• Security incident: ISF was recently accessed by intruders. Please change your password, and change it anywhere else you used it. Read more

UK claims to have foiled 'terrorist' plot against airbase

Balls. Or, being the UK, bollocks. Terrorism suspects do not get released on bail. This wasn't terrorism or anything even close to being possible terrorism, and now two governments are going to be embarrassed about over-reacting to some nonsense. The UK for taking it seriously, and the US because our idiot president immediately bought it and claimed credit for foiling it. When it inevitably comes out it was several village lads planning a prank on Farmer Jones's pig farm quite a few people are going to look very silly.
 
TragicMonkey said:
Terrorism suspects do not get released on bail.
Click to expand...
Well, they get asylum, so I don't have the confidence that you have.
TragicMonkey said:
When it inevitably comes out it was several village lads planning a prank on Farmer Jones's pig farm quite a few people are going to look very silly.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised if this was ordinary criminal activity. But just a prank? The fake vans are a bit much for that, I don't think that's likely.
 
Last edited:
Nessie said:
There is so much speculation online and on the news. I wish journalists, many of whom are just click baiters and the public would just learn to wait for reliable information.
Click to expand...
Maybe you should tell that to Jon Donnison and Jeremy Bowen

Nessie said:
As for sources of reliable information, the narcissistic man baby Americans have elected twice to be their President, is not one of them.
Click to expand...
Serial liars are a reliable source, its just that they only source bollocks!
 
Last edited:
Jack by the hedge said:
British propaganda. That was the condition the British government used to allow strikes to take off from here - they were only for countering Iranian attacks. A rather fine distinction.
Click to expand...
It's also very stupid propaganda. As the aggressor in the war US actions against Iran cannot by definition be defensive.

And if the men arrested are Iranian agents or soldiers, then they weren't commiting a crime as the base is a legitimate target of war.
 
Planigale said:
They have been released on bail; so the idea that they are pro-Palestine or pro-Iran direct action protestors let alone terrorists of illegal combatants seems remote.

I think you may be right, a group of likely lads looking to steal red diesel.

ETA
Of course contrary to this is the fact that Trump says that the US has been watching these diesel thieves for some time. I mean no one would suspect that Trump might be fast and loose with the facts would they?
Click to expand...
Of course, a man whose totally disaccociated himself from reality would be the most reliable witness.
 
Ziggurat said:
Wild speculation time, as in, this is a theory I have no particular evidence for, so I'm not actually arguing that it's true but it's interesting to consider as a possibility.

Perhaps this was terrorism related, and perhaps they were under surveillance. But this wasn't an attack, this was practice/scouting, which is why they weren't being picked up, and why the reports are that there was no "viable explosive". But they accidentally alerted a local who tipped off the local police who knew nothing about the terrorism investigation. Now they're being let go so that authorities can keep monitoring who they talk to to try to scoop up anyone else connected.
Click to expand...
I think if this were the case their usefulness would be totally over now - the simplest explanation is usually the right one: they were doing something illegal but it had absolutely nothing to do with terrorism. With the current draconian anti-terrorism legislation in the Western world a merest whiff of a connection with terrorism and they wouldn't have been out of custody for a very long time.
 
Either they were stealing fuel to use as a bomb, reconnoitring the location and they were part of a plot. Or they were there to steal fuel to sell. Or something else that put them acting oddly next to a place that was on security alert. There is a lot to consider and investigate, but journalists and click baiter social commentators cannot wait and need answers now.
 
If they were suspected of being terrorists they could have been kept in custody for 14 days without a charge, when its non-terrorism crimes it is 24 hours (can be extended if it's a serious crime such as murder but the police then have to make a case for keeping them in custody - it isn't a rubberstamp).

They aren't suspected of being terrorists - I assume the police are wanting to keep a lid on it so they have a chance of nicking anyone else involved but not caught on the day.
 
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told Fox News network's "Hannity" programme that it was clear a "foreign actor" had been involved.

Without providing evidence or giving further details, he told the TV show: "I have to be careful, there are some things I cannot say on the air for a lot of different reasons. Suffice it to say, that what happened, what almost happened, what could have happened, in the UK over the weekend, is a very serious situation.

"It’s one that clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor."

"I won’t get into great detail about that yet. I do want to thank the authorities in the United Kingdom who have been very co-operative and on top of it.

"I know a lot of people are disturbed by the news that some of these people have been released on bail, some of the people are being investigated. Obviously we’re engaging with them on all of that.

"But suffice it to say, beyond that I would argue that they’ve been very co-operative and very helpful, on something that’s a very serious incident."

www.bbc.co.uk

RAF Fairford incident 'clearly involves' foreign actor, says US secretary of state

The secretary of state, who did not provide further details, was speaking to US media after five men arrested on suspicion of terror offences were released on bail.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk
 
Last edited:
Nessie said:
Either they were stealing fuel to use as a bomb, reconnoitring the location and they were part of a plot. Or they were there to steal fuel to sell. Or something else that put them acting oddly next to a place that was on security alert. There is a lot to consider and investigate, but journalists and click baiter social commentators cannot wait and need answers now.
Click to expand...
Yes, let's reconnoitre in three huge vans in the middle of the night.
 
Inevitably the security services, UK and US, will have various people they've been keeping tabs on, and I suspect Trump's reaction was based on assuming this event was down to someone they had their eyes on and he decided he deserved to take full credit for foiling a huge terrorist attack.

Rubio's tamer version, where he reckons there were probably some sneaky foreigners involved somehow, looks to me like backpedalling damage control. Wind it back as far as you can without actually contradicting Trump. Defuse the embarrassing situation and wait till the news cycle moves on.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

ISF - Join now!

Every member here is approved by hand. No bots, no spam, just people who care about evidence and honest debate.

Membership is free!

Create your free account

Back
Top Bottom