[andygrif]

Without casting dispersions about Americans in general - as I know lots of very sensible and inteligent Septics.....

The US had never really suffered any sort of terrorist threat (aside from a few demented individuals like Timothy McVie) until 9/11. A combination of madness fed to them by the government generated genuine fear, which the media heightened beyond belief.

I remember being in New York just before Christmas last year (the weekend Sadam was captured, but that's irrelivant) and seeing a 'shock health warning' on the news - the news station had gone undercover in some of the fast food eateries round the Island - and they found....wait for it....someone handling lettuce without latex gloves on! They went on to interview a 'scientist' who said detailed every type of disease this could spread.

This is a nation under fear of their lives from every corner - terrorists, burgers, the mailman, aircraft, etc etc etc.

We're simply not in the same mould as the Americans. Maybe it's the British stiff upper lip, maybe it's becuase we have lived with the real threat of terrorism, maybe it's becuase we're naive - but the Brits just don't get that worked up by this sort of scaremongering propaganda - although it's not through want of trying by the government.

How many 'specific threats of a terrorist act' have we had since 9/11? The only thing specific about them is the complete absence of any specific information about any such act. The show of strength round Heathrow last year, ring of steel around the Houses of Parliament?

Of course you could say that becuase these preventative measures happened then they averted the threat - and I know I'm starting to sound like a dillusional conspiracy theorist here - but in the absence of any real information (even after the specific threat had passed would be fine) I can't personally draw any other conclusion apart from the government trying to scare the public.