Cable Forum - Thousands to get lessons in how to spot terrorists as Smith warns of random attacks

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ginge51

22-03-2009 23:16

Thousands to get lessons in how to spot terrorists as Smith warns of random attacks

Quote:

Sixty thousand British civilians are being trained by the Home Office to spot terrorists, Gordon Brown has revealed.

Huge numbers of staff on rail networks, at shops, public buildings and major sports venues have been picked out by MI5 and the police for the special training - teaching them to watch for 'suspicious behaviour' and respond swiftly to an atrocity.

The ambitious scheme was announced as the Home Secretary prepared to publish what she claimed would be the Government's most detailed counter-terrorism strategy document to date.

The plans are likely to spark questions over the effectiveness of such a huge army of amateur and lightly-trained 'terrorist watchers', including concerns that they will swamp the police and security service and inflame community relations with spurious alerts singling out law-abiding British Muslims.

The Home Office would not provide any details of their training on security grounds, but said it centred on increased vigilance and improved response to terrorist attacks, including evacuation and crowd control procedures. Officials said MI5 had helped draw up the training course.

Gordon Brown, writing in a Sunday newspaper said: 'Tens of thousands of men and women throughout Britain - from security guards to store managers - have now been trained and equipped to deal with an incident and know what to watch for as people go about their daily business in crowded places such as stations, airports, shopping centres and sports grounds.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...m-attacks.html

xocemp

22-03-2009 23:27

Re: Thousands to get lessons in how to spot terrorists as Smith warns of random attac

Someone please stop that woman and that 'news paper'

Gary L

23-03-2009 00:15

Re: Thousands to get lessons in how to spot terrorists as Smith warns of random attac

Quote:

Originally Posted by ginge51 (Post 34759955)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...m-attacks.html

I wonder if they'll stay calm enough when they spot any old muslim, and not rugby tackle them to the ground before they get better training or too many complaints of victimisation?

nomadking

23-03-2009 00:50

Re: Thousands to get lessons in how to spot terrorists as Smith warns of random attac

One of the 7/7 bombers was being watched by the security forces and they didn't spot that he was a terrorist, so what chance have the rest of us got?

ginge51

23-03-2009 02:10

Re: Thousands to get lessons in how to spot terrorists as Smith warns of random attac

All's this does is make society even more paranoid then what it is now.
Were already watched 24/7 by the biggest cctv camera situation in the world.
Every single thing any1 does will get scrutinised.
It's pathetic.
How many people lost their lives n the 7/7 attacks?(no disrespect to anyone who did btw)
Is this all necessary?
I think not.
What is even worse is they are asking for the public to do this but, we as a whole are not even being "asked" if we want this to happen.
It's a farse.

Osem	23-03-2009 08:51

Re: Thousands to get lessons in how to spot terrorists as Smith warns of random attac

Given the Home Office's legendary ineptitude I wonder how many of these people will turn out to be illegal immigrants and/or budding terrorists..

Russ	23-03-2009 08:55

Re: Thousands to get lessons in how to spot terrorists as Smith warns of random attac

Will they be using the same techniques employed by the security forces to watch out for Brazilian electricians?

LondonRoad

23-03-2009 09:56

Re: Thousands to get lessons in how to spot terrorists as Smith warns of random attac

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russ B (Post 34760067)

Will they be using the same techniques employed by the security forces to watch out for Brazilian electricians?

In fairness to our security forces the threat from Brazilian electricians has never been lower. ;)

I've been caught out before commenting on Daily Mail tainted reports. I'll refrain from commenting untill I've viewed another source. ;)

Axegrinder

23-03-2009 10:13

Re: Thousands to get lessons in how to spot terrorists as Smith warns of random attac

Is it me or does sound like something out of Dads Army? :confused:;)

nomadking

23-03-2009 10:16

Re: Thousands to get lessons in how to spot terrorists as Smith warns of random attac

The Guardian

Quote:

Jacqui Smith, the home secretary, yesterday pledged to end the "secret, behind closed doors" approach to tackling terrorism as the government prepared to launch a fresh strategy this week.
A new 60,000-strong civilian force, including security guards at shopping centres and hotel workers, will be hailed as one of the most important instruments in confronting the terrorist threat.
Smith outlined the new thinking in an interview on BBC One's The Politics Show programme. "It's the nature of this work that quite often in the past it's been the sort of thing that's happened in secret, behind closed doors," she said.

