Comments on: Parliamentary Security http://downingstreetsays.com/briefings/2004/03/24/398 Every day the Prime Minister's Spokesman meets a small coterie of political journalists known as 'the lobby' for a topical chat, or 'briefing'. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 11:18:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: Roger Huffadine http://downingstreetsays.com/briefings/2004/03/24/398#comment-625 Roger Huffadine Thu, 25 Mar 2004 19:01:06 +0000 http://downingstreetsays.com/briefings/2004/03/24/398#comment-625 Its all a smoke screen When the IRA were bombing London we had none of this excessive security and lots of people were killed and injured. I was not too far from a letterbox bomb, I have stopped a train and jumped off because somebody go on - left a bag - and got off. The train started out of the station - I pulled the cord and jumped....longer story and it gets worse.... The threat then was more real, immediate and tangible but people understood that you don't suppress terror by overt measures. I go back to my soap box - 10 peole die each day on the roads, 100s are injured. No amount of overt security is going to stop terrorist action. It doesn't scare terrorists, it doesn't fool me and my mates - unfortunately it must be fooling someone or why would TB bother? Oh yeh!- I remember - being a president at war gets you re-elected. It would be really great if we could have the main media channels slamming the government on their risk assesment calculations. Then we could return to a real world and address issues like road safety ;-) schools, hospitals, police, crime ... yawn... zzzzz sorry - I'm off my soap box now - you can wake up again :-) Its all a smoke screen

When the IRA were bombing London we had none of this excessive security and lots of people were killed and injured.

I was not too far from a letterbox bomb, I have stopped a train and jumped off because somebody go on - left a bag - and got off. The train started out of the station - I pulled the cord and jumped….longer story and it gets worse….

The threat then was more real, immediate and tangible but people understood that you don’t suppress terror by overt measures.

I go back to my soap box - 10 peole die each day on the roads, 100s are injured.

No amount of overt security is going to stop terrorist action. It doesn’t scare terrorists, it doesn’t fool me and my mates - unfortunately it must be fooling someone or why would TB bother?

Oh yeh!- I remember - being a president at war gets you re-elected.

It would be really great if we could have the main media channels slamming the government on their risk assesment calculations.

Then we could return to a real world and address issues like road safety ;-) schools, hospitals, police, crime … yawn… zzzzz

sorry - I’m off my soap box now - you can wake up again :-)

]]> By: Lodjer http://downingstreetsays.com/briefings/2004/03/24/398#comment-615 Lodjer Thu, 25 Mar 2004 16:23:36 +0000 http://downingstreetsays.com/briefings/2004/03/24/398#comment-615 "changing nature of the threat was a reality for all democracies" When the western powers attack Afganistan/Iraq whatever, its not an attack on Arabs, but specific targets. But when they attack anything in the west, it is "an attack on democracy"??? It is not an attack on democracy, it is an attack on the people they see as attacking them. Sweden hasn't been involved in a conflict since the 1840's, and the notion that because they are a democracy they are a threat from terrorism is laughable. "changing nature of the threat was a reality for all democracies"

When the western powers attack Afganistan/Iraq whatever, its not an attack on Arabs, but specific targets. But when they attack anything in the west, it is "an attack on democracy"???

It is not an attack on democracy, it is an attack on the people they see as attacking them.

Sweden hasn’t been involved in a conflict since the 1840’s, and the notion that because they are a democracy they are a threat from terrorism is laughable.

]]> By: David Boothroyd http://downingstreetsays.com/briefings/2004/03/24/398#comment-604 David Boothroyd Wed, 24 Mar 2004 23:11:08 +0000 http://downingstreetsays.com/briefings/2004/03/24/398#comment-604 The Pentagon a civilian target? Don't think so, and Flight 93 is believed to have been heading for the US Capitol. Believe me, as one who works in Parliament, it is a very likely target and security can easily be tightened without damaging public access. Incidentally MPs use tubes, trains, buses, etc. and all the other potential 'civilian targets' you might be thinking of. The Pentagon a civilian target? Don’t think so, and Flight 93 is believed to have been heading for the US Capitol. Believe me, as one who works in Parliament, it is a very likely target and security can easily be tightened without damaging public access. Incidentally MPs use tubes, trains, buses, etc. and all the other potential ‘civilian targets’ you might be thinking of.

]]> By: Tony http://downingstreetsays.com/briefings/2004/03/24/398#comment-602 Tony Wed, 24 Mar 2004 22:28:46 +0000 http://downingstreetsays.com/briefings/2004/03/24/398#comment-602 Being as previous terrorist targets have been civilan ones, I wonder if the rest of the UK will get the same sort of protection ? Seems that the politicians are willing to make the decisions that put us at risk but are unwilling to to suffer the consequenses like the rest of us will ultimately have to. Being as previous terrorist targets have been civilan ones, I wonder if the rest of the UK will get the same sort of protection ? Seems that the politicians are willing to make the decisions that put us at risk but are unwilling to to suffer the consequenses like the rest of us will ultimately have to.

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