Posts Tagged ‘Bombs’

Well, we are well into December and the run up to Christmas has been halted to a certain extent by the weather.

It has been reported that Special Forces teams are working undercover at some of the Countries largest Shopping Centres in response to potential terrorist action.

How absurd even mentioning this. It would be impossible to have such teams in every shopping centre and outlet around the country so to a certain extent the terrorist cells have valuable intelligence and will now divert possible action away from the prominent targets. It is indeed worrying that if the reports are true then it shows not how likely such an attack is but how worried the security services are about the threat.

It has been reported also that up to 60,000 Pakistanis Migrate to the UK every Year. Among them will undoubtedly be extremists with a wealth of terrorist knowledge.

India has seized Maoist material showing that they are experimenting with explosives to make more devastating bombs and devices. AQ will be doing the same and their sophistication was shown during the interception of the toner bombs on US bound aircraft.

Mumbai style attacks are worrying indeed with the terrorist having the upper hand, knowing where and when he will strike. The only way of combatting this is to have Israeli style plain clothes security in towns and cities pro filling and looking for suspicious activity. I think it will be a long time before that is socially acceptable and in the meantime we can only breathe a sigh of relief as we get through another day. Sent via BlackBerry® from BT

AQAP have claimed responsibility for the 2 bombs discovered in printer toner cartridges and concealed on Cargo Aircraft bound for the US. They also claimed responsibility for bringing down a UPS Cargo plane shortly after take off from Dubai in September. The recent devices were so sophisticated in their make up that the East Midlands package was missed during the first sweep of the plane. A tip off was given by an AQ member who gave himself up in Saudi Arabia. A second sweep of the plane revealed a device based around PETN and concealed in a printer toner cartridge.

2 Men (52 and 21) have been arrested and questioned over explosives offences in North Wales. The operation was mounted after a suspect package was found inside Vauxhall Cross, the home of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS)  otherwise known as MI6 and a second was discovered in a South London sorting office.

This event has extremely serious security implications for the SIS. How did the package get inside the building? and why wasnt ALL mail scanned off site before being allowed into the building? Serious question have  be asked about the security culture at Vauxhall Cross. Mistakes do happen but something as foreseeable as this should never happen. As with all security if there is a reliance on technology alone things will go wrong and if there is a reliance on people alone then things will go wrong. Given the nature of the building and the work they are involved in then complacency should be guarded against at all costs and the balance should be between well trained motivated staff and good effective technology.

We recently reported how a suicide bomber was detonated by mobile phone with the explosives thought to be hidden internally.

As a result of this sinister turn of events air travellers face even more intrusive security screens, including a full body x-ray after fears amidst the recent attack.

Now intelligence officers fear suicide bombers could smuggle bombs on board like drug mules smuggle narcotics.

If the technique was used it would completely evade all security techniques currently used, leading to calls for a full body x-ray to be used.

We will keep you informed of any developments.

The Real IRA has claimed responsibility for attacks against Catholic policemen.
The aim of the attacks has been to intimidate policemen and potential policemen from being a part of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

The dissident republican Real IRA have admitted three overnight attacks in Londonderry.

The relatives of a Catholic police officer were the target of two suspected bombs.

The first device exploded outside his parents’ home in Shantallow, while a second device was examined outside his sister’s home in Kylemore Park.

In a statement, the group also claimed responsibility for shooting a man in his legs and hand at about 0130 BST.

A number of masked men forced their way into his house at Drumard Park in Ballymagroarty.

The man was taken to hospital where his condition is said to be stable.

There have been six paramilitary-style shootings in Derry in the past four weeks.

Several people were asked to leave their homes when a device was spotted at about 0730 BST. The security alert in Kylemore Park has ended.

In the Shantallow explosion, a car was damaged but no-one was injured.

Chief Superintendent Steven Martin said the devices planted were “capable of taking life”.

“They are trying to intimidate Catholic officers and their families from taking the brave step of joining the police and trying to move society forward.”

“That’s what terrorist criminals are about, they seek to cause harm and destruction,” he said.

“I can assure you that the police officer in question, who I’ve spoken to today, is committed to policing and will be out doing his duty very quickly.”

“His bravery contrasts starkly to the cowardly actions of those last night who put these devices in ordinary streets in the Cityside of this city,” he added.

‘Solidarity’

Sinn Fein assembly member Raymond McCartney condemned the attacks.

“This family is a part of our community and I would call on the community to show solidarity with them at this time,” he said.

“While most people are working to build a peaceful future it would seem that a minuscule and unrepresentative group think that by carrying out cowardly actions based on spurious excuses, they will frustrate continued progress.

“They will not succeed and should stop their activity before it leads to the killing of more innocent people.”

SDLP leader and Foyle MP Mark Durkan, described the attacks as “cowardly”.

“These are sinister attempts not only to unnerve a young officer and his family but to intimidate the entire community,” he said.

“The policing service which we now have has been mandated by the Irish people, north and south, in the Good Friday Agreement.

“Those who serve in its ranks are carrying out a patriotic duty which has the endorsement of the overwhelming number of citizens in Derry and the country.”

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device