Olympic-Sized Security Fears
While the British security services have yet to warn of a specific threat to the Games, it’s likely that potential attacks may already have been averted, with several arrests having been made in recent weeks. Six people were detained in a series of raids across London, including one man who lived a half-mile from the Olympic Stadium and a white Muslim convert. Seven others were arrested after guns and ammunition were found in a car stopped by police in northern England.
Police haven’t linked any of the arrests directly to the Olympics, but even if a connection were to be established it would be understandable if the authorities were reluctant to publicize it, for fear of scaring off tourists, spectators, and perhaps even competitors, or of inspiring copycat plots.
With the Games providing such a tempting target, you would expect those responsible for security to be well on top of things at this stage. But while the Olympic Park will be protected by the biggest peacetime security operation ever seen in Britain, and the recent arrests suggest that parts of the security apparatus are operating efficiently, the plans have been beset by a succession of foul-ups and controversies.
A couple of weeks ago it emerged that G4S, the private company tasked with providing security for the Games, had failed to recruit several thousand of the temporary staff it had contracted to provide. Additional police and troops have been brought in to plug the gaps. While the failure is an embarrassment to G4S, the Games organizers, and the government, the fact that dedicated professionals are replacing private staff is something of a silver lining, given concerns over the caliber of some of the people G4S had hired and the level of training they’ve been receiving.
One whistleblower claimed that operators of X-ray machines were routinely failing to spot firearms and explosives in training exercises, and warned that there was a “50-50 chance” of terrorists being able to smuggle weapons into one of the Games venues. Others have claimed that G4S trainees have been cheating in exercises designed to train them on the X-ray equipment.
Many of those hired by G4S are foreign nationals or from immigrant communities. On a practical level this has led to issues with what the BBC euphemistically called “communication skills” — in other words, many of them can barely speak English. More worryingly, many of these people are being recruited from the very communities that harbor Islamist extremists, and in which radicalization is a serious problem.
The solution to this security shortfall can be taken straight out of American airports. They’ve loaded up on security personnel over the past few decades to protect innocents against unprovoked mass murder attacks. They gave them federal jobs that’ll keep everybody safe and eventually let these security workers retire at the age of 45 or 50 with most of their pay and all of their benefits for life.
The gubmint officials in England should do the same. The solution is rat there in front of their faces. There are plenty of unemployed persons in London, and also up in Birmingham, who’d jump at the security jobs: Moslems. Take ‘em off the welfare and let them work at what they understand most, Jihad terror. I go through MSP International frequently and see hundreds of Moslems working there, not only as security guards but also as cabbies.
And, cuz the Olympics jobs would be temporary jobs, the UK wouldn’t have to pay them at the upper caste pay rates the TSA pays here. They could just put them back on the Welfare, which is presumably less costly.
It’d be great.
Lots of luck. For my own part, I see “perfect storm” conditions. The event is so huge, the security so porous, and the audience so diverse (“Londonistan” again) I don’t see how the Bad Guys could fail to pull one off, if they really made a professional effort.
For a time I entertained thoughts of attending this year’s Olympics, but the thought of having to deal with enhanced security at every turn, however necessary, and the possibility of a successful terrorist attack that would disrupt the games even if it posed no immediate danger to me and mine, cause me to get over the notion and decide to watch the proceedings on TV as usual. And I don’t believe I’m alone in that thought. A few things I’ve read indicate that spectator turnout may be a bit lower than expected.
Probably a better view than the seats I would have drawn, anyway.
This should be a grand experiment for Soro’s “open boarder” plans. Invite the whole world and see how well they behave. At least the zillion security cameras will offer a great hindsight view.
“It’s more likely that terrorists will attempt a repeat of the devastatingly effective suicide bombings of 2005, while security chiefs have also long been concerned about the possibility of a Mumbai-style gun attack.”
Or a Mumbai-style suicide attack with chemical weapons. THAT is what really concerns me. With the Assad regime inches from falling, it is not inconceivable that some of these weapons could fall into the hands of terrorists. There are also literally tons of weapons that are missing or unaccounted for in Libya, especially since the fall of Gaddafi. These are serious issues and I don’t envy the British government having to deal with all this. Maybe these days, it’s better NOT to be the host of the Olympics? With what these games are going to ultimately cost (between the security and all the construction costs), I doubt the British are going to make a dime on it.
I recently penned an explosive commentary at my blog regarding this issue -’Mossad’s Double Mission…Hunting Down ‘Soldiers for Allah’…Who Struck in Bulgaria..Headed for Olympics Too…’
It can be accessed at http://www.adinakutnicki.com
It is not easy reading, but it IS necessary!
Hunting Down ‘Soldiers for Allah’…Who Struck in Bulgaria..Headed for Olympics Too…
Oh c’mon, now that’s just paranoid. Why would they strike against Jews in particular? I seriously doubt that’d ever happen. Except in Munich, but that was a terrible misunderstanding, like with Klinghoffer.
