Terror plot to bomb planes foiled in the UK

[caller]

Hollygolightly - great name by the way!

The funding of the Provisional IRA from within the USA was appalling, but it wasn't Gov't funded and eventually they got it under control.

Not sure why you're mentioning the cost of 9/11? I can't believe you're buying into "the US did it really" scenario that worryingly, some 13% of the muslim population in the UK believe?

I also worked in London during a part of the IRA';s campaign - in Berners St, off of Oxford Street to be precise. had my share of scares. Not sure of the relevance to the current debate really? Does anyone remember all hand luggage being searched before being allowed to enter a store?

As for the BNP taking advantage of the "climate of fear", I don't think we need to worry about that, the great British public will make its own mind up, and I fear that the tolerance won't last for too much longer. I personally despair everytime I hear a Govt. minister talk about the impact on the muslim community from such events as we are witnessing - what about the rest of us?

Strange, if you are to believed, that the Govt. would choose such a sensitive area to invent a story to deflect attention from the mid-east? At the risk of upping the ante on racial tension.

Conspiracy theories only really work when a small number of people are in involved. What is happening here involves a cast of thousands.
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I know nothing

[Jockey]

[STEVE G]

Caller wrote;
I can't believe you're buying into "the US did it really" scenario that worryingly, some 13% of the muslim population in the UK believe?

It strikes me that had some covert branch of the American government indeed managed to develop the impressive ability to inflict death, destruction, and financial mayhem, by raining airliners from the sky, it might have occurred to them to have used this on one of their enemies, instead of themselves!

[DawnHRD]

[lomuamart]

[STEVE G]

Dawn wrote;
I'm not saying I ascribe to the conspiracy theory, but I don't think you can disprove it that easily.


Hi Dawn, I think the figures speak for themselves;

In New York City, 9/11 and after,

2,819 Lives lost.
146,100 Jobs lost.
Cost of cleanup, 600 million USD
FEMA spent, 970 million USD
Insurance payouts, 40.2 billion USD
Economic loss in the following month, 105 billion USD
Damage to subway system, 7.5 billion USD

And in the US,
Drop in value of economy, 11 trillion USD
Funding for airline assistance, 15 billion USD
Drop in DJIA, 684.1 points

Etc, etc, etc.

It seems an excessive cost for a PR exercise.

[Jockey]

[DawnHRD]

[Jockey]

[hollygolightly1]

[quote="caller"]
Not sure why you're mentioning the cost of 9/11? I can't believe you're buying into "the US did it really" scenario that worryingly, some 13% of the muslim population in the UK believe?
[/quote="caller"]

I wasn't necessarily saying they did it, I was saying that the government ignored warnings. Remember the site itself had already been targeted. The "cost" to the US is also difficult to assess because if you take the site of the world trade centre itself, it's worth more now in real estate terms. There were also certain irregularities in the stock market in the days preceding the attack... If you've been to New York since 9/11, you'll know that the site has since become another spot on the tourist map and - quite eerily I thought - was even reproduced at the New York, New York hotel in Las Vegas... yes, themed terrorism whatever next. Let's say that politically it didn't harm the government. Giuliani was unpopular till he became New York's hero post 9-11 and his endorsement of the Republican mayoral candidate shortly after swung the vote from Democrat to Republican in the city. I just believe 9/11 became a useful justification for US (and UK) involvement in Iraq (despite tenuous links between the act and Saddam Hussein) and we run the risk of allowing a similar paranoia to justify other wars in the name of "freedom" whilst conveniently ignoring other countries stockpiling weapons of mass destruction (eg Korea), countries less useful to annex. And if 13% of UK muslims believe 9/11 was self-perpetuated by the Americans, that says a lot about the feeble job UK government is doing convincing them otherwise...

[prcscct]

[Jockey]

Look I'm no expert but it does seem very strange to me that the only passenger plane flying over American airspace on 9/12 was full of Osama Bin Laden's family and friends on the way back to Saudi - the country where most of the highjackers came from.

[pasathai]

[quote="Norseman"]I've asked this question before but I still find it valid:
Why is Europe a restricted area for the buddhist Thai-ladies, but wide open for extremist militants?
Both the US and Europe needs more nice people! (and better looking).


I mentioned in another thread I would guess the other groups have more representation in the governments than thais

[HansMartin]

Sorry Holly and Jockey, there is no GRAND CONSPIRACY. We were simple caught unaware and unprepared just as other country's before and after us have been.

Of course, the Bushies and neo-cons pushing their own agendas, have and continue to follow this up with opportunism, incompetency and arrogance.

[Jaime]

There is no conspiracy - shit happens but paranoia is pointless.
Israel is an unviable state without US military support.
The Islamists are fast-breeding dangerous nutters who are beyond re-education.

What is the answer?

Bring back The British Empire - there was none of this crap when we were running the joint. See - simple!
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"The man who never made a mistake never did bugger all" - Old Welsh proverb

"Why limit yourself to the death of a crummy celery stalk when you can eat a giraffe?" - PWEETA