Love, Ivan
Posted on 10/20/2006 12:02:07 AM PDT by MadIvan
The 2012 Olympic Games in London will be a "huge target" for Muslim extremist terrorists, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner warned yesterday.
Sir Ian Blair said detailed security plans were being drawn up for the event, with a team of officers already working on the project full-time. An estimated 200,000 people will be involved, including 70,000 volunteers, 40,000 construction workers, 30,000 security officers and 60,000 others – representing a major challenge in terms of vetting them to ensure they do not pose a security risk.
Sir Ian added that a terrorist risk assessment had been carried out by police as part of the Olympic bid, but 24 hours after the Games were awarded to London, the July 7 bombings took place.
"We know where we are now. There can be no doubt that the 2012 Games – if the scenario that currently exists stays the same – will be a huge target and we have to understand that and work on that basis."
Asked if al-Qa'eda might regard the Olympics as "the big one", Sir Ian said: "I don't want to consider what al-Qa'eda thinks is the big one. But there is no question that hosting an Olympic Games in a liberal democracy rather than in China poses different issues.
"Everybody knows this is where the Olympics will be. It is our responsibility to provide secure arrangements for a safe and happy Games."
Sir Ian made his comments as one of the grimmest pictures yet of the terrorist threat emerged from security sources. Al-Qa'eda, it is thought, has recovered from the destruction of the Taliban, its sponsors, and of its pre-September 11 camp system in Afghanistan, and its splintering into a loose collection of national groups affiliated to similar radical ideas.
It has instead become a resurgent force which is more unified, organised and sophisticated and which has made Britain its leading target, believing that the UK represents a "massive opportunity" for mass murder and embarrassment of the British Government in the eyes of the world.
Though this derives partly from Britain's close support of America, sources believe that the UK is also an "easier" target for an al-Qa'eda campaign, as it has traditional links with Pakistan and a large Pakistani and Kashmiri community in which the terrorists can live and move.
Security sources believe that the network is now operating a cell structure in the UK – similar to and as effective as the IRA system of previous decades – and they regard last year's July 7 bomb attacks, which murdered 52 people, "as just the beginning", though they have some success in disrupting the network's activities.
Individual cells may develop different plots, with the leading figures controlling several different cells. Some of the leaders, though possibly British-based, travel frequently to Pakistan, from where instructions and guidance are relayed.
Regards, Ivan
Ping!
Gosh. Who'd've thought it!?
Love, Ivan
Who cares,
It's election time. The Dem's don't care, so why bother.
The Elf's don't care either. Blow away, Blow away.
/S
Question: Who is of higher rank? Master of the obvious or Captain Obvious....
God Trumps all obviousness.
/Salute
The ultimate of obvious!
Let's get through 2008 in China first.
The 2012 party is still at your place. Right?
In America the left is Master of the Oblivious.
Why would they jeopardize that by hitting the Olympics?
"The 2012 Olympic Games in London will be a "huge target" for Muslim extremist terrorists"
Get used to it. The invasion of extremists that they allowed, will make terrorist threats a regular part of British life for a long time to come.
...or the mental masturbator of the oblivious. Nice post.
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