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djohnson · Aug 18, 2004, 11:15 AM

Looks like those that were planning the attacks on the financial districts in the US have been caught in England.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe...urt/index.html

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Eight British terror suspects charged with conspiracy to commit murder in a plot linked to financial targets in the United States have appeared in a UK court.

The men, all charged with conspiracy to murder, and planning to use radioactive materials, chemicals, toxic gases or explosives in an attack, were remanded in custody to appear at Britain's top criminal court, the Old Bailey, on August 25.

voodoo · Aug 18, 2004, 11:37 AM

Good stuff

The campaign against terrorists apparently a police matter. Not a military matter. By every arrest made by police forces around the world of terrorists that much is obvious.

djohnson · Aug 18, 2004, 11:38 AM

Originally posted by voodoo:
Good stuff

The campaign against terrorists apparently a police matter. Not a military matter. By every arrest made by police forces around the world of terrorists that much is obvious.

It shows that our Intelligence agencies are hard at work nabbing these guys. I agree that when the police catch them, it makes it much more obvious.

voodoo · Aug 18, 2004, 11:58 AM

Originally posted by djohnson:
It shows that our Intelligence agencies are hard at work nabbing these guys. I agree that when the police catch them, it makes it much more obvious.

Not only are the intelligence agencies working but they are no screwing up. Kudos for that. Screwing up was hallmark of intelligence agencies just 3 years ago.

for progress and catching those terrorist fu<kheads.

djohnson · Aug 18, 2004, 12:05 PM

Originally posted by voodoo:
Not only are the intelligence agencies working but they are no screwing up. Kudos for that. Screwing up was hallmark of intelligence agencies just 3 years ago. for progress and catching those terrorists <snip>.

Well then, I guess the Bush Administration is doing its job!

voodoo · Aug 18, 2004, 12:17 PM

Originally posted by djohnson:
Well then, I guess the Bush Administration is doing its job!

?

It is?

Lessee.. these terrorists suspects - like most terrorist suspects - are apprehended outside the U.S.A. While that is a good thing it basically shows that other countries are doing their jobs. Hopefully with the help of the CIA - but that is their job.

The Bush administration has been good at shaking the foundations of the very alliances that are combatting the terrorists on the ground level, the intelligence gatherers. The Bush administration has been good at dragging out another war in Iraq and a civil war resulting in the wake of it. This war had NOTHING to do with terrorism, rather it was a part of the neo-conservative school of thought that advocates a more direct control in the ME. That is another thread entirely.

The Bush administration has been neutered by their competing policies trying to do something about the very real threat of terrorism while using the 4 years they were given to put some very real neo-conservative policies into action. The Bush administration's biggest part in this recent apprehension of terrorist suspects was to raise the paranoia level in the U.S.A. to 'orange'.

djohnson · Aug 18, 2004, 12:19 PM

Originally posted by voodoo:
..Lessee.. these terrorists suspects - like most terrorist suspects - are apprehended outside the U.S.A. While that is a good thing it basically shows that other countries are doing their jobs. Hopefully with the help of the CIA - but that is their job.

Well, since the intelligence agencies are part of the current administration... They are linked. You agreed that the intelligence agencies were going a good job earlier...

Originally posted by voodoo:
Not only are the intelligence agencies working but they are no screwing up. Kudos for that. Screwing up was hallmark of intelligence agencies just 3 years ago. for progress and catching those terrorists <snip>.

voodoo · Aug 18, 2004, 12:38 PM

Originally posted by djohnson:
Well, since the intelligence agencies are part of the current administration... They are linked. You agreed that the intelligence agencies were going a good job earlier...

'intelligence agencies' is not synonymous with 'US intelligence agencies'.

Logic · Aug 18, 2004, 12:48 PM

Originally posted by voodoo:
'intelligence agencies' is not synonymous with 'US intelligence agencies'.

Actually intelligence has nothing to do with the US.

:loads AK-5:

BlackGriffen · Aug 18, 2004, 12:49 PM

Originally posted by voodoo:
Not only are the intelligence agencies working but they are no screwing up. Kudos for that. Screwing up was hallmark of intelligence agencies just 3 years ago. for progress and catching those terrorist fu<kheads.

Are you sure about that? Aren't these arrestees the ones we were getting info on from that Pakistani double agent? If so, then wouldn't this arrest be damage control instead of an accomplishment?

