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Originally Posted by Chris T
The terrorist attacks of September 2001 were of an extreme kind. They took an age to plan and prepare and they cost a fortune to execute. They relied also on extremely lax security on the part of US domestic airlines. The chances of anything that severe happening again in our lifetime are, I would say, remote.
What confuses me is that we lived with the IRA threat for 30 years and at no time did we start throwing away our liberties in the way we are doing now - except for that disastrous experiment in internment whose results are there for all to see. Yet the Troubles in Northern Ireland resulted in some 3,468 deaths between 1969 and 1998 ( source). That is equivalent to those who died in New York and Washington, and a mere drop in the ocean compared to WWII, which, in my opinion, is the last time this country faced an emergency severe enough to justify draconian powers such as those now being contemplated.
The High Court ruled the detention of foreign nationals was 'grossly disproportionate' to the threat, and I see no reason to view house arrest as less disproportionate. Detention is detention, denial of liberty, whether it's in your front room or a prison cell.
And yes, I think the current theat is being grossly overstated for the purposes of political advancement. It makes me sick and with the spineless Tories apparently happy to go along with it, I am now very seriously thinking about voting Lib Dem and taking my chances on beating them in a referendum on their loony ideas about Europe. And coming from me, believe me, that is a seismic shift in personal politics. |
Then you look at the Madrid train bombings though Chris over 200 people killed, this is a new kind of terror threat, they want to kill as many people as possible and don't give a damn what who or how. The Northen Ireland issue was different as alot of the attacks were against the security forces or to inflict damage to property. (please don't get me wrong here any kind of loss of live is terrible regards of who it is) Now the goal posts have moved they want to kill as many as possible regardless of job, race, age, gender.
During the 70's, 80's and 90's all the security was based around army bases, police stations, and busy centres. Where as now they are showing a will to strike against 'soft' targets with NO warning, I find this more terrifying than anything else.
Do I think the threat to us here and now is overstated, no i don't. The 'new breed' of terriorist are extreme and very difficult to deal with. While the High Court ruled the detention 'grossly disproportionate' they did not say it was illegal (correct if i am wrong), which is why it ended up going to the Law Lords who deemed it unlawful, strangley enough the Government do not have to abide by any ruling from the law lords (hence they have not been released) where as if the High Court said it was unlawful they would have to (again I might be worng on that, am doing this from memory).
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Originally Posted by gary_580
oh right, and they are the only ways to communicate?
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Such as letter, face to face, all of which would be monitored, how do you think they would plan things?