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2004-07-25 Britain
New elite force to combat Al-Qaeda
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Posted by Lux 2004-07-25 10:45|| || Front Page|| [11130 views since 2007-05-07]  Top

#1 By subscription only. Next time, consider at least posting the lead paragraph or two.
Posted by Anonymoose 2004-07-25 10:58:26 AM||   2004-07-25 10:58:26 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 That link requires a PAID registration to view.

Please post a gist of the article.
Posted by OldSpook 2004-07-25 11:04:15 AM||   2004-07-25 11:04:15 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Curious, I think the Times may be blocking free access outside of the .uk domain. I'll copy the article text for once (or you can attempt to go through a UK open proxy) :

A DEDICATED special forces unit is being assembled alongside the SAS and SBS to infiltrate and destroy Osama Bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda network. The unit, nicknamed the “X-men”, has already begun recruiting and is expected eventually to comprise some 600 men and women from all three armed services and the intelligence agencies. Particular efforts will be made to recruit people of Arabic appearance in addition to members of ethnic minority communities and Muslims. The unit would be expected to operate around the world as well as to counter the terrorism threat in Britain itself.

Much of the core of the unit will be made up of undercover surveillance operators who have honed their skills fighting terrorists in Northern Ireland. More than 150 members of the 14th Intelligence and Security Company, have already left Northern Ireland and are forming the nucleus of the new unit. The company was involved in the bugging of Gerry Adams, the Sinn Fein president, during the 1998 Good Friday peace negotiations. Other Northern Ireland veterans who are experts at undermining terrorist groups using moles and informers are also likely to be recruited. The move was hinted at in last week’s announcement by Geoff Hoon, the defence secretary, on the restructuring of the armed forces. “We are increasing the strength of our special forces and investing in new equipment for them,” he said. The government will make a separate move in its anti-terrorism efforts tomorrow when ministers launch a leaflet telling members of the public how they can prepare for a terrorist attack. The advice, to be sent to all homes in England and Wales over the next few weeks, will suggest people “stay upwind” of any release of gas or radiation and remain indoors in the event of nuclear detonation. If they believe they have been infected by biological warfare agents, they are advised to ring NHS Direct rather than spread germs by going to hospital. They should “wash with soap and water” if they come into contact with a suspicious substance.

The advice is part of a £5m publicity drive by the government to prepare for the possibility of an attack by Al-Qaeda or other groups. The leaflet — provisionally entitled Go In, Stay In, Tune In — suggests people should stay indoors and listen to the BBC for further instructions in an emergency. Households are advised to stock up on tinned food, a first aid kit, a battery-powered radio and a mobile phone and charger.

The terrorist threat, particularly with the Olympics approaching, is still considered severe. It has emerged that the US Olympic committee was among leading American sports bodies that were warned last week Al-Qaeda may be planning to attack a sporting event at home or abroad this year. A new security focus on sports stadiums has been prompted by a growing US conviction that Al-Qaeda will attempt to disrupt either the Athens Olympics or the US presidential campaign with an attack designed to inflict mass casualties.

“Everybody feels (Al-Qaeda) are trying to mount another attack,” said Thomas Kean, chairman of the 9/11 Commission, which last week called for a restructuring of US intelligence agencies. “And everybody feels that they are doing their best to make it chemical, biological or nuclear because it kills more people and that’s their goal. “We are in danger of letting things slide. Time is not on our side.”
Posted by Lux 2004-07-25 11:09:46 AM||   2004-07-25 11:09:46 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 The Telegraph covered the same story, here.
Posted by Bulldog  2004-07-25 11:32:33 AM||   2004-07-25 11:32:33 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 The Times do have a weird policy of charging for access to those outside the UK. That's why you hardly ever find links to the paper on the web. It's an unfortunate mistake on their part, as they print and publish plenty of good stuff. The Times is the UK's second highest circulation broadsheet (after the Telegraph).
Posted by Bulldog  2004-07-25 11:35:13 AM||   2004-07-25 11:35:13 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 Good move by the UK government.

And unlike the US< they have no "wall" that cuts off domestic and foreign intel from each other.

Police work dulls the kind of judgement and reactions that you need in special operations.

Despite the posse comitatus law here in the US, we do need to at least train some FBI to operate like Delta Force for domestic situations - and ofr them to operate overseas to hone the skills, as well as in the US.
Posted by OldSpook 2004-07-25 11:46:51 AM||   2004-07-25 11:46:51 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 OldSpook: The cops and the operators are plenty tight. One and the same in some cases via the guard. Plenty of sharing of training and tactics going on. Sharing intel - well that's a political problem, isn't it?
Posted by Classical_Liberal 2004-07-25 7:52:19 PM||   2004-07-25 7:52:19 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 I wonder if the British government has recently considered creating a "Double-O" branch? What with the WOT, what would have been unthinkable just a few years ago might now, well, be a very interesting concept.
First of all, every corner of the planet has heard of James Bond and his mythology. And who wants to work for somebody James Bond is out to get?
And the "license to kill" idea! That they can kill anyone, anywhere with impunity.
Just the idea that a "Oh-Oh" branch existed would have bizarre psychological effects on the hard boyz.
If you think about it, James Bond is an exceptionally scary individual. Public Relations can go a long way to stopping problems before they start.
Posted by Anonymoose 2004-07-25 8:13:15 PM||   2004-07-25 8:13:15 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 Anonymoose: If you think about it, James Bond is an exceptionally scary individual.

Actually, if you think about it, James Bond is an exceptionally vulnerable individual. You can't send a guy who is known to everyone and sticks out like a sore thumb into difficult situations. The kinds of people who fit in are typically recruited directly from the target populations. With few exceptions, Hollywood movies on the subject are pure garbage.
Posted by Zhang Fei  2004-07-25 9:35:11 PM|| [http://www.polipundit.com]  2004-07-25 9:35:11 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 The reputed inspiration for James Bond was indeed a native, I believe, of Hungary. His name was Dusko Popov. He had previously been hired by the Germans to spy on the British because of his international business connections. Dusko was certainly a ladies' man.
Posted by Mr. Davis 2004-07-25 9:48:50 PM||   2004-07-25 9:48:50 PM|| Front Page Top

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