Did The Security Services Fail This Time?

[Gromit]

The Security Services do a very difficult job and I know they have thwarted several terrorist plots and for that we are greatful.

But the more that emerges about the Woolwich murderers, it appears they may have failed us this time.

This morning we learn one of them tried to join a Islamist terror group in Somalia. Surely when he was deported back here, he would (or should) have been closely monitored if not detained (or even prosecuted).

I realise that this crime was done by evil murderers and it is hard to stop everything but this feels like it should have been prevented. They were well known to the security services who allegedly tried to recruit them.

I will incur the wrath of AOG just for suggesting it, but does anyone else feel like the security services under performed with this pair?

[emmie]

perhaps, but with over 2,000 terror suspects that was a figure on the news report, it would be hard to monitor them all.

[daisya]

I can't say if they failed but I thought they had him/them on their radar or so it has been said. I do agree that after being deported back to this country that they definitely should have kept him under close scrutiny but of course we don't know if they did or not. I can only hope they will do with others in future, prevention rather than cure IMO.

[Gromit]

2000 weren't deported for trying to join an Islamist terrorist group. That would bump them up the priority list surely?

[emmie]

the figure quoted were those on the security radar, so if one goes awol, to a country that has links with terror groups then they should be monitored. However won't the person be citing civil liberties about their freedom to travel where they will. If they tried to recruit one of these men, then they should have been keeping a better eye on him. But as one security expert said, you can't plan for two blokes in a car, carrying a couple of knives, they weren't sitting at home making bomb plots, accessing bomb making equipment, presumably like previous suspects being bugged by the security services. Two lone men wrecked havoc on one poor man, who happened to be a soldier, so he was targeted specifically for that reason.

[emmie]

the two thousand are nationals from what i understand, in other words living in UK

[Old_Geezer]

I'm unsure how much you can monitor unless you bug all high priority suspect's houses. Get a mate around and agree to enact an evil deed, how would security forces pick up on that ? I'm assuming the weapons were already in their kitchen from years ago. Ultimately one has to stop the moral corruption of citizens from the start rather than try to pick it up once it has occurred and rush to stop any resulting crime at the last moment.