Intelligence services
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Discussion

rich1231

Original Poster:

17,340 posts

289 months

Thursday 7th July 2005
quotequote all
Ok, maybe the wrong time for this.

The Emergency services are doing an amazing job today, we should all be proud.

But of the intelligence services.. How on earth was this attack not known about?. There is no way that there was no sign. In the weeks to come we will here that someone somewhere had this info on their desks and didnt pursue it.

robdickinson

31,343 posts

283 months

Thursday 7th July 2005
quotequote all
Theres half a million illigal immigrants in the Uk.

Theres tons and tons of drugs coming into the country, we get about 25%.

How difficult for a closed group to sneak in with explosives is it? The inteligence service do the best they can, thet cant be everywhere - especialy as these muslim extreemist groups are hard to penetrate.

rich1231

Original Poster:

17,340 posts

289 months

Thursday 7th July 2005
quotequote all
robdickinson said:
Theres half a million illigal immigrants in the Uk.

Theres tons and tons of drugs coming into the country, we get about 25%.

How difficult for a closed group to sneak in with explosives is it? The inteligence service do the best they can, thet cant be everywhere - especialy as these muslim extreemist groups are hard to penetrate.


Sorry, to plan an attck like this will leave loads of evidence. Someone always talks or emails or texts the wrong thing no matter how careful they think they are.

Tank Slapper

7,949 posts

312 months

Thursday 7th July 2005
quotequote all
You can't know everything.

There is so much information in general that sorting what is significant and what is not is very difficult.

Even if there was an indication that something was likely to happen, it is not easy to pinpoint exactly what and where.

Real life is not like the films. The countdown doesn't usually get stopped at 00:01.

That said, once something has happened you can fill in blanks and follow a trail of evidence, and hopefully find out who was responsible.

Munter

31,331 posts

270 months

Thursday 7th July 2005
quotequote all
Even if they knew "Probable bomb attack in london this morning" where would they look? Should they evacuate the whole city? Is it a hoax? It's a rock/hard place situation. Close the city loose millions of pounds but nothing happens, and get slated by the press/public. Or let it happen be prepared and hope once it starts you can control it.

Trooper2

6,676 posts

260 months

Thursday 7th July 2005
quotequote all
rich1231 said:
Ok, maybe the wrong time for this.

The Emergency services are doing an amazing job today, we should all be proud.

But of the intelligence services.. How on earth was this attack not known about?. There is no way that there was no sign. In the weeks to come we will here that someone somewhere had this info on their desks and didnt pursue it.



That sounds all to familiar.

robdickinson

31,343 posts

283 months

Thursday 7th July 2005
quotequote all
rich1231 said:

Sorry, to plan an attck like this will leave loads of evidence. Someone always talks or emails or texts the wrong thing no matter how careful they think they are.


Sure you'll leave evidence, thers always a trail.

But picking that up before it happens is incredibly difficult, the terrorists are aware we scan emails, texts, voice calls etc, they'll either not use em or use codes/ecryption etc.

What it realy needs are people on the inside working for us , US has proved that technology doesnt replace people for things like this.

randlemarcus

13,646 posts

260 months

Thursday 7th July 2005
quotequote all
Yep, I suspect its probably easier to organise than an M4 protest, especially if you are avoiding the more obvious means of communication, where you might expect to find an audit trail.
Their jobs are hideously difficult, and will be likely to be extremely uncomfortable in the near future, once hindsight kicks in. Could we please leave the blame threads until they are more appropriate, please?

peterpeter

6,438 posts

286 months

Thursday 7th July 2005
quotequote all
robdickinson said:




What it realy needs are people on the inside working for us , US has proved that technology doesnt replace people for things like this.



After this disgusting attack, I hope this will start to happen, if it isnt already.

rsvmilly

11,288 posts

270 months

Thursday 7th July 2005
quotequote all
It is known as HUMINT - Human Intelligence; the man on the ground. As mentioned, there is no substitute for it.

Problem with AQ is that they are extremely difficult to infiltrate. They trust nobody.

nubbin

6,809 posts

307 months

Thursday 7th July 2005
quotequote all
The attacks have been on a relatively small scale - I suspect that is because the Security services have been doing a very good job, and essentially this was the best Al-Qaeda could manage.

