Am i being cynical...re Heathrow threat?
12 February 2003, 03:01 PM
#1
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Dr John Reid,the Labour party chairman,says the current threat to heathrow is on the scale of the Sept 11 events in NY
Here
Does anyone else smell the government "talking up" the threat to justify a war,just as France,Germany,Russia and China seem to be developing an alternative stance.
Ans Bin Ladens statement,nice coincidence eh?....
12 February 2003, 03:11 PM
#3
Never crossed my mind
Don't start me on this but lets all go Mega Security Alert @ Heathrow, throw in a few tanks for good measure ( FFS
) & see if that boosts support for war...
Now if I were a real Terrorist, having just watched the news, would go off & sit at Gatwick, Glasgow, Stansted, Manchester, East Midlands etc etc
Will there be the same security response @ those airports? No
& don't forget that planes fly in/out from the east over central London, Hounslow, Brentford as well as the west side
Cynical? No - probably spot on
Don't start me on this but lets all go Mega Security Alert @ Heathrow, throw in a few tanks for good measure ( FFS
) & see if that boosts support for war...Now if I were a real Terrorist, having just watched the news, would go off & sit at Gatwick, Glasgow, Stansted, Manchester, East Midlands etc etc
Will there be the same security response @ those airports? No
& don't forget that planes fly in/out from the east over central London, Hounslow, Brentford as well as the west side
Cynical? No - probably spot on
12 February 2003, 03:26 PM
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It amuses me with all the hysterical talk about the threat of "dirty bombs" and biowarfare etc as terrorist weapons ... the IRA and Timothy McVeigh did very nicely with good old-fashioned high explosives ...
12 February 2003, 03:39 PM
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What I want to know is how come the yanks haven't found Bin Laden yet ?
You would have thought that with all their tech kit and resources plus the motivation of the bloke destroying the twin towers would have been enough ?
Am I missing something ?
You would have thought that with all their tech kit and resources plus the motivation of the bloke destroying the twin towers would have been enough ?
Am I missing something ?
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12 February 2003, 03:49 PM
#8
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Druddle,
Think again. What would you rather have, a heavily guarded Heathrow or **** all at Stanstead? I think I'd rather fly into Heathrow than Gatwick this Saturday
Stefan
Think again. What would you rather have, a heavily guarded Heathrow or **** all at Stanstead? I think I'd rather fly into Heathrow than Gatwick this Saturday
Stefan
)
12 February 2003, 07:16 PM
#14
I think it could be.
1. Very 'good' timing to drum up support after the French/German bust up.
2. Or that some serious intelligence has come to light and that is why the French and Germans are sh*ting themselvs and distancing themselves and why the UK and USA have this hightened alert.
Who knows, we are the ignorant public. Obviously Sadman is a git and needs taking out. However it is such double standards because the west ignore Burma etc and also those other non democratic regimes with no morals.
Steve
1. Very 'good' timing to drum up support after the French/German bust up.
2. Or that some serious intelligence has come to light and that is why the French and Germans are sh*ting themselvs and distancing themselves and why the UK and USA have this hightened alert.
Who knows, we are the ignorant public. Obviously Sadman is a git and needs taking out. However it is such double standards because the west ignore Burma etc and also those other non democratic regimes with no morals.
Steve
12 February 2003, 07:46 PM
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I fail to see the logic in Al Qaeda(or any other terrorist groups) striking now. It doesn't make sense (I'm open to convincing if there's good enough reasoning) as it'll be seen as them 'starting' the war. If they wait for the US/UN to strike then they can justify to their 'own' people the case for 'holy' war.
I'm not sure if today's actions are propaganda but the threat right now does not make sense. Once the war has started (and it will, whoever 'starts' it) then I'd be more wary about security alerts.
The timing seems too co-incidental so that Blair & Bush can start the war and try to gain some more support from the public. I personally think things will really start happening in a coupla weeks.
I'm not sure if today's actions are propaganda but the threat right now does not make sense. Once the war has started (and it will, whoever 'starts' it) then I'd be more wary about security alerts.
The timing seems too co-incidental so that Blair & Bush can start the war and try to gain some more support from the public. I personally think things will really start happening in a coupla weeks.
12 February 2003, 08:15 PM
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Does anyone else smell the government "talking up" the threat to justify a war,just as France,Germany,Russia and China seem to be developing an alternative stance.
Ans Bin Ladens statement,nice coincidence eh?....
Ans Bin Ladens statement,nice coincidence eh?....
I think a lot of it is scare mongering TBH
But that's just my opinion. I doubt everything I read/hear.
12 February 2003, 08:19 PM
#18
How feasable is the Surface to Air missile theory, I mean they arent exactly east to get hold of and move around over here ?
Suppose you had one is a 747 an easy target, fire and forget or do you need to know what you are doing, I would imagine if you used a high velocity rifle with a scope you would have a fair chance of hitting a low (take off and landing) plane whether or not it would crash is another matter ?
Scary stuff you end up pondering these days isnt it.....
Suppose you had one is a 747 an easy target, fire and forget or do you need to know what you are doing, I would imagine if you used a high velocity rifle with a scope you would have a fair chance of hitting a low (take off and landing) plane whether or not it would crash is another matter ?
