From 'alert' to 'alarmed': terror threat level has been raised from medium to high

[RAM]

Re: From 'alert' to 'alarmed': terror threat level has been raised from medium to hig

I sincerely hope I am not proven wrong - but I really don't see the point in making a big deal about raising our alert status?

In the UK I could understand it - but here in Australia I seriously wonder what all the fuss is about, and I would hope we have a competent security service able to monitor our small and confined population (no open borders like in Europe or guns like the USA). Create panic in the population? Show how decisive our government is and deflect from the budget woes?

Hope! Remember the botched ASIS hotel raids some years back?
Or the AFP dummy bomb misplaced with 340gms of C4 inside just no detonator?

I was involved with planning for Sydney Olympics in the Eastern Suburbs. This was more than a year out.

I identified a major security vulnerability that could have seen multiple planes destroyed, Sydney Airport out of action for months etc.

I detailed the scenario, vantage points, timing, execution. I also laid out the steps to prevent such an attack. Costed at less than a couple of hundred thousand annually for permanent fix.

Security supremo for the area agreed, all correct and somewhat "alarming" - his exact words. Would raise it at weekly 'security summit'.

Came back to me and said we're not going to do anything about it as it is not Olympics specific venue. So spend not from our budget. We've spoken with Sydney Airport and they are not inclined to do anything.

I was stunned. He'd acknowledged it was a viable threat, perhaps most visible (El Al plane perhaps) and would create on-going chaos with Sydney Airport out for extended period - and now "Sydney Airport not inclined."

I agitated for the next 14 months - nothing was ever done.

Curiously enough post 9/11 I noticed part of what I outlined as preventative measures has been done but not the most significant (and still hasn't). The door is closed but not locked.

9/11 busted the myth of US domestic security.

Locally, there was the myth of Aust Regulatory supervision of financial system protecting Super from fraud - $4bn later the reality is known.

Apathy is only realised as a problem AFTER the event.

 

[RAM]

Re: From 'alert' to 'alarmed': terror threat level has been raised from medium to hig

About time they introduced a trusted traveller status. I didn't attack an aircraft the last 500 times I flew, do I need another explosives test.

Speaking if which, took someone from work to the lounge the other night. They complained about the drug test. Glad to be able to let them know it was for explosives.

....but that was the final straw. Putting me in a broken seat in the middle of two screaming babies with severe nut allergies on their mother's laps, the CSM not recognising me, running out of real food and giving me scrambled eggs that oozed - I was converted! They'd finally gone too far......

No, not Medhead, what could have set him off, such a tolerant individual.....

 

[RAM]

Re: From 'alert' to 'alarmed': terror threat level has been raised from medium to hig

Of course availability is still a relative terms when explosive can be forgotten about and mistakenly left at an airport.

I can just imagine a possible post on an IS site:

"Australia truly is the land of plenty, their laid back attitude and BYO approach knows no limit. The Australian Federal Police will supply you free of charge (pun intended) with a shaped C4 IED, ready packed in a suit case in the Airport secure section but it is BYO detonator."

No, could never happen...

 

[amaroo]

Re: From 'alert' to 'alarmed': terror threat level has been raised from medium to hig

Isn't the army still looking for some surface to air missiles amongst a few truck loads of other armaments/ammunition that have been lost, misplaced, stolen or sold to the highest bidder!

 

[RAM]

Re: From 'alert' to 'alarmed': terror threat level has been raised from medium to hig

Isn't the army still looking for some surface to air missiles amongst a few truck loads of other armaments/ammunition that have been lost, misplaced, stolen or sold to the highest bidder!

Now that you've opened that can of worms...

Defence's 'bad apples' getting away with it: Senator

Not just armaments going missing from secure areas - also evidence of fraud.

"If you don't have the mechanisms in place then you are asking for trouble," the Senator said.
"I'm not saying that people in Defence are anything other than overwhelmingly honest but when you have a lack of systems in place it is concerning.
"There must be adequate and robust systems in place and I don't think those processes are in place at this stage.

"I worry that there is a systemic problem, that there are inadequate safeguards in place to deal with this, that if there are any bad apples in Defence, it's much easier for them to get away with it."

The defence department has launched an internal inquiry into suspected misappropriation of tax payer funds involving one or more members of the army's elite 2nd commando regiment.
The suspected financial malfeasance was discovered after a confidential file detailing the use of regiment funds was removed- without approval - from defence department archives at Sydney's Randwick Barracks .
Subsequent searches for the missing file have proved fruitless, sparking internal complaints that it has been stolen to cover up the misconduct.
The missing file contains details about the expenditure of thousands of dollars in regimental funds allegedly spent on inappropriate items.
Defence's MediaOps unit had not responded by deadline on Tuesday to questions on the alleged incident.
The department has also not responded to reports that a group of Defence Science and Technology Organization staffers were recently caught trying to claim meal allowances for a night away on business in Adelaide.
But The Canberra Times understands that the boozy evening - when 14 public servants drank 29 bottles of wine were – had already been paid for with a Defence-issued credit card.

 

[medhead]

Re: From 'alert' to 'alarmed': terror threat level has been raised from medium to hig

Isn't the army still looking for some surface to air missiles amongst a few truck loads of other armaments/ammunition that have been lost, misplaced, stolen or sold to the highest bidder!

That were sold to bikies. So not a terror threat.