Consider 9/11 - Arab pilots being trained in places scattered across USA, after assimilating themselves into normal American society, and then taking over a few of many internal flights to wreak havoc. It is not too difficult to disappear into a free society, and bide your time. Al-Qaeda works in cells, whose members are usually relatives or close friends, and so are extremely hard to penetrate - planning becomes a lot easier if you know you can trust everyone around you.

rich1231

Original Poster:

17,340 posts

289 months

Thursday 7th July 2005
quotequote all
rsvmilly said:
It is known as HUMINT - Human Intelligence; the man on the ground. As mentioned, there is no substitute for it.

Problem with AQ is that they are extremely difficult to infiltrate. They trust nobody.


We the UK do have a lot of HUMINT though, we have always maintained our networks where the US scaled back.

john75

5,303 posts

276 months

Thursday 7th July 2005
quotequote all
rich1231 said:

rsvmilly said:
It is known as HUMINT - Human Intelligence; the man on the ground. As mentioned, there is no substitute for it.

Problem with AQ is that they are extremely difficult to infiltrate. They trust nobody.



We the UK do have a lot of HUMINT though, we have always maintained our networks where the US scaled back.


This was not meant to have happened on Charles's watch !!

The case for ID Cards has now got stronger I beleive thank you to the Tories and Lib Dems who opposed ID Cards has your position changed now !!!!

mechsympathy

58,638 posts

284 months

Thursday 7th July 2005
quotequote all
john75 said:

The case for ID Cards has now got stronger I beleive thank you to the Tories and Lib Dems who opposed ID Cards has your position changed now !!!!


ID cards didn't stop the Madrid bombings though...

JagLover

46,753 posts

264 months

Thursday 7th July 2005
quotequote all
You cannot blame the intelligence services; the problem is the near impossibility of preventing these types of attacks due to a variety of factors.

For example the lack of effective immigration controls.

The fact that dangerous terrorists cannot be deported under human rights legislation.

And also that people who have links with extremists, are allowed to claim asylum.

The government can prattle on about ID cards all it wants, until the asylum system is decisively changed we will remain vulnerable.

Raify

6,556 posts

277 months

Thursday 7th July 2005
quotequote all
mechsympathy said:

john75 said:

The case for ID Cards has now got stronger I beleive thank you to the Tories and Lib Dems who opposed ID Cards has your position changed now !!!!



ID cards didn't stop the Madrid bombings though...


Hear, hear. ID cards would have little effect on preventing this sort of thing. They've had them in Spain for decades, and still been plagued with ETA bombings and now Al Qaeda.

Remember, all the 'pilots' involved in 9-11 all had valid visas

That said, I'm sure that ID cards will be forced through on the back of this attack. 3years late and £5bn over budget no doubt...

JagLover

46,753 posts

264 months

Thursday 7th July 2005
quotequote all
john75 said:

The case for ID Cards has now got stronger I beleive thank you to the Tories and Lib Dems who opposed ID Cards has your position changed now !!!!


I am broadly in favour of ID cards (mainly to stop identity theft and benefit fraud) they will do nothing to stop atrocities such as these however.

apache

39,731 posts

313 months

Thursday 7th July 2005
quotequote all
rsvmilly said:

Problem with AQ is that they are extremely difficult to infiltrate. They trust nobody.



it's extremely hard to infultrate because, as an organisation, it's prcactically intangible. AQ consists of a random bunch of dissaffected muslims who had major issues with their own countries financed by Bin Laden, according to last years documentary (can't remember the name now)

simpo two

92,709 posts

294 months

Thursday 7th July 2005
quotequote all
john75 said:
The case for ID Cards has now got stronger

There are dodgy foreign types in London who will make you a Passport. I'm sure they can make you an ID Card as well. In fact, I might get mine there; probably cheaper than the pukka ones!

peterpeter

6,438 posts

286 months

Thursday 7th July 2005
quotequote all
apache said:

rsvmilly said:

Problem with AQ is that they are extremely difficult to infiltrate. They trust nobody.




it's extremely hard to infultrate because, as an organisation, it's prcactically intangible. AQ consists of a random bunch of dissaffected muslims who had major issues with their own countries financed by Bin Laden, according to last years documentary (can't remember the name now)



the Power of Nighmtares??