Telling "friend" from "foe".. armed forces on the street.
Discussion
How do SP&L feel about having armed officers on the street, as well as plain clothed undercover armed forces personnel?
In France, armed forces patrol the streets of Paris routinely and openly, ready to combat a Mumbai or Westgate style terrorist attack.
They are easily identifiable, being in regular uniform, and patrol in three man teams.
However the UK undercover soldiers are in plain clothes - so if a MTFA kicks off, how are police officers supposed to tell them from terrorists?
Is this because the UK Govt do not think the public would be reassured by armed forces on the streets, or have they just not thought it through?
I see that a warning was published to police officers, stating that they as individuals could become a target - presumably because of intelligence or chatter - yet only a few MoP seem to have picked up on the fact they could be collateral damage were a better armed Lee Rigby style attack launched against armed forces personnel or police officers... and they COULD be targets in their own right.
In France, armed forces patrol the streets of Paris routinely and openly, ready to combat a Mumbai or Westgate style terrorist attack.
They are easily identifiable, being in regular uniform, and patrol in three man teams.
However the UK undercover soldiers are in plain clothes - so if a MTFA kicks off, how are police officers supposed to tell them from terrorists?
Is this because the UK Govt do not think the public would be reassured by armed forces on the streets, or have they just not thought it through?
I see that a warning was published to police officers, stating that they as individuals could become a target - presumably because of intelligence or chatter - yet only a few MoP seem to have picked up on the fact they could be collateral damage were a better armed Lee Rigby style attack launched against armed forces personnel or police officers... and they COULD be targets in their own right.
apart from one or two very very special operations id say there are no undercover army assets working the streets of the uk since the end of the troubles in N.I.
and even then those special operations I dare say are mainly used to back up/support police anti terror operations with no power of arrest and are purely there to add specific skill sets
and even then those special operations I dare say are mainly used to back up/support police anti terror operations with no power of arrest and are purely there to add specific skill sets
citizensm1th said:
apart from one or two very very special operations id say there are no undercover army assets working the streets of the uk since the end of the troubles in N.I.
and even then those special operations I dare say are mainly used to back up/support police anti terror operations with no power of arrest and are purely there to add specific skill sets
I would have that you would have known all there is to know about military operations etc, come the revolution we would need somebody who knows and even then those special operations I dare say are mainly used to back up/support police anti terror operations with no power of arrest and are purely there to add specific skill sets
walm said:
I don't know about undercover but the capital was chock full of armed police yesterday.
All over both Waterloo and Liverpool Street - which is unusual.
Probably going to shoot anyone with a temperature or sneezing.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/uk-terr...All over both Waterloo and Liverpool Street - which is unusual.
Probably going to shoot anyone with a temperature or sneezing.
The Independent said:
Britain’s 130,000 police officers were urged to be “vigilant for their personal safety” after counter-terror chiefs warned the threat level against them had increased in the past 24 hours.
Mark Rowley, the national lead for counter-terrorism at the Association of Chief Police Officers, refused to discuss specific intelligence but confirmed the threat level against detectives and support staff up and down the country had been “heightened”.
That undisclosed intelligence might well be...Mark Rowley, the national lead for counter-terrorism at the Association of Chief Police Officers, refused to discuss specific intelligence but confirmed the threat level against detectives and support staff up and down the country had been “heightened”.
NBC said:
According to a Joint Intelligence bulletin from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security sent to U.S. law enforcement officials, an ISIS spokesman recorded an audio message that urged lone offenders in Western countries to attack “soldiers, patrons, and troops … their police, security and intelligence members.” Attackers did not need to “ask for anyone’s advice” prior to striking, said the message, because such actions are legitimate.
An English language translation of the message, which was attributed to ISIS spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, was posted on a jihadi forum in late September.
plus the fact police have arrested several men in connection with a suspected terrorist plat, and a gun and ammunition were recovered.An English language translation of the message, which was attributed to ISIS spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, was posted on a jihadi forum in late September.
It would not be the first time that special forces have been used - they were used against an IRA cell operating in Gibraltar, resulting in the deaths of all three suspects.
La Liga said:
Where in the UK do we have armed undercover soldiers?
http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/N...The Sunday Times said:
UNDERCOVER soldiers have been deployed at four big shopping centres in London and the West Midlands amid fears of a terrorist gun attack by British jihadists returning from Syria, security sources said yesterday.
Sorry, I thought you all knew. 
Uncle John said:
Uniformed soldiers patrolling the streets on the UK mainland is and always will be a no no, it means you've lost control. Something no ruling party wants on their record.
There are plain clothed armed officers SO19 and there is also a London based SAS detachment.
Curious that UK Gov. thinks uniformed soldiers would be perceived that way. There are plain clothed armed officers SO19 and there is also a London based SAS detachment.
In Paris, nobody gives them a second glance - although of course they do have the Gendarmerie in France which is more military in operation than police, so perhaps they don't find the camo clad soldiers much different.
I'm sure Lewis Collins won't be missed - they'll probably have Sean Bean stand in, or Pierce Brosnan!
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