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Strategies & Market Trends : World Outlook -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Don Green who wrote (1305)	2/12/2003 3:27:03 PM
From: Don Green	Respond to of 50888

London facing 'September 11 style terrorist threat' Ministers considered closing Heathrow after terror threat 12 February 2003 Home Secretary David Blunkett revealed today that ministers had considered closing Heathrow airport because of the threat of a terrorist attack, but decided closure would have been a victory for terrorists and "catastrophic" for Britain's trade and economy. "For those who are threatening us it would have been a victory," he said. "Trade would have suffered and the transport of people would have been disrupted – this would have been a catastrophic thing to have done." He added: "People can feel safer in terms of the measures we have taken than under normal circumstances where a threat had not been perceived." Meanwhile in Manchester, Labour Party chairman John Reid said the nature of the terrorist threat to London was on the scale of the September 11 attacks on New York. Asked if the deployment of troops at Heathrow airport was an over–the–top reaction as a war against Iraq loomed, Dr Reid angrily replied: "This is not a game. This is about a threat of the nature that massacred thousands of people in New York. "I am not even going to take seriously those people who suggest this is part of some sort of game." However, Dr Reid later said he wanted to "clarify" his remarks. "I was attempting to make clear this is not some sort of game, it's not some sort of PR exercise," he said. The reference was not meant to compare New York with the current situation at Heathrow. "We are not giving a scale of the threat - this is an operational decision," he added. Mr Blunkett, asked about the nature of the intelligence which led to the appearance yesterday of 450 troops at Heathrow, said: "The immediate threats are not verifiable therefore we are working on finding out more information." The Prime Minister and Cabinet received the information on Monday. "We decided we needed to act on it and that was to put in place the preventative measures to pre–empt any action that was threatening us." He urged people to be vigilant and "keep their eyes and ears open". The Home Secretary continued: "We hope we can get through the next few days without an incident. I hope we can." The intelligence concerned the kind of attack outlined by the Home Office in a document published last November, he said. The paper was issued by the Home Office and then hurriedly withdrawn because it talked of strikes on railways, airports and possible use of a "dirty bomb". The paper was quickly reissued in a watered–down form. "The measures that are being taken in surveilling passengers and the measures to protect aircraft, particularly in terms of aircraft landing, are in place. "We were acting on a threat that was specifically concerning the kind of action we have used police, security and the military against to send a very clear signal that we are protecting people whenever and wherever they travel. "The nature of the threat was in relation to the kind of facilities that I outlined in November's document, namely where people are travelling and gathering in large numbers. "I hope people, without being in any way frightened to go about their business, will see that it was necessary." There was a heavy military presence at Heathrow again today, as the massive police operation to guard the airport and reassure worried passengers entered its second 24 hours. Reports of a possible terrorist rocket attack on a low flying plane were clearly on the minds of many travellers, with the presence of troops the main topic of conversation in the airport's cafes and the subject on the lips of those talking on mobile phones. Several units of soldiers with armoured cars had again been stationed by the model of Concorde at the main entrance to Heathrow, while military trucks were positioned outside key buildings. Small teams of soldiers and police officers, all armed with rifles, walked side by side, patrolling the entrances to the main car parks and airport terminals. In contrast to early yesterday when the operation had just begun, it was difficult to avoid the troops this morning who were providing a clearly visible deterrent. Police stop–checks on vehicles also continued on approach roads in towns and villages around Heathrow, in a bid to eliminate the risk of terrorists firing a missile at any jets arriving at or leaving the airport. Any terrorist attack on the capital will probably involve "a small device", London Mayor Ken Livingstone said today. He urged Londoners to remain alert but described the move by the US government to tell Americans to stockpile food and buy tape to help seal their homes against possible chemical attack as "over the top". Saying that it was like a throw back to the US war preparations of the 1950s and 1960s, Mr Livingstone told a press conference: "We are not advising that in London. "There is always the danger of a catastrophic attack by al–Qa'ida, we think something less than September 11 considering the battering his (Osama bin Laden) organisation has had. "Much more likely in London it would be a small device like we saw for 30 years in the IRA campaigns." Mr Livingstone said he had been told of a "potential threat" to Heathrow airport "some weeks if not months ago". Of the Government's deployment of troops there, he said: "What we are seeing at Heathrow airport is an attempt to saturate an area with the security forces so that it makes it impossible for a terrorist to strike. "We had no immediate intelligence that this is about to happen. We have always been aware that Heathrow airport is a very high profile target. "Londoners should not be stockpiling food but you should remain alert." news.independent.co.uk