Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
#1
Well there is no doubt about it but Al Queda must be laughing all the way to the international terror bank. WE here in the UK keep losing our top police officers, those with solid experience in fighting these interlopers that would do us harm. Although the police officer in this latest case, which is all over the news at the moment, made a mistake by showing his file accidently to photographers as he left a car, it should not be a hanging offence. But it has ended in his ( posssibly forced) resignation.
The officers name is Bob Quick and he is, or now was, chief officer in our anti-terror war. Can we really afford to lose men like these? Men with 30 years experience.
Digital Cameras nowadays can pick up absolutely everything and you can enlarge the content of anything to enormous dimensions, so be aware all you public figures henceforth, keep the papers in your folder.
I suppose, although I am convinced it is to the greater public loss, that he probably did a noble thing by resigning, as an ongoing terror case was put in jeopardy...but a sad and disappointing outcome for all our sakes. Compare that to the Politicians caught with diabolical snouts in gravy trains...no chance of them resigning even though they are held in far more contempt by the general public. What price a bath plug now?
#2
It seems to be a rite of passage that when visiting the PM YOU SHOULD show reporters what you are going for!
Dont whine about this man - if he is so incompetant in the small things then it reflects on his attitude. He had enough idiots before him doing the same to warn him.
He is in a job where mistakes cost lives and this is one that could have - and may have given warning to those whom he is charged to defend us from.
It isnt normal or usual to walk about the street with a file on display - maYBE ITS A DOUBLE BLUFF!!!
#3
he appears to have been that rare thing, a man of principle. Word has it that he did his job quietly but effectively, and now he has fallen on his sword without a fuss or murmur. Respect.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#4
sounds a bit of a div bern.
how did he climb the greasy pole of the police force with all that high minded stuff?
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
#5
He did the right thing. If more people fell on their swords for a serious error then we would have a much healthier situation. Yes, he deserves recognition for doing the right thing. it was a very serious mistake.
Guest 644- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,214
#6
The basic levels of security document marking used by the Home Office are RESTRICTED, CONFIDENTIAL, SECRET and TOP SECRET, and each demands a greater risk of protection and security in transmission. I expect the information in the dossier would have been SECRET or above. By HO definitions the compromise of SECRET information or material would be likely:
- to raise international tension;
- to damage seriously relations with friendly governments;
- to threaten life directly, or seriously prejudice public order, or individual security or liberty;
- to cause serious damage to the operational effectiveness or security of UK or allied forces or the continuing effectiveness of highly valuable security or intelligence operations;
- to cause substantial material damage to national economic and commercial interests;
- to lead to additional government expenditure on a scale likely to affect the UK economy as a whole.
Such information needs a clear audit trail, and should never be left on public display. My guess is that it should have at least been double bagged in an unmarked envelope and should have been kept in a locked briefcase.
The fact that it was carelessly flaunted in front of the cameras is a security breach of the highest order and absolutely unforgivable to someone in Bob Quicks position as anti-terrorism Police chief. It is absolutely right that he has fallen on his sword, and so quickly and without fuss, over this compromise over security legislation.
If he had not, it would make a mockery of the stringent Home Office security regulations. Sanctions over security, and especially if lives were potentially put at risk, should not be grade specific - a breach is a breach.
At least he has shown principles over his mistake and not squirmed looking for self justifying excuses unlike practically all of our trough snouting excuses for parliamentary polititicians.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
#7
Of course we know by now that the raid on these possible terrorists has been carried out ahead of the scheduled time and in broad daylight, much to the shock and horror of other students and residents, due to Bob Quicks cock-up. But our whole anti-terror operation is bizarre. In the last 4 years 40,000 Pakistanis have come here supposedly as students, with minimal checks. In fairness it is probably impossible to check in a ramshackle Pakistan just exactly who is who. But as Pakistan is in the business of terrorism within its borders, there are academies for terror there, how come we are letting this number of potential destroyers in amongst us.
The bizarre bit is this, here we are fighting a war in Afghanistan, for a reason its hard to ascertain, but according to the government spindoctors, we are fighting terrorism there. So on one hand we block the access route from one terror region...ie, they cant come in through the front door, but they are all shuffling in the side door with no trouble at all from Pakistan. Is this bonkers...or is it just me!? Am I missing something?
These guys arrested yesterday we are assured were a serious terror threat, and all come from Pakistan.
#8
What you are after PaulB, is joined-up and grown-up governing and policing. Don't hold your breath.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#9
the pakistan authorities are not asked for background details of the applicants.
we just ride rough shod over pakistan.
at the end of the day "the pak takes the flak", through no fault of their own.
Guest 641- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 2,335
#10
It's totally baffling I agree PaulB, especially with the terrorist factions that either train or receive backing from certain elements in Pakistan. In a country that has back-street arms manufacturers who can knock you up a kalishnikov in no time at all it would be an idea to have more stringent checks in place.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#11
please refer to my previous post barry, the pakistani authorities have no idea of who has applied for visas to the uk.
if our people spoke to them, they would get a thorough background check and police report.
#12
Joined up, grown up Government? We are on a hiding to nothing if that is what we expect.
Guest 641- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 2,335
#13
If that is true Howard, it makes our 'powers that be' look like amateurs, as you would think that all applications for visas would be forwarded to the relevant countries authorities so that they can check to see if the applicant has any 'previous'. Or am I missing something
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#14
this is par for the course barry.
whichever government is in power blames foreigners for problems we have here.
there is a long list of ne'er do wells and terrorists living quite comfortably on our benefits system, whilst their country of origin hand out dossiers to our home office detailing their crimes.
pakistan is just one, they do not have the resources(or internal support to feel the collars of these felons), but would furnish any country with their intelligence and suspicions.
the usual excuse for letting the murderers in is that they may face torture or execution in their homeland.
#15
I have colleagues (reliable sources) who have told me about infinite numbers of felons from abroad who have fetched up in the prison/probation/benefits system after coming here to escape justice at home and claim asylum. You probably know by now how non-judgmental I am and how far removed from racism as I can get without developing vertigo, but there is a difference between supporting people with a just cause and letting in felons who put us and our families at risk. And those miscreants do their countrymen no favours, as all we witness is the bad behaviour and they end up all being blamed for the misdeeds of a tiny minority.