Should we be concerned?

[anotheoldgit]

Earlier I asked "how long"? Now I ask "should we be concerned"?

Now that the Mumbai massacre has almost dissapeared from our TV screens and from the front pages of the newspapers and some are getting back to the 'important things' in life such as the 'X Factor' or 'I'm a Celebrity get me out of here', one has to ask once again "could this happen here"?

Thankfully there are still some of us that say "yes very much so" and that our politicians of all parties should be jointly coming together now, to come up with measures to combat this threat, before we are taken completely by surprise as we have been in the past..

I think Melanie Phillips courtesy of the Daily Mail has produced an article that highlights the threats perfectly. This is not sensationalism, it is a real threat.

The readers comments also make interesting reading.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-109076 2/MELANIE-PHILLIPS-The-Mumbai-atrocity-wake-fr ighteningly-unprepared-Britain.html

[Sgt.Rock]

Only a matter of time that it happens here and let's face it there's nothing we can do to stop it.
We have given a home to people from the countries that breed this sort of terrorism and they repay us by murdering us and it's too late to do anything about it.
These people have huge chips on their collective shoulders and their extremist views are fuelled by lefties and liberals who portray them as victims. There is no amount of reasoniing that will change them

[sp1814]

Sgt.Rock

I think you're being a little naive.

I say that because you've fallen back on the 'chips on their shoulders' thing which indicates that your grasp of Middle Eastern poltiics is as shaky as mine.

I firmly believe that the UK hasn't seen it's worst terrorist attack yet. We are going to go through many years of pain - like the 70s all over again.

However, the fact that we've not suffered any major attack since 7/7 suggests to me that the security and intelligence agencies have a better handle on the situation than Melanie Phillips.

[sp1814]

By the way - can we please stop assuming that because people like to read about their favourite tv shows, they don't care about Britain's foreign and domestic policies???

I mean - is anyone going to boycott their firms Christmas parties because of the situation in Afghanistan, Mumbai and Iraq?

Is anyone going to stop buying CDs because of the current threat of terrorism?

Life goes on.

Trivia is part of life.

Leave trivia alone.

If you really want to avoid all trivia/pop/telly/sport - get rid of your TV and subscribe to the Econonist.

[sp1814]

<ahem> Ecomomist.

[Sgt.Rock]

sp - How do you propose stopping someone walking into Trafalgar Square with an AK 47 and a couple of grenadesin their rucksack? As you have intimated, only a matter of time before it happens.

I witnessed Asians with huge chips on their shoulders when playing cricket over twenty years ago. Sorry to shatter an illusion but make no mistake, large numbers of them HATE the white population of the UK.

[Lonnie]

A major Terrorist attack will happen here, not including 7/7, its just a matter of time.

This is pretty scary reading.

http://ballyblog.wordpress.com/2007/07/03/terr orists-are-muslims-list-of-islamic-terrorist-a ttacks/

And then you have to take into account all the terrorist attacks after the end date of this blog.

[sp1814]

Sgt.Rock

Like you, I base my opinions on people on my impression of them when I meet them.

I've only been close mates with about 20 Muslims throughout my adult like, and some of them have been very distrustful of white people, whereas others have been very 'anglicised'.

I absolutely couldn't generalise about them, because basically, they are richly different and diverse as your average white lad.

But leaving that aside, the way that you prevent someone walking into Trafalgar Square with an AK-47 is by allowing the security and intelligence agencies to gather as much information about potential terrorist as they can.

Okay...they have dropped the ball (badly) on a couple of high profile cases, but believe me - whilst we sleep they are monitoring associations, they are tapping phones and they are establishing how networks are being formed.

Thank your lucky stars that we live in a country that has learned lessons from the days of the cold war.

I lived through the IRA bombings in London in the 1970s and 80s...I remember 'just getting on with it'. There's very little we can do as individuals to counter terrorism apart from being vigilant.

[tigerlily11]

It amazed me just how quick the ministers concerned and not doing their job right, resigned.
What are the chances of that happening here.

[123everton]

India is different to Britain because of the tensions that have existed since partition, that is why ministers have resigned, although I understand that there is some concern as to the delay in the dployment of troops also.
I would'nt expect a government minister to resign if God forbid it happened here, as SP says there is not an awful lot you can do in a free country if someone wants to walk into a public space and start shooting people.
I remember 7/7 clearly, I was on a middle, I put the telly on and saw on "The Wright Stuff" the headlines on the bottom, all I saw was "bomb", "bus", "Liverpool" at no point before I found out more or after did I countenace not going to work that day, as SP says we've just got to get on with it and be vigilant.
I'm more concerned about the British yobs (of all colours) marauding our streets than terrorist bombs.

[rov1200]

It seems to me that 90% of the terrorist problems can be traced back to Pakistan. The fact that there are so many Pakistanis living abroad and their children indocrinated into Islamic traditions makes the globe a melting pot of dis-satisfaction.

MI5 have infiltrated the mosques and social gatherings of Muslims in Britain but some do escape the net as witnessed in 7/7. We could insist that those in Britain who go to Pakistan and possible training camps there that we vet each person before there departure and when they return. A sort of exit visa I suppose?

[Sgt.Rock]

Good idea rov - but I can hear them bleating victimisation now. The irreparable damage is done.

[123everton]

An exit visa?
Would'nt they just lie on the form?
Purpose of visit? Learn how to make I.E.Ds, crossed out, I mean going to a wedding, I'm going to a wedding.
Damned infidels with their clever trick questions...
The answer's are not as simple as that we have to defeat the idea of fundamentalism we can only do that by delivering justice and prosperity to oppressed peoples.

[Lucy-Thomas]

I work in an establishment that was threatened by the IRA in the 70s. Thank God nothing happened, but being a stretegic place, it could now be targeted by muslim fanatics.

The possibility of this doesn't stop me going to work but it does make you vigilant. I think we all have a part to play in preventing terrorism not least the government by deporting known terrorist and criminal immigrants.

The muslim community also have a role in tackling the militants within their ranks.

[terambulan]

I've 'cherry-picked' the article... And that was why Mumbai itself was chosen - as the symbol of India's burgeoning commerce and prosperity and its links with the West.

This is why Bombay (as named by hindu interviewees on SkyTv) was targetted. UK & USA personnel on site would be trading & commerce contracting.

Hindus are Sikhs, and traditionally known as 'highest caste' with stronger links to UK than Pakistan (Pakistan being a younger nation). Castes not being upheld in UK upset the status quo as practised in India & Pakistan.

Hindus & Muslims here look to Brit laws to diffuse grieviences between themselves. It will snap though, as more UK trading is with India rather than Pakistan and thereby financing the Indian infrastructure to the detriment of Pakistan.