Spy Blog - SpyBlog.org.uk

Ok, so an alleged terrorist plot has been "disrupted", according to Home Secretary John Reid's statement this morning.

Where are the explosives ? We are willing to bet, that no viable bombs have been found, and that the threat is not actually CRITICAL i.e. imminent.

The overreaction of the Department of Transport in ordering the banning of handluggage on all flights seems insane, as a practical security measure.

All it is doing is creating massive disruption to the innocent travelling public.

Nobody should trust the security of the hold luggage systems at "Thiefrow" airport, or any other airport with their valuable mobile phones, laptop computers, sensitive documents etc. Lots of these will be lost, damaged or stolen.

Despite John Reid's statement this morning, to "keep the public informed", he has not, in fact bothered to do so.

The news and media broadcasters are doing their usual routine, of quoting from unnamed sources, about possibly 18 arrests in the London and Thames Valley area, a possible threat of "liquid explosives", and rumours that those arrested are all British, with simultaneous attacks on transatlantic aeroplanes.

Is this "liquid explosive threat", anything more than the media jumping to conclusions because of the stupid security measures, whereby mothers are being asked to taste their baby's milk bottles in front of airport staff ? Why this cannot be easily faked, with a standard magicians's conjuring trick bottle, is a mystery.

In what possible way is the presence of "liquid explosives" in hold luggage any safer than in the passenger cabin of an aircraft ?

If hold luggage is now jammed full of electronic equipment, like laptop computers, mobile phones etc, how can any bomb detonating mechnisms be detected via X-Ray etc ?

This makes a further mockery of the equally stupid "please switch on your electronic equipment" so called security check of hand luggage, which will now not be possible.

Is this Forest Gate all over again, with the media speculating about biological, chemical, nuclear and radiological ("dirty bomb") threats, simply because the Police were wearing protective suits and masks ?

The news reports claim that the authorities have had the plotters under surveillance for some time, but that the threatened plot was not, apparently going to happen today.

Why then, has the nationwide Threat Level now been raised to SEVERE ?

The answer must be purely political "Climate of Fear" hype.

It cannot be a coincidence that this has all happened the day after John Reid's appalling speech on "national security", in which he managed to re-write history, by claiming that the current threat to the UK, from a single terrorist, somehow exceeds that of the entire Soviet Union during the Cold War, and that of the IRA etc.

The offical information given out so far is utterly inadequate, and is simply fuelling media speculation and adding to the "Climate of Fear", a process, which we asume is a deliberate ploy, given the NuLabour Government's record of "news management".