Threat level raised to critical, troops on the streets. One of two possibilities.

1) Intelligence shows a high probability of a second imminent attack. Indicating a cell rather than a lone wolf as is more common.
Seems to me the horse has bolted.

2) PM want's to look Priministerial and scare the sh*t out of people even more in the face of an upcoming election and has complete justification for doing so.

"I do not want the public to feel unduly alarmed" but here's a taste of martial law.

I'd say it's very much number one.

I think the use of a bomb indicates that this could be a cell. Lone wolfs were tending to go down the vehicle route.

Though I'm sure 2) is a pleasing offshoot for her

I'll go for No1 too.

3) After reading the Daily Star she decided to ignore the intelligence services and go with the mass panic option because she is heartless and wants to win an election.

For f**ks sake.

I'd say that was counted in number 2, bint.

No time whatsoever for the incompetent Theresa May but got to believe that it's been done for the right reason.

2...for me

Rory

"Troops on the streets in mainland UK. Another attack "imminent".

Classic Gladio, Strategy of Tension. It's like a rerun of the 1970s"

cloughyclaret wrote:I'd say that was counted in number 2, bint.

Aye, pretty pointless having a number 2 (unless he was bursting for one).

I'm naturally cynical and hold a pretty low opinion of May but even I don't think she'd stoop to this as an electoral tactic. Most likely an arse covering exercise rather than a real, identifiable threat, at least lets hope so.

Most likely it's based on advice she's received from MI5 - simple as that.

Bin Ont Turf wrote:Aye, pretty pointless having a number 2 (unless he was bursting for one).

Of course he was. Doesn't take away the fact it'll help her campaign though.

There are experts who will have advised the PM on this, and they will not have a political agenda. I'm no fan of Theresa May but both she and Jeremy Corbyn have acted and responded appropriately today. I'm sure if she did this with political motivation she'd be exposed for it very quickly by the expert advisors who wouldn't want to be culpable for the decision.

If Blue has gone for 2), then I have to go for 1)

As someone has already said, last nights attack was relatively sophisticated, so the chances of him working alone are very slim.

Keep politics out of this FFS there are soldiers on the street for a reason. If it is an over reaction so be it and I prefer that to the alternative.
I worry that the planners have already fled the country via Manchester airport.
It feels as though we are at war.

Lancasterclaret wrote:As someone has already said, last nights attack was relatively sophisticated.

ie: Can follow simple instructions from the internet.

I can use TOR and VPNs, I think people don't realise how easy it is to do something If your really determined and are willing to put a modicum of time and effort into it.

Threat level up, troops on the street, I'm fine with both of those, would be even better if the Tories stopped reducing funding for the Police etc. We aren't giving them much of a chance

bfcjg wrote:I worry that the planners have already fled the country via Manchester airport.

'Planners' if there were any would likely not be based in the UK.

2 for me

It's a 1.... Official

If having armed forces on the streets of our cities makes our children feel safer than what does it matter?

Ive never voted Tory & been voting since 1971 but my view is that people saying "2" are trying to score political points out of a serious & deadly situation.
Do you folk (saying "2") think that the security advisers suggested that she tell the British people to sit around holding hands and singing Kumbaya & all would be well?

LeadBelly wrote:Ive never voted Tory & been voting since 1971 but my view is that people saying "2" are trying to score political points out of a serious & deadly situation

Do you folk (saying "2") think that the security advisers suggested that she tell the British people to sit around holding hands and singing Kumbaya & all would be well?

I think that security advisers gave the PM several options and she picked one.

It's not exactly troops on the streets. It's described as the army take over from the police in guarding and protecting sensitive places, freeing up the police to be more visible and active on the streets. Whether this will just be areas like Whitehall, etc or more public places such as train stations, airports, Wembley, etc isn't clear.

A difficult time for it to happen with no parliament in place.

Not a Tory and would love her to lose the election. However its not her call to up the Threat Level

No mention of the bomber's parents. Are they in police protection or have they fled the country that welcomed them from Lybia?

Read earlier the father is currently in Libya and the mother in Manchester.

A soft target is a soft target, If you decide to station troops or police around location X, location Y becomes a soft target. Unless you can place armed guards around any place the public might assemble in moderate numbers.

