Terror Plot Foiled

Von Smallhausen · 11 Aug 2006 at 18:00

Sleepy said:
er you do know that the vast majority of the innocents killed in Iraq since the fall of SH are vicitims of fellow Iraqis, killing on behalf of their vision of the religon of peace

Absolutely spot on !

It seems fashionable to blame the US and UK, often quite unfairly.

clv101 · 11 Aug 2006 at 18:02

A case of deja vu here, regarding the latest terror scare:

Terror plan to shoot down plane (February 2003)
The BBC has learnt that security services received information at the start of the week about a missile attack at Heathrow. The following morning, 1,700 police officers and 450 troops were deployed to Heathrow Airport, while armed police patrolled other UK airports. An Algerian network of hardened fighters, linked to al-Qaeda, is believed to be behind the plan.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2759157.stm

I can't find any trace on the BBC website of a follow up to this. No arrests, no trials, just a big scare, and some new contracts for people making missile countermeasure equipment to be fitted to airliners...

I don't believe the hype surrounding the recent events for a moment. I don't believe there was any credible threat. Fundamentally I just don't believe there are dozens of prospective terrorists out there trying to blow things up - if there were things would be blowing up left, right and centre.

Borris · 11 Aug 2006 at 18:07

Von Smallhausen said:
It seems fashionable to blame the US and UK, often quite unfairly.

Blaming them for what? The (sub-)topic was raised in the context of regime change & ousting Saddam Hussein for the sake of the people and the use of that as justification for the invasion.

There's no blame involved.

Von Smallhausen · 11 Aug 2006 at 18:07

clv101 said:
I don't believe the hype surrounding the recent events for a moment. I don't believe there was any credible threat. Fundamentally I just don't believe there are dozens of prospective terrorists out there trying to blow things up - if there were things would be blowing up left, right and centre.

On what grounds do you think that ?

These plots take time to think up, plan and execute.

You don't have access to the intel that the police and security services do and also that of intelligence agencies of countries around the world. Only they can say whether things are credible or not and we can only guess.

Sleepy · 11 Aug 2006 at 18:26

clv101 said:
A case of deja vu here, regarding the latest terror scare:
I can't find any trace on the BBC website of a follow up to this. No arrests, no trials, just a big scare, and some new contracts for people making missile countermeasure equipment to be fitted to airliners...

El Al has some planes fitted out with theses devices

I don't believe the hype surrounding the recent events for a moment. I don't believe there was any credible threat.

The big differnce between the two events is that arrests have been made in the current scare. Given the perceived debacle of Forest Gate I'm sure the police are even more careful about getting it right before crashing through doors.

Fundamentally I just don't believe there are dozens of prospective terrorists out there trying to blow things up - if there were things would be blowing up left, right and centre.

Both Madrid and London last year - TWICE would suggest that you are wrong. Unless you think purple lizard people ordered MJ12 to carry out those atrocities?

VIRII · 11 Aug 2006 at 18:37

Von Smallhausen said:
It seems fashionable to blame the US and UK, often quite unfairly.

When you look at the other things that the people who instantly blame the UK/US believe in the picture becomes clearer.
45% of UK muslims apparently believe the US and Israel plotted 9/11
A large number of UK Muslims believe the holocaust was exaggerated or did not happen at all.
Just two examples of the reality shift that these people (those who blame the west, Uk, US and Israel for everything) appear to have undergone.

clv101 · 11 Aug 2006 at 18:43

Sleepy said:
Both Madrid and London last year - TWICE would suggest that you are wrong. Unless you think purple lizard people ordered MJ12 to carry out those atrocities?

That's all and that's my point. That degree of terrorism has existed for decades, it's just a way of life. Statistically terrorism in the West has been low in recent years compared to historical averages. If there were people wanting to attack our way of life, make us live in fear, terrorise us etc why on earth try and blow up aeroplanes where there's a pretty good chance you'd be unsuccessful. Why not blow up football matches, music festivals, car bombs outside clubs on a Saturday night etc... The fact this doesn't happen (and hundreds of people aren't serving sentences for trying yet being caught) tells me no one's trying.

phykell · 11 Aug 2006 at 18:43

Sleepy said:
Given the perceived debacle of Forest Gate I'm sure the police are even more careful about getting it right before crashing through doors.