Scary stuff you end up pondering these days isnt it.....
12 February 2003, 08:23 PM
#19
Thread title,quote: "Am i being cynical...re Heathrow threat?"
No offence mate but ,yes pretty cynical.Cynicism is a slippery f**ker and it can be hard to avoid it sometimes ....so to speak.
Make no mistake ,any group that hates the USA enough to hi-jack 4 jumbos and do what they did with them ,will not see shooting down a jumbo at/near heathrow as too tough a job,heathrow would be/is a serious target ,terrorists will strike again in,(days/weeks/months?),but it will happen .
No offence mate but ,yes pretty cynical.Cynicism is a slippery f**ker and it can be hard to avoid it sometimes ....so to speak.
Make no mistake ,any group that hates the USA enough to hi-jack 4 jumbos and do what they did with them ,will not see shooting down a jumbo at/near heathrow as too tough a job,heathrow would be/is a serious target ,terrorists will strike again in,(days/weeks/months?),but it will happen
.
)
12 February 2003, 10:36 PM
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Stinger Information,
Remember the CIA gave loads of these systems to the Afghan mujahedeen to use against Soviet helicopters, to good effect. These of course would have fallen into Taliban hands over time. Last estimates reckoned there to be around 200 - 300 full systems left in Afghanistan.
And the Stinger (once assembled) can be put to the shoulder and shot in a couple of seconds without any messing about. And they can be fired from a moving vehicle as well, although I'm not sure if there is a top launch speed. Add to that the fact that the Stinger is fire and forget and a 747 is a rather large heat source, without any countermeasures and it is a scary scenario.
Failing that, just go and talk to your local friendly arms dealer.
No Cheers
Ian
[Edited by IWatkins - 2/12/2003 10:40:12 PM]
Remember the CIA gave loads of these systems to the Afghan mujahedeen to use against Soviet helicopters, to good effect. These of course would have fallen into Taliban hands over time. Last estimates reckoned there to be around 200 - 300 full systems left in Afghanistan.
And the Stinger (once assembled) can be put to the shoulder and shot in a couple of seconds without any messing about. And they can be fired from a moving vehicle as well, although I'm not sure if there is a top launch speed. Add to that the fact that the Stinger is fire and forget and a 747 is a rather large heat source, without any countermeasures and it is a scary scenario.
Failing that, just go and talk to your local friendly arms dealer.
No Cheers
Ian
[Edited by IWatkins - 2/12/2003 10:40:12 PM]
12 February 2003, 10:40 PM
#23
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They said this securoty alert is to go on another week. After that it will become unsustainable???? Can't we just use our own army to protect the airports? How will it cost more if they're already paid??
Therefore any terrorist with a brain will wait for the commotion to die down. DOH!
Therefore any terrorist with a brain will wait for the commotion to die down. DOH!
12 February 2003, 11:11 PM
#24
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Look on the bright side. We have the *best* policed streets in the UK right now 
Visible policing stopping everyone It's what we always wanted. I bet the 'usual' criminal activity has all but been wiped out overnight
Visible policing stopping everyone It's what we always wanted. I bet the 'usual' criminal activity has all but been wiped out overnight
13 February 2003, 03:07 AM
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Oh you should see it over here! You feel kind of safe tho knowing that everywhere you go there are loads of cops and x/ray / metal detectors!
The news here (cbs,fox,nbc and abc all ran this story) is saying that we are on high alert (but don't panic) and to go and buy some gaffer tape and plastic sheeting! It stops chemical attack if you do something with it (i kept getting bored and changed channel). How ****ed up is that
The news here (cbs,fox,nbc and abc all ran this story) is saying that we are on high alert (but don't panic) and to go and buy some gaffer tape and plastic sheeting! It stops chemical attack if you do something with it (i kept getting bored and changed channel). How ****ed up is that
13 February 2003, 10:51 AM
#29
Seems very coincidental that the security alert should come from intelligence that just happened to turn up as the papers got hold of the fact that Blair's dossier on Saddam was cobbled together from two 12 year old unofficial reports...............:
As for the French and Germans sh*tting themselves, the only person doing that right now is one T. Blair, 'cos he knows that he's losing public support over this, and other things.
Alcazar
:As for the French and Germans sh*tting themselves, the only person doing that right now is one T. Blair, 'cos he knows that he's losing public support over this, and other things.
Alcazar
13 February 2003, 06:11 PM
#30
Pontificating
When you work about a 1/4 of a mile from the end of the runway, with planes directly above your head at about 150ft, and with empty fields about 500 metres away you kind of dont give a $hit whether its propaganda or for real, you just hope it doesnt happen full stop, but after todays arrests you dont hold out much hope.
With the noise those planes make as they come into land we wouldnt have a clue if it was about to nose dive through the celling after being struck by a SAM, still its given the local plod a good excuse to swarm all over the scoob everytime I pull out of the estate
Safe travelling all
With the noise those planes make as they come into land we wouldnt have a clue if it was about to nose dive through the celling after being struck by a SAM, still its given the local plod a good excuse to swarm all over the scoob everytime I pull out of the estate
Safe travelling all