 

[RAM]

Re: From 'alert' to 'alarmed': terror threat level has been raised from medium to hig

That were sold to bikies. So not a terror threat.

Just cash-flow mgmt.

 

[amaroo]

Re: From 'alert' to 'alarmed': terror threat level has been raised from medium to hig

That were sold to bikies. So not a terror threat.

Wrong! Apart from the ludicrous proposition that rotten eggs in the army only sell weapons to bikies - the authorities already know a great deal about these gutless killers and the filthy scum that profit from their dastardly deeds.

Islamic State terrorist linked to Sydney building groups

This is the bloke that likes to take photos of his little men holding up severed heads......up to his armpits doing the dirty work for ISIS, bikies and CFMEU protected contractors.

 

[RAM]

Re: From 'alert' to 'alarmed': terror threat level has been raised from medium to hig

...

So low-grade terrorist believes what they see in papers, on TV (especially) and word of mouth.

Best weapon is FEAR. Turn it back on potential terrorists and it is very effective. Theory vs reality.

 

[Pushka]

Re: From 'alert' to 'alarmed': terror threat level has been raised from medium to hig

And we've just shown we are frightened.

I reckon cutting their centrelink benefits might put some fear into them.

When you get people willing to suicide for their religious distortions then there's not much you can do.

 

[RAM]

Re: From 'alert' to 'alarmed': terror threat level has been raised from medium to hig

And we've just shown we are frightened.

I reckon cutting their centrelink benefits might put some fear into them.

When you get people willing to suicide for their religious distortions then there's not much you can do.

Well as you asked, I thought about a one-way J ticket to this training camp...

Instructor kills 22 in bombing class Feb 12, 2014

Baghdad: A group of Sunni militants attending a suicide bombing training class at a camp north of Baghdad were killed on Monday when their commander unwittingly conducted a demonstration with a belt packed with explosives, army and polices officials said.
The militants belonged to the Islamic State of Irag and the Levant, or ISIL, which is fighting the Shiite-dominated army of the Iraqi government. Twenty-two ISIL members were killed and 15 were wounded.


I can just imagine the ex-commander saying; "Now gather round close so you can see what to do".

Kept me chuckling for hours.

 

[Pushka]

Re: From 'alert' to 'alarmed': terror threat level has been raised from medium to hig

Well as you asked, I thought about a one-way J ticket to this training camp...

Instructor kills 22 in bombing class Feb 12, 2014

Baghdad: A group of Sunni militants attending a suicide bombing training class at a camp north of Baghdad were killed on Monday when their commander unwittingly conducted a demonstration with a belt packed with explosives, army and polices officials said.
The militants belonged to the Islamic State of Irag and the Levant, or ISIL, which is fighting the Shiite-dominated army of the Iraqi government. Twenty-two ISIL members were killed and 15 were wounded.


I can just imagine the ex-commander saying; "Now gather round close so you can see what to do".

Kept me chuckling for hours.

Karma is a biatch.

 

[PLANT]

Re: From 'alert' to 'alarmed': terror threat level has been raised from medium to hig

1. It's for increased jobs.
2. Its for new laws to be introduced/activated.
3. Ebola is immanent!

 

[medhead]

Re: From 'alert' to 'alarmed': terror threat level has been raised from medium to hig

Wrong! Apart from the ludicrous proposition that rotten eggs in the army only sell weapons to bikies - the authorities already know a great deal about these gutless killers and the filthy scum that profit from their dastardly deeds.

Islamic State terrorist linked to Sydney building groups

This is the bloke that likes to take photos of his little men holding up severed heads......up to his armpits doing the dirty work for ISIS, bikies and CFMEU protected contractors.

Not wrong. They were sold to bikies as I recall the news reports at the time. Putting up so irrelevant unrelated story doesn't change that. But do try to actually provide a link that says they weren't sold to a bikie gang. Rather than unsupported superstition.

 

[whatmeworry]

Re: From 'alert' to 'alarmed': terror threat level has been raised from medium to hig

Welcome to George Orwell's 1984.

 

[amaroo]

Re: From 'alert' to 'alarmed': terror threat level has been raised from medium to hig

Not wrong. They were sold to bikies as I recall the news reports at the time. Putting up so irrelevant unrelated story doesn't change that. But do try to actually provide a link that says they weren't sold to a bikie gang. Rather than unsupported superstition.

Feel free to split all the hairs you like between bikies that employ the likes of the butcher that posted those severed heads :evil:

I wash my hands of the likes that defend the scum of the world :idea:

 

[amaroo]

Re: From 'alert' to 'alarmed': terror threat level has been raised from medium to hig

Welcome to George Orwell's 1984.

The world was far easier to work out in 1984 - almost happy days in the scheme of things!

 

[burmans]

Re: From 'alert' to 'alarmed': terror threat level has been raised from medium to hig

That were sold to bikies. So not a terror threat.

Gee I feel really comforted that in this instance they only sold to Bikies!

 

[medhead]

Re: From 'alert' to 'alarmed': terror threat level has been raised from medium to hig

Gee I feel really comforted that in this instance they only sold to Bikies!

Just avoid banks and other targets of armed robbery. You'll be right.

 

[leadman]

Re: From 'alert' to 'alarmed': terror threat level has been raised from medium to hig

Made the news over here in the UK! Nice shot of the Herc's flying over Sydney habour and got a full page. Seemed to be an overkill, but Abbott certainly got coverage....