"We have foiled mass murder on an unimaginable scale"

[Kitsune]

Originally Posted by MsSparkie

It's really airplanes I hate, the feeling of helplessness up there. I have flown to Europe and Mexico and did not like flying one bit.

Add the risks now and it's over the top scary.

You might want to consider a forum that helps people with their fear of flying, such as this one.

Really, even after this supposed threat there is still little reason to fear getting on an airplane. You'll find more rationale to fear driving a car or riding a bicycle if you're really concerned about injury or death. In fact, you take more of a chance with your life by simply walking out the door each morning. If you take that risk, why not enjoy life and travel a bit? A fear of flying is never fun, but it is irrational and it can be treated, even on your own.

I find it amazing, though, what a mere threat can do. Terrorists don't even need to actually attack people, anymore, to disrupt life, instill fear, and damage economies. They can do all of this, along with changing our political stance, values, and laws by merely making a threat or starting a rumor. We fear terrorists changing our world, but they don't need to. We do it just fine on our own at the mere mention of a potential attack.

If they really wanted to take lives, they would have strolled into the unsecure, now extremely crowded areas of Heathrow wearing explosives wrapped in ballbearings and pushed a button. Why do that when the effect of panic and fear without death is just as bad?

[glatt]

Originally Posted by Kitsune

We do it just fine on our own at the mere mention of a potential attack.

More accurately, the authorities do it for us.

I don't like to fly because it's a fucking hassle to get through security. I fly less now, especially along the East Coast. Sometimes it's almost as fast to drive, once you factor in the hassle time.

Terrorists have not caused me to change my lifestyle much. We did avoid taking our kids to the playground when the DC sniper was picking random people off every couple of days. But I still presented myself as an exposed target as I walked to and from work each day.

[Kitsune]

From CNN.com, this morning: "London police guard a house raided in the probe."

This is how London police guard the house of a suspected terrorist? No offense to the Brits, but I would have expected trooper-like guards in armor standing at the ready instead of someone dressed in a tap dancing cabbie outfit gnawing their nails in worry.

[Sundae]

It's hardly likely other terrorists are going to stop by when the occupants have already been taken into custody (and probably cordoned off outside the picture?) I would assume the WPC is simply there to check credentials of officials who need to enter.

Anyway, we need all our trooper-like armoured guards to make sure there's no pushing in at Heathrow - airport crowds can get pretty tetchy.

[MaggieL]

Originally Posted by Kitsune

I find it amazing, though, what a mere threat can do.

"How many mines does it take to close a chokepoint?"

"None, and one press release"

Originally Posted by Kitsune

If they really wanted to take lives, they would have strolled into the unsecure, now extremely crowded areas of Heathrow wearing explosives wrapped in ballbearings and pushed a button. Why do that when the effect of panic and fear without death is just as bad?

Because anything that happens on/with an airplane gets ten times as much publicity as it would otherwise.

[Elspode]

That, and they want to make us all believe that air travel is vulnerable. Terror, remember?

My wife's boss just cancelled a flight to the East Coast today because of this.

[MaggieL]

Originally Posted by Elspode

My wife's boss just cancelled a flight to the East Coast today because of this.

That's smart just based on what a mess check-in is at the moment.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Kitsune

From CNN.com, this morning: "London police guard a house raided in the probe."

She's just shooing away tourists and reporters. Why should she worry? She's probably surrounded for blocks with London's finest.

[sproglet]

Originally Posted by Kitsune

No offense to the Brits, but I would have expected trooper-like guards in armor standing at the ready instead of someone dressed in a tap dancing cabbie outfit gnawing their nails in worry.

None taken.

We learned our lesson the hard way with the accidental shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, and the recent bungled raids in Forest Gate. Doing things the 'American way' would just exacerbate an already delicate balancing act with ethnic minority communities who feel let down and persecuted by the police.

It's interesting to note that Tony Blair continues to fanny about on a yacht in Barbados whilst his country remains on 'critical' state of alert. Hopefully his and Bush's days in office are numbered.

[Kitsune]

Originally Posted by sproglet

Doing things the 'American way' would just exacerbate an already delicate balancing act with ethnic minority communities who feel let down and persecuted by the police.

Speaking of the American Way...

I've always wondered what these National Guard Troops are really there for besides the show factor.

[MaggieL]

Originally Posted by Kitsune

I would have expected trooper-like guards in armor standing at the ready instead of someone dressed in a tap dancing cabbie outfit gnawing their nails in worry.

Well, bear in mind you're seeing a carefully composed and cropped photo; she's probably not the only cop there. But she's only guarding a crime scene to preserve evidence...how much force does that take in a London suburb, with backup a radio call away? On a day when a hell of a lot else is going on that requires manpower?

[MsSparkie]

The Liquid World
How to survive in an age of death.
Where to draw the line....

Day four of chaos for UK airports

"We don't need to be body searching young children traveling with their parents on holiday to Spain," chief executive Michael O'Leary told Sky News television.

"If we the industry and the government don't work together to have sensible security ... we are going to hand these extremists a terrific PR success," he added.

AMEN BROTHER!!!
Tell that to the US.

More.

[Hippikos]

NBC News has learned that U.S. and British authorities had a significant disagreement over when to move in on the suspects in the alleged plot to bring down trans-Atlantic airliners bound for the United States.

A senior British official knowledgeable about the case said British police were planning to continue to run surveillance for at least another week to try to obtain more evidence, while American officials pressured them to arrest the suspects sooner. The official spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the case.

In contrast to previous reports, the official suggested an attack was not imminent, saying the suspects had not yet purchased any airline tickets. In fact, some did not even have passports.

More...

[DanaC]

I don't know whether this is indicative of my own overpowering cynicism or the general mistrust with which our government and security forces are viewed generally these days....But the first thing that crossed my mind was "yeah right. I'll believe it when I see someone in court". We get that many people 'arrested' for supposed terrorist plots in this country only for them to be quietly released due to there being no actual evidence against them, or for them to end up being charged with video piracy, or growing pot.

I'm not the only one who felt instantly suspicious when this hit the news. I said to mum, have you heard about the terrorist threat? she just rolled her eyes. A work colleague shrugged and said "yeah, almost justifies our having to give up a 'little of our freedoms' huh?" (this was said in a voice dripping with sarcasm)

All the news reports are very careful to refer to it as an 'alleged terrorist threat' or some other such caveats. Yeah man, they've been burned before.

It could all turn out to be an actual threat and our security forces could have protected us from bloody slaughter. But I have my doubts and so do a lot of people in the UK. My guess is they got all this from *ahem* "a usually very reliable source".