Armed Police at Euston

[jon0844]

The deployment of FV107s CVR(T)s (Scimitar light tanks to the Sun and Daily Mirror readers) had nothing to do with intimidating the public in to an invasion of Iraq. It was done by a government that needed to be seen to be doing something in the wake of the Septemeber 11th attacks, nearly 2 years before we set foot on Iraqi soil.

I flew to New York in February 2003, just before Valentine's Day, and there were soldiers standing on the roof of the runway underpass, and as you might remember - there were the protest marches that Tony totally ignored. Wasn't it supposed to be about a million people in total, discounted on the basis that a million was still a small percentage of the population as a whole.

I was also in NYC for their own anti-war protests, which I'm not sure the local networks gave much or any coverage to (Fox certainly didn't). We didn't know they were going to be going on, and got caught up in it (and I took loads of photos) but it showed that an awful lot of people didn't see any connection with 9/11 and Iraq or want to go to war - even though we all know the troops were already on their way before the decision was officially made. Indeed, it had been 9/11 and a link to Afghanistan initially. I have to confess I can't remember how or why Iraq suddenly came into it.

I do also recall the supposed threat of terrorists bringing down planes with heat seeking missiles, which was also quite conveniently mentioned around the same time, but wondered even then how or why the threat suddenly went away, especially after the army left Heathrow (not to be confused with armed police within the airport). Surely there's as big a threat now as there was then (oh, wait, that's probably the point!).

 

[mat696]

There was indeed a missile tracked to the UK: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1422941/SAS-sent-to-guard-Windsor-during-Heathrow-alert.html as I recall it was lost from surveillance hence the army being called in, when it was found again the army left.

As for firearm deployment and usage the figures are here: www.gov.uk/government/uploads/syste...ce_Firearms_stats_Commons_-_2013_7_11__3_.pdf 5 incidents where firearms were discharged last year.

 

[Rich McLean]

And would you care to explain what's wrong with his arguments?

I am Firearms trained, and there is a Law of Armed Conflict which ALL Government employees trained up on firearms who have hold the Weapons Handling Test Qualification (Plod, MOD, Armed Forces etc) have to abide by. There is no exceptions, and those who don't adhere to it can and will get convicted

 

[Monty]

Surely that last link is the figures for Firearms Officers Deployed rather than discharged, otherwise that's a lot ammunition. :P

As for firearm deployment and usage the figures are herewww.gov.uk/government/uploads/syste...ce_Firearms_stats_Commons_-_2013_7_11__3_.pdf 5 incidents where firearms were discharged last year.

 

[user15681]

Surely that last link is the figures for Firearms Officers Deployed rather than discharged, otherwise that's a lot ammunition. :P

The last table in that link says 5 incidents where firearms were discharged in 2011/12. I did think the other numbers were too high!

 

[Jordy]

Large police presence at Euston again today around lunchtime, although they seemed to be chatting with random people and filling in some kind of form.

 

[jon0844]

I was stopped not long after 7/7, at Liverpool Street, and told that I was being stopped to make up the numbers - not even the slightest attempt to hide that fact. He didn't even ask to see inside my bag, but made me sign the paperwork and let me continue on my way!

A stark contrast to the asian people that were being surrounded by police and made to step away from their bags as if they were about to let them blow up.