport. |
Originally Posted by whirledtraveler
What kind of shoes were they wearing?
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