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Britain
Al-Qaeda targets Ulster
2004-09-20
"Faith, and 'tis off to the mosque we are!"
ULSTER is included on a possible terrorist "hit-list", at the centre of a major international security exercise to be launched next spring. Security experts think Northern Ireland could be a possible "backdoor" target for an al-Qaida attack on Britain.
"Patrick, he rather looks as if he's not from around here."
"Faith, Sean, and was it the turban that gave it away?"
"Might we call the constabulary office in Belfast, Patrick?"
"And spoil the fun, Sean? Don't be a silly fellow."
According to a well-placed source, the security services here, including MI5, have been working on the planned exercise involving Britain, the United States and Canada for the past two years. The Irish republic has also been kept informed. Code-named "Atlantic Blue", it will involve personnel drawn from military, police, rescue and security services on both sides of the Atlantic. Dublin's task force on emergency planning has also been consulted, since any attack on Northern Ireland might involve terrorist overflying of the Republic's airspace. The planned scenario is a supposed terrorist attack firstly on the United States, which then spreads to the UK. Use of suicide-mission aircraft, as in the 9/11 attacks, with chemical, biological and radioactive attacks are all on the schedule.

Although the central focus of the UK part of the exercise is obviously on world-prestige targets in London, Northern Ireland also figures as a possible focus for a sneak attack, perhaps designed to divert defence attention from a main thrust on the British capital. Ulster targets, on which a special MI5 working group has been advising on security in the event of an al-Qaida attack, include Belfast's two airports, parliament buildings at Stormont, and several prominent Belfast high-rise skyscrapers. It is also understood, that with the discreet agreement of the Dublin government, the RAF has also been taking part in regular "familiarisation", exercises in southern Irish airspace. A UK security source suggests that, should a civilian airliner be hi-jacked in the Republic for use as a September 11 bomb, the RAF would be called in to shoot it down.
Posted by:Dan Darling

#5  LOL! Howard?
Posted by: Shipman   2004-09-20 5:32:18 PM  

#4  King Billy was a gentleman
He wore a watch and chain
Osama made it on the dole
He lived on Jiihad Lane
King Billy had an orange cat
that sat upon the fender
And every time it caught a mouse
He shouted "No Surrender!"

---A perversion of an old Belfast street song
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2004-09-20 4:24:39 PM  

#3  Quite - the resulting lynchings of muslims would be quite a spetacle. I can't think why you'd want to wind-up the Loyalists and the Republicans!? Whole lotta trouble if they did.
Posted by: Howard UK   2004-09-20 4:44:26 AM  

#2  "…the RAF would be called in to shoot it down." Works for me I never fly.

Seeing how xenophobic (esp with "aisaians") Northern Ireland is I can't see how these folk plan on going unnoticed or unmolested.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom   2004-09-20 4:34:36 AM  

#1  Don't piss the Red Hand Gang off... just a word of warning.
Posted by: Howard UK   2004-09-20 4:25:03 AM  

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