Now that wasn't difficult, was it?:rolleyes:

Angua

23-03-2009 10:28

Re: Thousands to get lessons in how to spot terrorists as Smith warns of random attac

Perhaps they will dust off all those mirrors for viewing under cars (which we never got anyway) ;)

Derek

23-03-2009 12:32

Re: Thousands to get lessons in how to spot terrorists as Smith warns of random attac

Hmmmm, even without this training I'm sure the most useless security guard or hotel worker would be able to work out someone wandering around with an AK shooting randomly is a bad thing.

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2009/03/32.jpg

Not that I'm in any way suggesting its another crackpot idea floated by the government to try and deflect media attention from all the bigger problems and it in no way will be quietly shelved never to be seen again like so many of the other headline grabbing plans floated by Labour over the last 10 years that vanished without a trace.

Uncle Peter

23-03-2009 13:00

Re: Thousands to get lessons in how to spot terrorists as Smith warns of random attac

There's nothing like whipping up a bit of a terrorist threat frenzy to justify the unprecedented expansion of the security, border and immigration services. It keeps those hard working senior civil servants and ministers busy at least (they're that busy that they have to take their work into pubs or onto trains and invariably leave it there!)

Osem	23-03-2009 13:22

Re: Thousands to get lessons in how to spot terrorists as Smith warns of random attac

Quote:

Originally Posted by Derek S (Post 34760171)

Not that I'm in any way suggesting its another crackpot idea floated by the government to try and deflect media attention from all the bigger problems and it in no way will be quietly shelved never to be seen again like so many of the other headline grabbing plans floated by Labour over the last 10 years that vanished without a trace.

They wouldn't stoop to such cynical deceit would they?.... :rolleyes:

RizzyKing

23-03-2009 17:46

Re: Thousands to get lessons in how to spot terrorists as Smith warns of random attac

When GB starts a "spot the politician on the take" campaign then i might be interested this is pure headline grabbing and nothing else.

fireman328

23-03-2009 22:25

Re: Thousands to get lessons in how to spot terrorists as Smith warns of random attac

Lets hope they dont decide to arm these people !

RizzyKing

23-03-2009 23:44

Re: Thousands to get lessons in how to spot terrorists as Smith warns of random attac

Even this government is not that stupid :erm:.

martyh

23-03-2009 23:44

Re: Thousands to get lessons in how to spot terrorists as Smith warns of random attac

Quote:

Originally Posted by Derek S (Post 34760171)

there really serious this time i have heard the radio ads which goes something like
"this is the sound of a terrorist bomb plot that didn't happen because someone noticed a man checking out security cameras and reported it to the police" narrated over the sound of shoppers in the background
this has been played on my local radio station for a week now we will probably be getting equally stupid tv infomercials

RizzyKing

23-03-2009 23:54

Re: Thousands to get lessons in how to spot terrorists as Smith warns of random attac

Just because the government throws some public money into an advertising campaign does not mean it won't be binned remmeber all those ad's for the minimum wage well you try telling them an employer is paying below it now and see how fast they spring into action (piece of advice do not hold your breath).

This is a government that has no problem whatsoever wasting sums of public money and more so if it can deflect news away from what they don't want us to hear. Sorry but if this is on the news we should all look for what they are not wanting us to see because with this lot there will be something even if it isn't something most of us would recognise as bad news it's there somewhere.

martyh

24-03-2009 00:07

Re: Thousands to get lessons in how to spot terrorists as Smith warns of random attac

Quote:

Originally Posted by RizzyKing (Post 34760688)

agreed ...i just won't watch too hard cos you never know who's watching ;)

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