Terror Threat Level reduced back to SEVERE - but the airport chaos continues
The controversial United Kindom terrorist threat alert status has now been downgraded back to SEVERE, i.e.
The current threat level is assessed as SEVERE (as of 14th August 2006).This means that an attack is highly likely and indicates a continuing high level of threat to the UK.
according to the Cabinet office's new intelligence.gov.uk portal and the MI5 Security Service websites
However, there does not seem to be any action from the Department for Transport to amend their stupid and counterproductive extra bureaucratic jobsworth backside covering "security" restrictions on airline hand luggage.
The damage to the UK economy caused by these restrictions seems set to continue.
Incredibly, it appears that passengers delayed by the understaffed security search checkpoints, have missed their flights from Heathrow, despite their hold luggage taking off on a plane without them
In other words, in their improperly rehearsed attempt to Be Seen To Be Doing Something, the Home Office and Department for Transport have actually made it easier for non-suicide bomb attacks, such as the Pan Am flight 103 Lockerbie disaster
Comments
The Department for Transport has now changed the airport security rules again, to allow one item of hand luggage.
The ban on all liquids, even water, still persists.
N.B. thisseems to appl tto the security checkpoint, not to the aeroplane cabin, whwere, presumably you can have liquids which you have beeen forced to purchase at the airport shopping mall beyond the security checkpoints, ubless you are traveklling to the USA, where there is a second check for liquids at the boarding gate.
The statement does not mention the "100% body search checks" of people after they have passed through the metal detetctors and the (temporarily redundant hand baggage X-ray machines). This is what has been causing the delays and chaos, since, at Heathrow, especially, there have been insufficient staff on hand to do this, and maintain the normal flow of passengers.
If this is not also relaxed, or if sufficient extra staff are not on duty immediately, the travel chaos will continue.
Posted by: wtwu | August 14, 2006 1:49 AM
Re: Lockerbie comments: This seems to be covering a new vulnerability by reintroducing an old one. Very NuLabour.
Posted by: ACM | August 14, 2006 6:17 PM
The current level of airport security cannot continue. The measures are reactionary and not long term.
Posted by: Caesar | August 14, 2006 8:21 PM
I think this whole thing smells of something nasty.
I mean yesterday's over-reaction to a claustophobic women on a plane was farcical. I bet the airline companies have lost count of the amount of times they have had to deal with people having panic attacks. But you don't get F16 fighter jets being scrambled everytime this happens.
Seems this government is trying to divert our attention from the real issue's and make us paranoid about security.
I'm really starting to think the conspiracy theories doing the rounds actually have some substance and this country, like the US, is heading more and more towards a police state and martial law.
Posted by: Jon Wright | August 17, 2006 7:24 AM