Visibility is just security theater.

bfcjg wrote:Keep politics out of this FFS there are soldiers on the street for a reason. If it is an over reaction so be it and I prefer that to the alternative.
I worry that the planners have already fled the country via Manchester airport.
It feels as though we are at war.

Absolutely spot on. Better to be overly cautious here than regret the alternative.

They've maybe realised that forming your hands into a heart shape and holding up cards with sweet messages on doesn't actually work.

They are probably being overly cautious, and we should never let but stop us going about our daily business. But I doubt they issue such a message lightly. I wouldn't usually avoid such places, but given the message would urge friends, family - anyone really, to avoid busy places, city centres, town halls, monuments and public transport unless absolutely essential. Hopefully its just over caution but better to be safe than sorry. Any Man Utd fans I would avoid watching the final in the city centre tomorrow

Since the invention of the threat level it has never dipped below 3/5.

LOW means an attack is unlikely.
MODERATE means an attack is possible, but not likely
SUBSTANTIAL means an attack is a strong possibility
SEVERE means an attack is highly likely
CRITICAL means an attack is expected imminently

The semantic difference between Substantial and Severe is negligible.
We've been as Severe since 2014 which shows how bad a wether vane it is. I could put the threat level a Substanial myself years ago with zero intelligence besides reading a newspaper.

Whilst it's not nice to see on the other hand it's FA cup final day this weekend. Play off finals and I believe Champions League finals in Cardiff all coming up soon and that's just football. If it is what it takes to keep is safe then so be it.

I can't resist posting the following:

MacCruiskeen

"The UK state was responsible for many of the atrocities attributed to the IRA, and for many of the horrible murders carried out by sadistic Loyalist gangs with their full knowledge, support and approval. The UK state was also responsible for imprisoning untold numbers of innocent Irish people, some of whom were only released and exonerated a decade or more after they had been framed.up and sent down to grow old in jail (Birmingham Six, Guildford Four, Maguire Seven, Judith Ward...)

Nowadays the UK state doesn't make that kind of elementary mistake. Nowadays they don't risk any such embarassments. Nowadays they make sure the patsies never even come to trial. Suicide bombers, don't you know.

All Gladio all the time.

http://www.rigorousintuition.ca/board2/ ... =8&t=40531" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Do you ever post anything original, or is it all copy and paste ?

bluelabrador16 wrote:I can't resist posting the following:

I'm sure you can't. There is no tragedy so great that would stop you from fouling the world with your perversions.

dsr wrote:I'm sure you can't. There is no tragedy so great that would stop you from fouling the world with your perversions.

There is no tragedy in the world that would make me read his links.

Comments on this from a few years ago. It seems it was originally envisaged whilst Theresa May was home secretary

bluelabrador16 wrote:I can't resist posting the following:

MacCruiskeen



http://www.rigorousintuition.ca/board2/ ... =8&t=40531" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Can't you **** off and leave certain things out of reach from your odious posting with your irrational hatred for Israel. Dick

Being reported that police don't believe that the bomber was the one who built the bomb....But was just the coward delivering it!
If that is indeed true....then there could very well be more bombs just as devastating, ready to go to more events in the UK by more ISIS supporting cowards...

I don't think a hatred of Israel is that irrational. The IDF kill children on a daily basis.

LoveCurryPies wrote:No mention of the bomber's parents. Are they in police protection or have they fled the country that welcomed them from Lybia?

Reports are stating that his own family reported him to the authorities, warning that he was becoming 'dangerous'

UpTheBeehole wrote:Reports are stating that his own family reported him to the authorities, warning that he was becoming 'dangerous'

Can you post the link for that please?

COYC73 wrote:Can you post the link for that please?

14:23 update on here: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/liv ... -live-news

Threat level at its all time highest and just drove 20 mins from the gym home and saw 2 police wagons parked up with speed traps

Perverse to assume the PM's reasons for upping the threat level are for political gain. Not least because the Leader of the Opposition (Jeremy Corbyn) and other Privy Councillors are involved in such enormous decisions and will have been party to this one. Cross party communications have taken place and indeed always do in such situations.