UK Deploys Troops To Heathrow

[Come-quickly]

Intersetingly enough janes defence says the fear is of a MANPADS attack on an airliner:

http://www.janes.com

[Thorpe]

If I were a terrorist I would be attacking London City Airport not Heathrow or Stansted. If you did manage to hit a plane there is more chance of it hitting a high population centre in London City more than any where else.

[Come-quickly]

What is it with civilian armed response units and scruffiness? Haven't they ever watched Detroit S.W.A.T on the discovery channel, stereotypical army is soooooo the look for todays police paramilitary

[Big Al]

If this was dublin airport it would be clamped



Taken from CNN

LONDON, England -- London was facing a terrorist threat on the scale of the September 11 attacks, a senior government figure warned as troops continued to patrol Heathrow Airport.

Labour Party chairman John Reid said the nature of the threat against London was similar to the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington that left thousands dead and destroyed the World Trade Center.

Asked if the deployment of 450 troops at Heathrow was an over-reaction as a war against Iraq loomed, Reid angrily replied: "This is not a game. This is about a threat of the nature that massacred thousands of people in New York.

"I am not even going to take seriously those people who suggest this is part of some sort of game."

[Come-quickly]

We were offered a shitload more when the Brits were scrapping their 76mm Scorpions and downsizing, £2,500 each according to one source.
But the DOD didn't bite and for once I'd agree with them what would we do with more scorpions? we'd have to buy more vehicles to carry them around for a start and it was foud in the curragh that the unflippable CVR(T) did indeed flip when the stabilising sensors on the tracks had an an adverse reaction to the Irish soil content, well not all Irish soil but enough to be problematic...it was peat I believe.

Now, if we'd bought some 30mm fox Turrets at the time for use with wheeled vehicles, that would have been a good idea.

[T.I.M.]

OH!! Are you insuing agressive action aginst England? ....

and as for the Scimitars (scorpian) didnt we buy our ones off the brits?

[FMolloy]

Good thinking Al, Standsted is well outside London's ring of steel. It's well outside London full stop :D

[California Tanker]

Scimitars at Heathrow.

One's broken down...Already!



NTM

[Big Al]

I'd bomb stanstead if there are so many troops at heathrow:D

[Thorpe]

Sellafield is the Ideal terrorist target in England. Its lightly guarded and would cause maximum damage and fear. It will cause more damage to Dublin that London if something happins there.
The security at our airports is a bloody joke. I could hop the fence in Cork and nobody will say a word to me. The gardai should have specialist fire arms unit in each area like in England (although in England they do get a bit trigger happy) it would allow them to protect our airports and ports with out the army tagging along behind.

Looking at both the SNN and HRW deployments, should we now reconsider the security at Dublin and Cork. Is there a need for troop deployment here or at least have a unit at each airport to provide immediate support to the APO's. And what about having trained armed units of Gardai at the airport 24 hrs a day. I thinks thing are going to have to change...

I think Sellafield is a more vunerable target,
and one which could do a lot of damage to us.

Naa, they are only doing it cos they are jealous of our boys (and girls) in Shannon,... they just want a piece of the action!!

Well seriously, I think this is a prudent precaution. However there are a few other places I'd put them,... like Sellafield, the Houses of Parliament etc. I think things will heat up.

The UK Government has deployed 450 troops backed with APC's to provide attitional security at the airport. They join over 1000 extra police officers. It is fear that there a a threat of an attack during the Muslim religious festival of Eid.

The last time troops were deployed in this manner was in 1994 after the attempted IRA mortar attack.