With Four Attacks This Year, Is It Now Time For The Terrorist Threat Level To Remain On 'critical'?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html

It seems pointless to lower the level just because there happens to be a period of 'no attacks'.

Or is this lowering and raising of the threat level, aimed to give the impression that the government is doing something?

[Gromit]

Wasn't it only on Thursday ypu were telling us the Security Services were on the ball ?

The threat level is presumably set based on intelligence gathering, not the whim of the Government.

Critical seems to indicate that they expect another attack imminently. As the bucket bomber is still on the loose, then the threat level is based on that.

[youngmafbog]

I strongly suspect the security services knew and know a lot more than they are letting on. One has to wonder if they dropped the ball on this one or they know it is one of those individuals back from Syria which politicallycould be an issue.

Time will tell.

[Peter Pedant]

// It seems pointless to lower the level just because there happens to be a period of 'no attacks'. //

erm no .... there are no air raid sirens sounding over London because there have been no German air raids and bombing for around 60y. The two are sort of connected.

From the pinko wet point of view - it amounts to virtual martial law - armed forces on the streets etc
but it also costs a bomb - (pun intended overtime etc ) - apparently when the people of say Brixton see police armed to the teeth on Brixton High they feel - - - reassured.

and dont be beguiled AOG
dear sweet AOG - Asian and AfroCaribbean officers will be armed
but that doesnt mean that when you see one - you scream - "dont shoot dont shoot - I can say the kelaam!" *

For some reasons they are putting troops in the nucular power stations altho the British Nuclear Police carry arms anyway

The kelaam is: la eela lala ( there is no god but God)
wa Muhammed rasooleehee ( and the prophet is his messenger)

[Peter Pedant]

Over a certain amount of sophistication
a bomb maker will make a job lot ( ie more than one)
and then sad off leaving the drones to do their job

Obviously the Big Question is : did he make the Manchester bomb which DID go off ? and are there more ? and where ? and who is he ?

Anyway if your TATP had failed to go off
would you fiddle with the other stuff in your kitchen to make it more sort of jizzy ?
Crikey I dont think I would.....

[Gromit]

Trump Tweeted yesterday that the bucket bomber was known to the UK Security Forces.

If that Tweet is true, then they have a name and face for the attacker but are not telling us public who will be his (or her) next target.

So the real question is:
" Is it better for the Security Services to work in secret, or should the public be properly fore warned? "

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

/// Wasn't it only on Thursday ypu were telling us the Security Services were on the ball ? ///

And where have I said anything different? The security service should continue to do their excellent work and not to have their surveillance level lowered at any time.

/// The threat level is presumably set based on intelligence gathering, not the whim of the Government. ///

Our security service is run by the government and is not a power of their own, have you not noticed that it is the PM who has raised the security level?

[Kromovaracun]

It seems about right to me. "Critical", it seems, is typically used when there's a specific threat at large (i.e. a group of attackers with the capability to strike immediately). "Severe" seems to denote that there is a high likelihood of an attack happening.

[anotheoldgit]

Does any one know what PP is going on about?

[Zacs-Master]

Nope.

[anotheoldgit]

kromovaracun

I am sure that, that is really reassuring for the potential victims.

In this country now there is always a specific threat at large (i.e. a group of attackers with the capability to strike immediately).

Can you say any different?

[Kromovaracun]

The level isn't there to reassure victims, it's there to warn the public.

"Critical" threat level means there is a known attacker at large (or that the security services think that is the case). "Severe" means there is a high likelihood of attack from any one of multiple cells. I think those two distinctions make sense, and I'm satisfied that they are laid out by people who know more about this horrible stuff than I do.

[jim360]

I think there are important reasons to distinguish between "severe" -- that is, generally high risk of a threat but no specific expectations -- and "critical", which implies a threat within the next few days is likely. If "Critical" means anything then it will mean the security services and police on high alert and near-constant standby in preparation for such an attack. But you can't maintain that without putting great strain on the resources of those forces, and most of the time it isn't necessary anyway.

[dannyk13]

Would it not be impractical to permanently deploy troops on the streets as which happens in a critical alert?

[ivor4781]

we have in our town as probably others do 2 armed police walking round the centre. this is a waste of money it's just to reassure the gullible public "there safe", i ask you two offices walking in a very large town centre , and why together would make more sense to separate,

[NoMercy]

AOG - the day that we start to deport people who poses a threat or conspire to, or carry out, terrorist attacks on our soil, and any family or acquaintances who shelter them or fail to alert the police to their misdeeds, is the day they might think twice about trying to destroy this country.

As I've said before, if they don't like our way of life and our freedom, let them go and re-settle in their ancestral homelands where their beloved sharia law is already a way of life.

[THECORBYLOON]

"have you not noticed that it is the PM who has raised the security level?"

The PM doesn't determine threat levels. For domestic terrorism in Ulster and Great Britain, there are separate levels determined by MI5. For international threats home and abroad, it's the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC).

[dannyk13]

No Mercy
You cannot deport British subjects,which is what many of the terrorists are.

[NoMercy]

Then perhaps we need to change things, Danny. Nothing is impossible.

[Kromovaracun]

Ivor - they use snipers too.

[sinderella]

am i right in thinking that the book to make these devices was downloaded in UK 50,000 times so far