Is anyone else as cynical as me?

[fsmail]

my DH and I were discussing the fact that neither of us believe there is actually an increased risk of terrorism and the timing is far too convenient with a failure in compromise in the Middle East. It is sad that we don't trust anything that is said about terror because of all the lies in the past. Is anyone out there as cynical as us?

generally I'm very cynical - but lots of sense being written here.

do you really think "they" would inflict that much disruption as a diversion of public opinion ?

is it because their assets have been frozen that their names are public? the bank of england has to publicise the fact?

One of them was 17. Should they have kept his name private?

but you know what NQC, it took me 3 hours to get through Israeli security - they were so thorough, I got questioned by 2 different people and got asked the same questions with subtle difference to try and catch me out!

It simply would not be commercially viable to subject everyone to that for every flight!

Here is an article that goes into the Israeli security system.

DH went to Israel (doing work for the Palestinian Local Authority, via some British mumble mumble mumble) and had to be sure to show up three hours early for all the interviews.

I know, it takes time. And yeah, that would make flying more expensive. I'm not sure making flying more expensive is a bad thing, though, for other reasons ...

Its been going on for years tbh

I dont trust the govt one bit

I think TB should be sacked too, as he is a disgrace to this country.

Here here!

I think it's very sad that they were all so young.

I've been reading US newspapers, blogs & messageboards, and some Americans, too, have pointed out the "convenient timing" of these arrests, citing various US scandals & upcoming US elections in a typically US-centric way. It's as though it hasn't occurred to them that the travel upheavals & arrests are all happening here. . .and it's improbable that Scotland Yard has timed all this to divert attention from local US politics.

I mean, you can always find some event, somewhere in the world, that is happening simultaneously & would support this "convenient timing" argument. So while I'm not averse to a bit of healthy cynnicsim, I wouldn't be quick to apply it in this instance.

I believe all there is alot of disruption in the US too. They have been stopped from taking any liquid items on the planes etc so it is not just here.

I think he (TB) should just go now. He's pretty much powerless now anyway as everyone knows he's one step away from going so that makes him a less effective leader (imo).

This recent trip he did to the US seemed more of a PR exercise than anything (meeting Arnie etc.) when he could have gone to the Middle East.

what gets me if that if the country alert system is on CRITICAL
why isnt the pm, here
surely that is part of his job, to be here if something happens
not to be sunning himself in the carribean

police and special services are doing a great job

Pakistani govt. is involved, that's why the suspects are almost all Pakistani-ethnic origin. The plot was first uncovered in Pakistan.

Did anyone else read that the man who was shot in ForestGate incident is being questioned for Child Porn charges? I would really like to know where that one goes. He sounded so sweet and innocent, now I wonder if he was just a naive weirdo.

Yes, I heard that too Flack. I also agree that Tone needs to go but he won't. He is becoming more and more like Maggie in her final mad days when she was desperately clinging on to power. Not very becoming behaviour really but what can you expect from the man who is married to the most grasping and vulgar woman in the world?

As for US bloggers commenting on the timing of all this - hey america is the home of the conspiracy theory. Don't you remember the email that went round after 9/11 where the dollar bill was shown to predict the events by judicious folding? I wish I had kept it, it was sooo funny (and so typically american).

Mummydear it was a serious question. I am so unused to seeing armed police that I expect them to be a bit overly serious and so their conversations always seem at odds with the image.

I have to say they are always very helpful to the tourists (who often look a little scared) and go out of their way to give directions etc.

I assume they are there to protect Scotland Yard against attack. It must be very boring for them.

Am I the only one a bit freaked that people who have yet to be charged (I think) have had their assets frozen - I imagine a number of them have wives and children to support, how are they managing? Even if these people do turn out to be terrorists, it's hardly the fault of their families.

I did remark to dh last night "time for the UK to establish its own Camp Xray. I think the Falkland Islands would be good".

Actually (I heard) most of them are teenagers, so they mostly don't have families to support.

NotQuiteCockney I think you have a point. I wa swatching BBC 24hr news the other day and someone was saying that the greatest tool the airport security have is their brains and they should make more use of their gut instincts, watching body language, questioning people who arouse suspicion as cusoms officers do.

it's normal for people to have their assets frozen before their trial to prevent them from transfering it all away in the meantime.

but back to the security risk: I am sceptical about it, yes, but not in the same way as you, fsmail. I think if the security risk was so severe, then surely they should ground all planes? anything less looks like window dressing to me, but then I've been sceptical of the "heightened" security we've had since 2000 (no tweezers, but lighters are OK and so are glass bottles from duty free. now there's a clever policy).

mind you, the timing is rather convenient isn't it? but they have also said the new measures might be permanent (and if so we're moving back to the uk next year because I ain't never flying again if you can't carry books and toys fgs).

it is rather odd - especially given that we're still allowed to carry all the stuff we 'would' have carried in our hand luggage in the hold..........if the explosives were supposedly in liquid form, or some other 'normal' everyday "looking" item - what's stopping someone simply sticking something in their hold luggage to automatically explode???

I have to say - we're flying long haul next Thursday - but I'm not in the slightest bit concerned - I've got more chance of being killed in a car crash on the way to Heathrow (never mind on the roads in Zimbabwe ) than I have of being on a plane that's targetted by terrorists........and indeed there's more chance of my plane crashing than it being targetted by terrorists.

QoQ, I think the baggage is all xrayed, and the xray people are trained particularly to spot strange mechanisms. Whereas, if you bring something explosive online, and plan to explode it by hand, so to speak, you don't need a lot of equipment.

Actually their ages are:

22
36
23
26
26
24
22
17
20
25
22
29
28
25
25
32
27
24
26

I think it's quite reasonable to imagine that most of them have families to support.

Oh, and they've tested airport security a few times since 9/11 and it's still really easy to get stuff on board. I'll find a link ...