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UK security on critical and Middle East war worsens.
The Prime Minister is on holiday,
John Prescott is the Deputy Prime Minister and
Margaret Beckett is the Foreign Secretary
who is caravanning in France
James Irvine
Teviot Scientific Publications, Edinburgh and
Perthshire
Filed 12 Aug 06
©www.land-care.org.uk
On Wednesday August 10th the threat to the security
of the UK was considered to be so severe that the alert was put
on the highest level - critical. That means that a major attack
on the UK was believed to be imminent.
Intelligence stated to have been obtained by MI5,
in collaboration with intelligence services abroad, was such that
a number of airliners - perhaps ten - were threatened to be blown
up over the Atlantic using materials that could be carried in hand
luggage and which would escape routine security measures at airports.
It is understood that such materials can be detected
by 'sniffing' scanning technology applied to luggage that goes into
the hold of an aircraft, but this technology has not been applied
to the screening of hand-luggage or persons. Allegedly the main
reason for failing to use the available technology has been expense.
Currently hand luggage and persons are scanned using technology
that has not significantly changed for many years, being limited
to metal detection. The failure to use available technology to minimise
the risk of disasters has, of course, abundant precedent (1).
The ingredients for making a lethal explosion
within the passenger area of an airliner can be readily concealed
in what appear to be innocuous bottles of drinks or other fluid
containers. When the ingredients are mixed by the suicide bomber
in the toilet of the aircraft, they become an explosive concoction
capable of being triggered by the simplest of electronic devices,
such as an electronic key fob or digital camera. A powerful explosion
results within the fragile, pressurised and temperature controlled
cabin of an airliner flying at high altitude.
Surely security specialists must have been aware
for long enough that there was the potential for the use of such
devices and that they would escape detection with current security
checks.
It seems strange that, before taking any action,
we have apparently got to wait until what was forecast to be the
world's worst act of terrorism affecting transatlantic flights was
deemed to be imminent.
We have no option but to believe what MI5 is reputed
to have reported to government. But the reputation of that organisation
has recently come under serious doubt. The Forest Gate debacle in
June of this year - in which an innocent man was gunned down - raised
questions about the competence of MI5 and of high-ranking officers
within the police. Neither did the international intelligence services
cover themselves with glory over the matter of the presence or absence
of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq in earlier years.
What is especially alarming is that all the twenty
four persons arrested in connection with the current security alert
have been declared to be British born muslims. While their names
and addresses would not normally be released to the public by the
police or the security authorities, they were allegedly released
by the Bank of England. This highly odd state of affairs seemingly
came about by the Bank seizing the suspects' assets as per government
instruction. The Bank then went on to follow its usual procedure
in announcing publicly exactly whose assets it had seized. Oh dear,
is it not possible to get a bit of coordination in these matters?
The next thing we will be hearing may be that, on account of all
the publicity, those charged may be considered not to be eligible
for a fair trial. Certainly the press could not be relied on to
use their discretion, although they must be well aware of the danger.
World War 3 has not only started (2),
it is gathering momentum. And the UK is deeply involved along with
the USA - some say rightly, while others say wrongly. But how are
we organised to deal with it?
Tony Blair, the current Prime Minister, is on
holiday in the Caribbean thanks, at least in part, to the hospitality
of a friendly pop star. The deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott,
is nominally in charge. But he has lost the trust of the people
on account of his repeated buffoonery. He was sacked from his position
as Minister in charge of the Home Office because of his inability
to run it in a competent manner.
International diplomacy at the United Nations
is trying through talking to resolve the Middle East crisis. While
UK troops are being killed in Iraq and in Afghanistan, our Foreign
Minister is Margaret Beckett - she who could not run the Department
of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in a competent
manner. Indeed she ran it with such incompetence that it became
imperative for the government to remove her from that position.
The sight on TV of her leaving her caravan holiday in France (where
she has her gas-guzzling, environmentally unfriendly 4x4) to go
and vote on peace-keeping arrangements at the United Nations in
New York fills one with despair.
The Bill of Human Rights introduced through the
European Parliament would appear to put the rights of those suspected
of planning horrendous criminal acts before those of the vast numbers
of law abiding citizens. The UK Government wanted the time that
the police can hold suspects without charge to be extended to 90
days, but the House of Commons limited this period to 28 days, extending
it from an absurd 14 days. The police were right to point out that
this may not always be long enough to investigate complicated cases
of organised terrorism such as we face today. But the Westminster
Parliament apparently did not trust the government ministers as
to how they might use the power of incarcerating people without
charge for such an extended period.
What is needed in these times of major crisis
is government that has the trust of the people. The concept of Tony
cronies running MI5, the police and the foreign office, rather than
being chosen for their ability, does not instill confidence.
The United Nations has sat for days on end trying
to get a statement aimed at stopping hostilities in Israel and Lebanon.
Even the head of the organisation registered his profound disappointment
as to how long it took to achieve even that. But in effect the statement
is unlikely to lead to a lasting peace in the area. Since when was
a United Nations force run by a massive committee, with their white
tanks operated by a poorly trained force that lacked motivation,
ever effective? More rather than less strife can be confidently
predicted, but, sadly, it is likely to extend to within the Western
World.
How can the Lebanese government - with militant
Hezzbollah as part of its democratic coalition - control the Hezzbollah
that are so generously supported through the provision of massive
weaponry and expert training by oil-rich Syria and Iran? And remember,
Iran is playing games with the Western World as to whether or not
it is developing nuclear weapons.
It is World War 3 alright. And the enemy
of the Western World is running a very subtle campaign that operates
not just from abroad but also from within the UK itself.
©www.land-care.org.uk
References
1. Irvine, James (2006).
Basic mistakes in the control of FMD UK 2001 which must not be repeated.
See ANIMAL HEALTH - GENERAL Homepage,
filed 19 Jul 06, www.land-care.org.uk
Click Here to View
2. Irvine, James
(2006). Food security and the start of World War 3.
See SOCIAL/ECONOMIC/POLITICAL Homepage, filed 30 Jul 06,
www.land-care.org.uk Click
Here to View
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