Just issue orders to kill every Jew in the country.
- the Holy Prophet Mohammed in the Bukhari Vol 1Bk 1 Nbr 6
Say, maybe I’ve got it wrong here. England is an official country, isn’t it? We found out Germany is a country. So is Egypt.
The I.R.A would ring bomb warnings ,saying it’s in this location and you have an hour ,with recognised IRA codewords
But they also did hoax bombs threat’s and we wouldn’t know which was real.
The Grand National is the biggest horse race in the country,nearly everyone makes a bet
and then the whole country watch it together.
The I.R.A ,using the codewords said they planted a bomb there which caused chaos,
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/ira-wrecks-grand-national-1265457.html
So that is a concern
There has been threats to attack the mainland.
They also have been targeting the Queen.
http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Queen-a-legitimate-target-says-top-dissident-Republican-120564659.html
We had terrorism for over thirty years but they were unable to break the British
people,we know what we have to do.
I will not be watching. I don’t do NBC.
I must not be on top of things but the last I heard the TEA Party didn’t really have a presence in the UK. Maybe the security officials can get some tips from investigative superstar Brian Ross? He’s clearly got a secret inside source. Maybe a disgruntled TEA Partier who’s didn’t built their business?
i foresee more of a complete blundering on an epic scale
today a fire alarm went off and sent the whole place into hysterics: http://www.cbssports.com/olympics/story/19660882/london-police-evacuate-mall-outside-olympic-park-after-fire-alarm
those running the show in england are even more high strung, uptight, sissified, and blinded by p.c. than the american equivalent
the slightest flicker could cause a complete domino effect of ineffectiveness and incompetence and if anything serious were to happen the pc wimps will be impotent
First, I think the Olympics are obsolete. When it was decided to admit professional athletes, that was it for me. Now the amateurs might as well be professionals. Many train with experts and who knows how many fortify themselves with some drug to enhance performance.
Security has become such an issue that I just think the whole thing should be scrapped and the money used for other things. The arenas etc built for the Olympics are often unused afterwards and the city who footed the bills suffers an enormous loss.
I think Romney was truthful when he spoke about the Olympics. It’s too bad the Brits can’t take the truth….more diplomacy should use that approach.
I like the British and London but I think they should admit defeat now before something really bad happens. Take those poor soldiers, just back from the middle east and give them more plush assignments.
I don’t think Romney gaffed it. He was giving his expert, technical opinion as a man with considerable experience in these matters.
The Brits decided to huff and puff and take offense rather than accept his advice in the spirit in which it had been given.
His gaffe was in saying it publicly.
He was asked a question, and responded honestly, as someone who knew what he was talking about, and without thinking about who he was talking to.
That’s a gaffe in politics.
Many countries have been sending professionals for many decades, now, particularly the Soviet Bloc countries.
We’ve all just stopped pretending. That works for me.
When they get rid of the beauty contests, and return to having only SPORTS (where there are objective scores, instead of judging panels), I’ll consider watching again.
I worked on the 1984 Olympics, and we had our scares with security problems, in a time that was much different than now.
And I was informed that one of the placard bearers, the girls carrying the nation’s name, was a terrorist that had not been vetted.
Since the placard bearers were going to be with the athletes, staged in the Sports Arena, one person could have destroyed the games. We found out the problem right before the dress rehearsal, and the terrorists found out before that because she never showed up for the dress rehearsal.
And that is the problem with terrorism, you have to be 100% correct, and terrorists only have to be correct once.
So is everyone really that happy when we are told that security expected was short, that training may be shortened and many other problems that we may never know, which could include the proper vetting of those that are supposed to secure others.
Can you imagine if one terrorist gets hired, and the compromise in security that would ensue.
This is life and death situations, and if you don’t believe it, ask those that still weep for the 11 Israeli athletes killed in the Olympic village in 1972.
The likehood of an attempted Islamic terrorist attack on the London 2012 Olympics approaches 100%.
The only question is, will British Intelligence and Security forces be able to stop them all.
I wouldnt go near the games.
heres an article directly related.
(btw we have g4s in israel as well, always seemed to me like a dodgy operation, they specialize in manpower and surveillance systems. they did the cameras where i work and ive never seen such sloppy works in my life)
link http://israeljewsjudaism.blogspot.co.il/2012/07/scandalous-lack-of-security-at-israeli.html#.UBKnE2EjHjI
How could a terrorist attack even be POSSIBLE in tolerant, peaceful, multi-cultural England, with a city full of peaceful, tolerant, Muslims? And of course, guns are banned throughout the country as are other pointy and dangerous objects.
Clearly this is the safest place on EARTH! None of this security is even remotely needed except to satisfy paranoid, racist, ultra-violent and intolerant Americans.
Orion