Article

2005-02-03 Britain

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Posted by Dan Darling 2005-02-03 12:12:05 AM|| || Front Page|| [2 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 As long as the "Law Enforcement" approach to terrorism prevails, the citizens are at great risk. I would wager that no police force in the West is sufficiently empowered, as the laws are full of assumptions that everyone is more or less civilized, to consistently prevent crime, especially cell-based subversives. So far, it seems the UK has staved off successful attacks through truly extraordinary effort and amazing luck. The traditional job of the Police is to clean up the mess and figure things out - after the fact. How long can they last before one slips through? When the asshats pull off a major event in the UK, the politicians (who aren't among the insane SocioFascistIslamoBatsâ¢) will have to address the issues and create something similar to the Patriot Act to enable more effective domestic security. It's not a question of "if", but "when".

Posted by .com 2005-02-03 2:05:58 AM|| 2005-02-03 2:05:58 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 The irony is that the UK for quite a number of years had effective anti-terrorism laws that the chattering class was relatively unconcerned about becuase they were directed against the Irish. The mystery is why muslims evoke the sympathies of the Left while the Irish do not.

Posted by phil_b 2005-02-03 2:18:35 AM|| 2005-02-03 2:18:35 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Phil, not a mystery. Left, especially the far left, is totalitarian. They appreciate similar mindset. They also live in illusion that they would be able to manipulate islamonazis later in the game, same as Stalin thought vis-a-vis nazis.

Posted by Sobiesky 2005-02-03 4:02:38 AM|| 2005-02-03 4:02:38 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 I think the main difference is that since Islamist violence has for the most part been contained, it is regarded as more of a hypothetical threat than a real one. Once ordinary Brits start to die on British streets at the hands of Islamic terrorists, public and even the chattering classes' attitudes will rapidly change, possibly overnight. That's what the IRA did, and that's why few people worried about how heavy handed the authorities' response was.

But it's interesting to note that many prominent left-wing politicians (extreme examples being Ken Livingstone and George Galloway) are sympathetic towards both the left-wing IRA and Islamofascism, and the Left in general has always been more sympathetic towards Irish causes than the Right, in the UK.

Posted by Bulldog 2005-02-03 4:49:29 AM|| 2005-02-03 4:49:29 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 Dead right Bulldog - I remember reading the Socialist Worker (as a student!) and was amazed at its open sympathy for the IRA/ republican cause (*spits*).

Phil - I don't think the chattering classes were concerned about the terror laws used against the IRA because innocent people were being killed. As soon as the Islamofascists get lucky here I don't think the chattering classes will give a shit about the laws used to combat the new threat either. It's just a damn shame that it takes bloodshed to shake the touchy-feely mob out of their woolly headed liberalism.

Posted by Howard UK 2005-02-03 5:16:16 AM|| 2005-02-03 5:16:16 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 Bulldog, Howard, I know you genuinely believe what you say, but the current European example on offer is Madrid (and I speak as a Brit who long ago left those dismal (literally) shores for sunnier climes)

Posted by phil_b 2005-02-03 5:56:39 AM|| 2005-02-03 5:56:39 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 Madrid's close, but it's still 'overseas', phil ;)

Posted by Bulldog 2005-02-03 5:58:33 AM|| 2005-02-03 5:58:33 AM|| Front Page Top

#8 'Fog in the Channel, Continent isolated' ;-)

Posted by phil_b 2005-02-03 6:04:25 AM|| 2005-02-03 6:04:25 AM|| Front Page Top

#9 [Michael] Howard doesn't get it. At all. When will the Tories grab a clue(tm)?

Posted by someone 2005-02-03 10:44:40 AM|| 2005-02-03 10:44:40 AM|| Front Page Top

#10 LOL Phil_b stealing that 'en.

Posted by Shipman 2005-02-03 11:10:22 AM|| 2005-02-03 11:10:22 AM|| Front Page Top

#11 [Michael] Howard doesn't get it. At all. When will the Tories grab a clue(tm)?

His comments about a 'recruiting sergeant' are stupid. But at least the Tories and the Lib Dems are effectively opposing Labour's compromise solution. House arrest is not only extremely expensive, it ties down personnel who would be much better spent doing other things, elsewhere. It also adds to the impression that the UK Gevernment doesn't take dealing with suspects seriously. There does seem to be an overhaul of the system needed, but IMO the answer should be more, faster, repatriations and more power to the authorities to imprison with 'secret' evidence, and on the basis of evidence which at the moment isn't allowed (e.g. phone tapping).

Posted by Bulldog 2005-02-03 11:41:24 AM|| 2005-02-03 11:41:24 AM|| Front Page Top

#12 Hey, it seems that the Brits are letting an opportunity to make two problems each other slip through their fingers.
On one hand, as detailed above, their "liberal" judiciary won't let their gov do any thing meaningfull about jihadists.
On the other hand, as detailed in another article here: IRA Reneges on Commitment to Disarm---principaly because the Provo membership doesn't have any non-violent marketable skills...

Posted by gromgorru 2005-02-03 12:51:17 PM|| 2005-02-03 12:51:17 PM|| Front Page Top

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