The home front
It has been nearly a month since the last time I wrote anything here about anything other than terrorism. I'm not going to break the mould today, though, despite no dramatic developments in the last few days. It's worth standing back and taking stock of what has happened, especially with respect to the Brazilian man who was shot by police at Stockwell tube station. "Senior police sources have confirmed that the officers involved in the operation that led to the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, the innocent Brazilian would not have needed to shout a warning before firing," the Sunday Times reported on Sunday. The same piece summarised the available evidence about the killing, including the stark contradictions between the initial accounts given by the police, and what the CCTV footage revealed. It's worth quoting at length:
"When the shooting at Stockwell Underground station was first confirmed, a senior police source told reporters, off the record, that they had killed one of the would-be suicide bombers who was on the run after the failed July 21 bombings. Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan police commissioner, said that the shooting was "directly linked" to the terrorist operation.
The man, according to the police, was suspect because of his "clothing and behaviour". He had been followed from a house that had been under surveillance. When he was challenged at Stockwell, he ignored instructions and ran. He had vaulted over the ticket barrier and was wearing a dark bulky jacket that could disguise a bomb.
One witness had de Menezes as an Asian with a beard and wires coming out of his torso. The truth is more mundane. De Menezes, an electrician, was travelling to north London to fix a fire alarm.
He was not wearing what witnesses called a "black bomber jacket", but a denim jacket. It was about 17C and his clothing would not have been out of the ordinary.
He did not vault a ticket barrier, as claimed. He used a travelcard to pass through the station in the normal way. His family believes that he may have started to run simply because he heard the train pulling in — something Londoners do every day. Indeed, a train was at the platform when he got there."
What will become of the inquiry, only time will tell. What seems clear is that if the shoot-to-kill policy is to continue, the guidelines surrounding it are going to have to be tightened up, and intelligence improved. About this killing, many mysteries remain - including: if this man was suspected of carrying a bomb with him, why was he allowed to travel on the bus under police surveillance. If not, why was he killed? My fear is that another attack, or some other events will distract peoples attention away from these important questions.
London is starting to look and feel "normal" again now, but many people I have spoken to seem quite certain that more attacks will be seen soon.
In today's FT, Jack Straw is quoting as saying "Gaza withdrawal is a “fantastic opportunity for the Palestinians. It’s more likely than not to work – and if it doesn’t, the Palestinians know they can kiss goodbye to a separate state.”"
Hmmm... then I suppose the Palestinians can "kiss goodbye" their "seperate" state, and submit to Israeli occupation as Israel expands in to the West Bank. More terror in the Middle East. More terror in London.
"When the shooting at Stockwell Underground station was first confirmed, a senior police source told reporters, off the record, that they had killed one of the would-be suicide bombers who was on the run after the failed July 21 bombings. Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan police commissioner, said that the shooting was "directly linked" to the terrorist operation.
The man, according to the police, was suspect because of his "clothing and behaviour". He had been followed from a house that had been under surveillance. When he was challenged at Stockwell, he ignored instructions and ran. He had vaulted over the ticket barrier and was wearing a dark bulky jacket that could disguise a bomb.
One witness had de Menezes as an Asian with a beard and wires coming out of his torso. The truth is more mundane. De Menezes, an electrician, was travelling to north London to fix a fire alarm.
He was not wearing what witnesses called a "black bomber jacket", but a denim jacket. It was about 17C and his clothing would not have been out of the ordinary.
He did not vault a ticket barrier, as claimed. He used a travelcard to pass through the station in the normal way. His family believes that he may have started to run simply because he heard the train pulling in — something Londoners do every day. Indeed, a train was at the platform when he got there."
What will become of the inquiry, only time will tell. What seems clear is that if the shoot-to-kill policy is to continue, the guidelines surrounding it are going to have to be tightened up, and intelligence improved. About this killing, many mysteries remain - including: if this man was suspected of carrying a bomb with him, why was he allowed to travel on the bus under police surveillance. If not, why was he killed? My fear is that another attack, or some other events will distract peoples attention away from these important questions.
London is starting to look and feel "normal" again now, but many people I have spoken to seem quite certain that more attacks will be seen soon.
In today's FT, Jack Straw is quoting as saying "Gaza withdrawal is a “fantastic opportunity for the Palestinians. It’s more likely than not to work – and if it doesn’t, the Palestinians know they can kiss goodbye to a separate state.”"
Hmmm... then I suppose the Palestinians can "kiss goodbye" their "seperate" state, and submit to Israeli occupation as Israel expands in to the West Bank. More terror in the Middle East. More terror in London.
posted by UK plc at 12:22 AM
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