Agreed, and personally I'd rather they err on the side of caution as I fly from the UK twice a week. I imagine the vast majority of people flying from the UK feel exactly the same too. Luckily people at the airports seem to be taking the new security measures in their stride

Sleepy · 11 Aug 2006 at 18:47

VIRII said:
When you look at the other things that the people who instantly blame the UK/US believe in the picture becomes clearer.
45% of UK muslims apparently believe the US and Israel plotted 9/11

Who else do I know who thinks there's a conspiracy surrounding 9/11 ...Oh wait its you. So do you have subversive tendancies?

Back on topic:

Well 1/3 of americans don't believe the official line on 9/11 either. Warped sense of reality isn't confined to just an element of the muslim world.

VIRII · 11 Aug 2006 at 18:51

Sleepy said:
Who else do I know who thinks there's a conspiracy surrounding 9/11 ...Oh wait its you. So do you have subversive tendancies?

Back on topic:

Well 1/3 of americans don't believe the official line on 9/11 either. Warped sense of reality isn't confined to just an element of the muslim world.

There is a difference between believing and enjoying discussing and debating.
Do I think that there was a conspiracy theory? Depends what that theory was. I certainly think that some aspects of the explanations given for the structural collapses don't seem right, I don't think the US flew plane loads of people into the buildings.

Whne you say 1/3 of Americans don't believe the official line could you be more specific and link it? What is it that they actually do believe?

TheVoice · 11 Aug 2006 at 18:53

clv101 said:
Why not blow up football matches, music festivals, car bombs outside clubs on a Saturday night etc...

Because resources are scarce - the materials, the manpower etc. I do see your viewpoint, but you have to understand that there's more to conducting a terrorist attack than "1. Make bomb, 2. Detonate bomb".

clv101 said:
The fact this doesn't happen (and hundreds of people aren't serving sentences for trying yet being caught) tells me no one's trying.

Seems they are trying, else there wouldn't have been arrests yesterday.

Sleepy · 11 Aug 2006 at 18:54

clv101 said:
The fact this doesn't happen (and hundreds of people aren't serving sentences for trying yet being caught) tells me no one's trying.

Rubbish, it means nothing of the sort. Just cos an event occurs rarely doesn't mean it is a product of some sinister government conspiracy.

Oh and why is it only government can have sinister conspiricies why can't other groups?

Over Clocker · 11 Aug 2006 at 18:59

Apparently 40 people have just been arrested in Italy in connection with this threat.

DAVEM · 11 Aug 2006 at 19:01

Over Clocker said:
Apparently 40 people have just been arrested in Italy in connection with this threat.

Link?

VIRII · 11 Aug 2006 at 19:05

DAVEM said:
Link?

It is on the news on TV now.

DAVEM · 11 Aug 2006 at 19:09

VIRII said:
It is on the news on TV now.

No signal mate, can you explain??

THANKS IN ADVANCE

secretspy · 11 Aug 2006 at 19:14

my parents and I are due to go to Canada on 2nd Sept. we're all a bit worried about it but as I said to my mum maybe it is best to go now while security is so high....???

Over Clocker · 11 Aug 2006 at 19:15

DAVEM said:
No signal mate, can you explain??

THANKS IN ADVANCE

Nothing to expand on mate, just a BBC News 24 reorter saying there are reports that 40 people have been arrested in Italy in connection to this.

Over Clocker · 11 Aug 2006 at 19:16

secretspy said:
my parents and I are due to go to Canada on 2nd Sept. we're all a bit worried about it but as I said to my mum maybe it is best to go now while security is so high....???

Just go on the 2nd as you have planned to do........ why change your plans??

clv101 · 11 Aug 2006 at 19:19

TheVoice said:
...but you have to understand that there's more to conducting a terrorist attack than "1. Make bomb, 2. Detonate bomb".

Nah, there have been lots of "1. Make bomb, 2. Detonate bomb" incidents over the years - Timothy Mcveigh, the nail bombs at the pubs in London a few years back...

TheVoice said:
Seems they are trying, else there wouldn't have been arrests yesterday.

That logic doesn't follow - arrested people are innocent until proven guilty. Remember the people arrested over the ricin plot? No ricin, no plot.

Sleepy said:
Rubbish, it means nothing of the sort. Just cos an event occurs rarely doesn't mean it is a product of some sinister government conspiracy.

Oh and why is it only government can have sinister conspiricies why can't other groups?

Who's talking about sinister conspiracies? I much favour general incompetence.