Coded Bomb Warnings?

Tallboy · May 2011

Why do terrorists give a coded bomb warning? Presumably their intention is to cause as much destruction as possible so why give the security services a tip off? Is there some there some sort of "gentlemens agreement"??

WillM · May 2011

They want to cause destruction, but they don't want to cause mass deaths.

miss annie · May 2011

I worked in the west end through the olden days of IRA bombings and threats. The Met gave us monthly training on how to deal with telephone threats. The coded warnings enable the police to verify that the threat is real and not a crank call and to establish who it is from and how likely it is that something might actually happen. As far as I know, the various factions of Irish activists are the only ones that do this. As Will says, they mainly want to wreak havoc and cause maximum disruption. Mass death of innocent bystanders seems to be the desired outcome for other terrorists. We can probably expect a bit more disruption with the Queen visiting Ireland and Mr Obama coming to visit us next week.

andy · May 2011

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Notable for the line: "..because the IRA were decent, British terrorists".

miss annie · May 2011

Not entirely sure that they'd take being called British as any kind of compliment.

Ian · May 2011

It also managed to close my old office (until last week) down all day, due to a break in they thought might be related. @missannie, on the British thing I think one can safely say, given his profession, that it was a joke.

miss annie · May 2011

Yes, I did get that. Will watch the clip when I get a minute - I like him.

Tallboy · May 2011

Several years ago he sat infront of me, with a female friend, on an easyjet flight from Stockholm. He reeked of BO.

Sevlow · May 2011

Maybe ask at the Cornerflag I'm sure some of the regulars would be happy to answer any questions

Siolae · May 2011

@Sevlow, would you care to explain what exactly you meant by that comment? Basically so I can decide whether you are being blatantly racist or not.

Sevlow · May 2011

I was in there the other week the jukebox was blaring out Irish Rebel Songs every other word was IRA this IRA that. So I thought maybe they might be able to answer the question.

Arkady · May 2011

If race was a meaningful concept (which it isn’t) would Irish be a race? Stereotyping all Irish as IRA sympathisers would be many things: ignorance, bigotry, stereotyping, perhaps xenophobia… but racism?

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Siolae · May 2011

It is a bit of a leap to imply that the playing of rebel songs equates to terrorism. Given that Irish is used as a label to identify a specific ethnic group, I don't think it is necessary to split semantic hairs as to whether the comment was racist or not. If you define racism in the narrowest possible way then no the comment was not racist, however I was using the word to demonstrate that I found his comment utterly offensive. I asked him to explain to ensure I had understood his implication correctly and based, on his further comment, it turned out I had.

andy · May 2011

The Queen spoke Irish today. Puts you all to shame, she really does. If you can't ask people playing IRA songs questions about how the IRA works, who can you ask? I don't have the right contacts in MI5.

kreuzkav · May 2011

I think if you go to a bar that plays Irish rebel songs, what are you going to get? A few pissed up wannabe rebels who have never seen any action. Not the place I think to ask about the IRA. The Provisional IRA were a disciplined group who waged an effective cell war against the tyranny of the British Empire. They then got into protection rackets and bombing kids. The Good Friday agreement happened and 13 years later the queen visits Ireland (the republic). Well, Britain is a monarchy and it's a sign of moving on. But Britain needs to move on from the monarchy. I speak as an Irish blooded, born and bred brit, with a British passport. I speak more Irish than the queen too!

Sevlow · May 2011

@Siolae You must be very easily offended!

miss annie · May 2011

Move on to what? I like the Queen.

kreuzkav · May 2011

She seems like a nice enough person, but the monarchy to me is about a certain elite passing down power from generation to generation.

miss annie · May 2011

Can't be bothered with another discussion about 'elites'.

tosscat · May 2011

I like the Queen as well m.a., but it's a super dumb concept. (And I can't be fagged with anything about 'elites', it just puts me in mind of the Volturi.)

kreuzkav · May 2011

It's a beautiful morning here on Stroud Green road.

I think the monarchy will exist for the rest of my life, so can't really be bothered getting too upset about it

Arkady · May 2011

I miss Freddie Mercury.

N4Matt · May 2011

I wish the Windsors would stop wearing jumpers with shirts, that's a big part of the problem!

Racism is bad but so is terrorism.

kreuzkav · May 2011

Yes, the windsors are fond of the jumper over shirt look.

I agree, terrorism and racism are both bad.

Cookie · May 2011

In the 1970's, my husband and I visited the Ideal Home Exhibition. We had just gone up the escalator to the first level when a bomb went off, I believe at the bottom of the escalator. I shall never forget it, and the smell of the bomb will stay with me forever. Everyone just stopped still.It was so surreal. A women standing behind me started crying, I felt like crying too, but I heard her husband say that it could have been a gas cylinder from the cookery area. That seemed feasible until suddenly there was a mass evacuation from the premises.
I have never seen so many Fire engines, ambulances, police, in my life! All you could hear was sirens, one after the other.
A woman stood at the ticket office arguing. She had just paid for her ticket, and wanted a refund!!
Never found out if she got it, we were just glad that we got out alive

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