BG

Dakar · Aug 18, 2004, 12:54 PM

Christ, let's try and not belittle the accomplishment here. the fact is people have been taken into custody that would have most likely cause death or destruction in the US.

voodoo · Aug 18, 2004, 01:21 PM

Originally posted by BlackGriffen:
Are you sure about that? Aren't these arrestees the ones we were getting info on from that Pakistani double agent? If so, then wouldn't this arrest be damage control instead of an accomplishment?

BG

I'm just taking these arrests at face value. I can't begin to speculate on the specific background of their acquisition. I hope that it wasn't a major blunder, but when such a plan is uncovered and arrests made I suppose any spies involved are out of danger or written off. It ceases to be a secret operation when busts are made.

BlackGriffen · Aug 18, 2004, 01:24 PM

Originally posted by voodoo:
I'm just taking these arrests at face value. I can't begin to speculate on the specific background of their acquisition. I hope that it wasn't a major blunder, but when such a plan is uncovered and arrests made I suppose any spies involved are out of danger or written off. It ceases to be a secret operation when busts are made.

True enough, and I'm glad these guys are off the street (assuming alleged charges are accurate), but there's always a back story. In this case, I think that the back story is that foreign intelligence and law enforcement were forced to blow their wad early because of the U.S. foul up. Had their hand not been tipped, we may have gotten a lot more.

BlackGriffen

voodoo · Aug 18, 2004, 01:37 PM

Originally posted by BlackGriffen:
True enough, and I'm glad these guys are off the street (assuming alleged charges are accurate), but there's always a back story. In this case, I think that the back story is that foreign intelligence and law enforcement were forced to blow their wad early because of the U.S. foul up. Had their hand not been tipped, we may have gotten a lot more.

BlackGriffen

I sure hope that was not the case, although it wouldn't surprise me the least that the Bush administration would rather tip their hand early to win a momentum in the presidential race rather than think of the big picture. In their eyes the big picture is to survive the elections (even if they don't stand a chance there) and screw all else.

ThinkInsane · Aug 18, 2004, 01:46 PM

Originally posted by BlackGriffen:
True enough, and I'm glad these guys are off the street (assuming alleged charges are accurate), but there's always a back story. In this case, I think that the back story is that foreign intelligence and law enforcement were forced to blow their wad early because of the U.S. foul up. Had their hand not been tipped, we may have gotten a lot more.

BlackGriffen

"You think" being the key here. You don't know, any more than anyone else here. I can tell you from my own experience in the military that maybe about 1/100th of the available information makes it to the public, and for good reason. We don't have nearly enough information to make that determination.

PacHead · Aug 18, 2004, 02:12 PM

8 more down. Tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands more to go, at least.

voodoo · Aug 18, 2004, 02:14 PM

Originally posted by PacHead:
8 more down. Tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands more to go, at least.

Well you'd better start looking into changing the US foreign policy then. Unless you desire more 9/11s in the future. That is essentially what the US is facing.

PacHead · Aug 18, 2004, 02:16 PM

Originally posted by voodoo:
Well you'd better start looking into changing the US foreign policy then. Unless you desire more 9/11s in the future. That is essentially what the US is facing.

Yeah, yeah, blah blah blah. We do not care about primitive threats, nor will we have our foreign policy dictated to us by a bunch of savages.

Next please......

voodoo · Aug 18, 2004, 02:18 PM

Originally posted by PacHead:
Yeah, yeah, blah blah blah. We do not care about primitive threats, nor will we have our foreign policy dictated to us by a bunch of savages.

Next please......

?

So you welcome terrorism against your own people. Who needs enemies with people like you?

Dakar · Aug 18, 2004, 02:47 PM

Originally posted by PacHead:
nor will we have our foreign policy dictated to us by a bunch of savages.

Whether they agree with our foreign policy or not is irrelevant. Its unfortunately people seem to think that any course of action that eases tension is seen as "giving in.'

While I agree we shouldn't be sitting on sideline, I think there's more to the 'war on terror' than just killing people.

version · Aug 18, 2004, 03:02 PM

Originally posted by ThinkInsane:
"You think" being the key here. You don't know, any more than anyone else here. I can tell you from my own experience in the military that maybe about 1/100th of the available information makes it to the public, and for good reason. We don't have nearly enough information to make that determination.

Goes both ways. I'm sure the court case will bring the matter out into the open. But suffice to say, there have been two such major 'busts' like this in the past in which the accused were largely let go.

We'll see.