[moodymonster]

by Craig Murray, a former UK Ambassador.

I have been reading very carefully through all the Sunday newspapers to try and analyse the truth from all the scores of pages claiming to detail the so-called bomb plot. Unlike the great herd of so-called security experts doing the media analysis, I have the advantage of having had the very highest security clearances myself, having done a huge amount of professional intelligence analysis, and having been inside the spin machine.

So this, I believe, is the true story.

None of the alleged terrorists had made a bomb. None had bought a plane ticket. Many did not even have passports, which given the efficiency of the UK Passport Agency would mean they couldn't be a plane bomber for quite some time.

In the absence of bombs and airline tickets, and in many cases passports, it could be pretty difficult to convince a jury beyond reasonable doubt that individuals intended to go through with suicide bombings, whatever rash stuff they may have bragged in internet chat rooms.
...

http://www.craigmurray.co.uk/archive..._terror_p.html

worth noting this bit as well about the current UK home secretary:

We then have the appalling political propaganda of John Reid, Home Secretary, making a speech warning us all of the dreadful evil threatening us and complaining that "Some people don't get" the need to abandon all our traditional liberties. He then went on, according to his own propaganda machine, to stay up all night and minutely direct the arrests. There could be no clearer evidence that our Police are now just a political tool. Like all the best nasty regimes, the knock on the door came in the middle of the night, at 2.30am. Those arrested included a mother with a six week old baby.

For those who don't know, it is worth introducing Reid. A hardened Stalinist with a long term reputation for personal violence, at Stirling Univeristy he was the Communist Party's "Enforcer", (in days when the Communist Party ran Stirling University Students' Union, which it should not be forgotten was a business with a very substantial cash turnover). Reid was sent to beat up those who deviated from the Party line.

I've heard a few unpleasant things about John Reid, such as the Queen been spat at when visiting said Uni, and him dancing when British soldiers were killed in NI.

I am sceptical about anything the government does- it's usually, if not always, for its own ends.

At the same time while these new threats are arising the government are freezing the home office's budget and proposing cuts to the armed forces. Just like the way UK travellers can't fly with the same size bags as any other travellers in the world; and you can fly with liquids into the country, but not out - this doesn't make sense.

[moodymonster]

something else that's worth a butcher's:

http://www.oneplanetonenation.com/ponightmares1.html

[Doofy]

I'd post some comment about how this whole episode doesn't sit well with me. But then SWG would barge in and accuse me of trolling him. So I won't.

[Obi Wan's Ghost]

Many did not even have passports, which given the efficiency of the UK Passport Agency would mean they couldn't be a plane bomber for quite some time.

He is either an idiot, a liar, a terrorist apologizer or paid by terrorists to talk sh!t. It takes one day to three weeks to get a passport in the UK:

http://www.passport.gov.uk/general_fees_passport.asp

Three week service = �51
Two week service = �51
One week service = �77.50
Same day service for renewals = �96.50

So considering he said 'many' not 'all' of them didn't have passports it would take very little time to execute their plans and even less with fake passports and tickets they can buy online with stolen credit cards and IDs.

[nath]

Craig Murray is a bit of a nut, sadly. But he's right in as much as Reid is a thug.

There's an excellent article over at the Register right now on just how improbable the whole alleged terrar plot is.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/08...t_terror_labs/

(I'm getting a bit worried about reading it too obviously right now as I'm sitting in Stansted waiting on a delayed flight - precisely because of all this bollocks...)

[moodymonster]

There have been times when the passports took ages - back in 1999 I think they had a backlog of 1/2 million.

I renewed mine earlier this year on the standard turnaround ~�50, took less than a week to come.

[mydog8mymac]

I think that it's awfully benevolent to think that terrorists will get their passports through proper channels.

Everyone is so nice here at MacNN!