Brits Foil Bombers!

[Shrain]

This is very, very disturbing but thank goodness the Brits foiled the plot involving liquid explosives and carry-on baggage at the last minute.[/quote]. I had no idea about this until my boss mentioned it in passing 'cuz his sister was going to the airport.

They're saying the terrorists planned to kill at least as many as died on 9/11. But this time it would be over the ocean. No place to land if someone discovered the plan.... I sure wonder why this wasn't uncovered earlier! Regardless, I am so thankful that the score is Brits 1 Al-Qaida 0.  

EDIT: ummm, sorry the link was "wonky" in e's words. I cut and paste the html code and kinda forgot to update the link addy.  

[Skar]

Actually, the score is something like Brits 7 Alquaeda 1.  

It doesn't get a lot of press but they've uncovered and therefore stopped quite a few things like this.  

[stacer]

Though, of course, the resultant scare involves banning all liquids from flights. Over the top and scare-mongering, in my opinion. Did the British foil the plot because there were no liquids--including toiletries and water bottles, but reluctantly allowing medicines "with a doctor's note" and baby formula...

No, they foiled it because of some good intelligence work, that's what. Banning what the terrorists used last time, but now allowing what they used the time before that (nail clippers and small scissors are now allowed again)--that's going to solve anything? It's just going to make the four-hour delays in D.C. and New York the last day or so standard practice.

If you ban everything, the terrorists will find some way to make a weapon out of cloth. Are we next going to have to board airplanes naked, with no luggage?

[Entsuropi]

/me does the winning side dance

[Skar]

Are we next going to have to board airplanes naked, with no luggage?

That could be really cool.  

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

This is very, very disturbing but thank goodness the Brits foiled the plot involving liquid explosives and carry-on baggage at the last minute.. I had no idea about this until my boss mentioned it in passing 'cuz his sister was going to the airport.

They're saying the terrorists planned to kill at least as many as died on 9/11. But this time it would be over the ocean. No place to land if someone discovered the plan.... I sure wonder why this wasn't uncovered earlier! Regardless, I am so thankful that the score is Brits 1 Al-Qaida 0.  

HRm.. NPR and WTOP were telling a different story than the one you report. Differences:

1) The arrests were made in britain, but half the credit for the intelligence/investigation goes to the US. It was a tema job

2) It wasn't "last minute." They've known about this plot for quite a bit of time. They arrested last night because they believed the execution of the plot was "imminent" ie, maybe not today, but probably very soon.

Though, of course, the resultant scare involves banning all liquids from flights. Over the top and scare-mongering, in my opinion. Did the British foil the plot because there were no liquids--including toiletries and water bottles, but reluctantly allowing medicines "with a doctor's note" and baby formula...

3) They are not banning 'all liquids from flights,' they are banning them from carry-ons.

4) They did not arrest everyone involved -- not even all the known suspects. The ban on the liquids is because they know that a) there are others out there in this plot, and b) there is a good chance for copycats from other cells, like happened with the London bombings. While I'm pretty irked because I want to take my laptop as carry-on, this is not an over-reaction, terror-mongering exercise. You all know how I feel about how this "war on terror" has been executed, but listening to these explanations makes a *lot* of sense.

[Shrain]

Tema jobs are *always* the best!! And the US is always the team leader, of course.

Skar, you're right. I should've been thinking more on the whole picture before scoring things up. I have to say, though, that I am frustrated that we don't hear more about the other plots that the UK has foiled.

e, those are some interesting discrepancies. I'm glad this collar wasn't as "last minute" as msn made it seem. However, I wonder how they can ever really ban the right combination of stuff when the terrorists change tactics. Can airline security bomb-sniff every bag and carefully x-ray every bag? It doesn't seem likely. So for now we have to be content with not bringing liquids on board...

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

well, i'm certain this is only a temporary measure.

[Shrain]

Yep. Temporary is precisely the point. It's just a cycle, the way it stands, and sadly I don't see how it could be any different.

[Gemm: Rock & Roll Star; Born to Rock]

Your satire is dry and humorous. I love it. Temporary. That is rather funny. Oh so many things are temporary in America. Gas prices, toll booths, ice cream truck music. Oh yes, all very temporary, just like stocks and inflation. Temporary is such a static term, you know?

[chunktile]

I think the fact that they were going to detonate them with rigged iPods and Cellphones is very disturbing. Then again, this is the technological age where toddlers code viruses. In a way, it doesn't surprise me.

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

meh, any device that can output a radio signal, or an electric signal can detonate that kind of stuff, you know, like watches... I just cant wait until the day your not allowed to take a friction fire kit aboard an airplane...

[Oseleon]

Personaly I have my misgivings about some of these measures,
Yes
Many chemicals when combined can produce a violent reaction.  Many in liquid form...

My question is,
How are they verifying that the allowed medicin (where the name on prescription=name of passenger) actualy is what is written on the lable.  Why couldnt someone get their prescription bottle of liquid codine (often prescribed for Tonsil surgey) and refil it with ***** (the names of energeticaly unstable liquid witheld)

Same with baby formula, They say that you dont have to taste it to prove it..  
Are they doing litnes tests or what?

Tasting would be ineffective anyway, You gotta figure that bringing a liquid explosive on a plane is a suicide mission, many explosive chems while toxic, are not instantly deadly.. so what?  The enemy drinks a little toxin and feels a tummy ache until he sets it off?

Baby formula brings a second question, baby formula can come in a powder form... white, fine powder, add water and mix to make formula... Well, alot of OTHER stuff can be in a white powder form, and I aint talkin Anthrax either....

You can take measures and all, yeah I have no problem with the no-drinks, gels liquid issue.  BFD you get a free coffe in the air and you can get toothpaste, cologne etc from your check lugage and freshen up in the head if you need to hit a meeting straight from the Airport, I also have YET to see an airport where you couldnt buy tolietries.  
I just worry that the seal has a leak.  

Fact is, you really cant do much to stop someone who intends to kill and does not intend to survive... All you can do is make it hard to get in position.  

The other Fact is that this is Wartime
The lack of fixed "fronts" is just the nature of asymentrical warfare in the 21st century.  It is an artifact of a very effective military that the enemy knows not to face us head on.  Thus we the soft-targets are the front line.  We all would do well to keep that in mind.