[Closed] Friendly fire at the Olymics?

Maybe they're worried about an errant javelin or pole-vaulter or something?

Well the clay pigeon shooting has been getting a bit tame of late.

There will be gangs roaming around in sportswear carrying section 5 firearms. They'll need those tornados.

I thought it was Typhoon, but there you go.

I knew they'd got Elbow & Underworld, but the Friendly Fires too??

Some of the scenarios that have been trained for/rehearsed over the last year are mind boggling. Friend of mine trains civvies in dealing with 'non civilian type injuries' and he's been rather busy.

London 2012 opening ceremony
[img] [/img]

Apparently we need a large warship in the Thames too. Perhaps the Tories are planning on using the Olympics as a cover for a 'final solution' To finally drive the poor out of London once and for all. Shock and Awe in Bethnal Green anyone?

The Warship in the Thames will probably be a Helicopter carrier - I'm guessing HMS Ocean..

I did some training for working the Olympics recently.
The panic/concern of the people in charge over terrorist threats is incredible!

I honestly expect that it's all been blown out of proportion yet again and that nothing of any interest will happen.

I honestly expect that it's all been blown out of proportion yet again and that nothing of any interest will happen.

Thanks.

Still, rather over the top than unprepared, eh?

Still, rather over the top than unprepared, eh?

5thElefant prefers unprepared.

Cynicism unbound this morning on STW.

Sure you aren't thinking of one of these bad boys?

Tornado

[img] [/img]

A war ship and fighter jets! I'm not sure what kind of touble they are anticiapting.

A war ship and fighter jets! I'm not sure what kind of touble they are anticiapting.

hijacked aircraft perhaps? ( a la 9/11...)

i'm with matbee - seems a bit over the top now, but what would the dailywail (and probably the STW massiv) be saying if we were caught with our pants round our ankles...

It sounds like a good idea. If Jessica Ennis is trailing the 800m, needing to win it to clinch the gold, a Brimstone or 27mm canon could come in handy.

The warship would be there for it's radar capability, right?

hijacked aircraft perhaps? ( a la 9/11...)

i'm with matbee - seems a bit over the top now, but what would the dailywail (and probably the STW massiv) be saying if we were caught with our pants round our ankles...

Aye, I suppose you're right. Although I'd hope after 9/11 that they'd be prepared for that scenario outside of the olympics too.

A war ship and fighter jets! I'm not sure what kind of trouble they are anticipating.

Perhaps we'll be at war with France by then? Cockerneys will be able to go misty-eyed with nostalgia - our finest hour and all that - as they watch two different lots of Typhoons having dogfights over the capital

Perhaps we'll be at war with France by then? Cockerneys will be able to go misty-eyed with nostalgia - our finest hour and all that - as they watch two different lots of Typhoons having dogfights over the capital

Don't say that! I'm planning a trip to Morzine in summer.

For all those 'over the top' types. Over the top compared to what? You've looked at global event security before? Seems reasonable to me.

I believe ski conditions are expected to be good in Aviemore 😉

Isn't it still something like half the security personnel that the Chinese had at Beijing?

Nice one Too Tall, most people prefer the bucket of sand approach, then are more than willing to hurl mud when it all goes wrong.

For all those 'over the top' types. Over the top compared to what? You've looked at global event security before? Seems reasonable to me.

+1

The more militarised the olympics become the more the unpleasant resonances with Berlin 1936...

I don't believe the Olympics are militarised. I believe some of the security is. Which is completely normal.

Or did I give a rational response to a really stupid troll?

I don't fly if I can help it now. Because of the security. I'd happily take my chances with the terrorists.

Same with this. A few extra police is plenty. Air superiority and helicopter gunships? They've won.

Air superiority and helicopter gunships? They've won.

As I said earlier - are you aware of what is normal for globally important event security? So, perhaps you are knee-jerking to something that you have no context in which to place this news?

It'll be a useful pretext to get the sheeple acclimatised to their policed future, the royal 60th aniiversary and the olympics in one year. The UK will be a different and less free nation by 2013...

It may well be normal but I bet it wasn't always. Any idea what security was like at the last London Olympics? I guess it would have been Munich that it started to change and I bet it's been ramped up year on year.

Helicopter gunships? Fighter jets? FFS! Thousands of troops on the streets? I think if you regard all this as necessary, you probably need some counselling for your paranoia.

Its patent nonsense! And a grotesque over-reaction to any potential threat.

What the worst case scenario? 9/11? Get a ****ing grip! A bomb on the tube maybe? WTF is a squadron of Typhoons going to do about that exactly?

Ridiculous!

Seems sensibe to me.

Living fairly local to the Olympics and especially to the events that will take place at Woolwich im more concerned about total gridlock. Traffic that is- even on an average day it's bumper to bumper. If someone breaks down on Shooters Hill then its chaos in the surrounding area. And dont even talk to me about the public [s]transport[/s] cattletruck!
Cant see the athletes and extra visitors being very impressed with that.

The extra security is for the local scrotes- we dont want a repeat of what happened in the summer do we? 😉
A couple of Typhoons and some helicopter gunships will protect Sports Direct pretty well dont you think 😆

And don't forget the 'Death Star' police camp/internemnt centre in Epping Forest...

Bless you, binners. A subject you know nothing of and scant detail in the papers has you frothing and spouting complete guff. May you not suffer indigestion as your outrage rises and that bile begins to burn.

Look - nothing new:

[url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/mar/13/spain.greece ]http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/mar/13/spain.greece[/url]

In all honesty, I couldn't give a flying one what happens in London at any time. Olympics or not. It just seems almost comically daft to me.

If you were a nasty terrorist who hated Britain, and you wnated to kill shed-loads of people, why wait for the Olympics? Why not just do it tomorrow? Or do you need the manufactured kudos of a major sporting event?

Yeah... you're right. Any other time and it probably wouldn't make the news 🙄

And the latest on Wansted Flats...

http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/9404035.WANSTEAD__Battle_lost_against_Olympic_police_base/

Isn't it still something like half the security personnel that the Chinese had at Beijing?

Yeah, but to be fair that included all the thousands of guys they gave T-shirts to and bussed in to the venues as seat fillers 😉

HMS Ocean will be used as a helicopter landing pad to provide short notice helicopter air cover if required. Publicising it early might even deter an aspirational terrorist so that's nice too.

ohnohesback - Member
It'll be a useful pretext to get the sheeple acclimatised to their policed future, the royal 60th aniiversary and the olympics in one year. The UK will be a different and less free nation by 2013...

you seem to forget the current government is reducing the number of police officers and the military in this parliamentary term. The loyal opposition regularly call them reckless for doing so.

but don't let the facts get in the way of a good conspiracy theory 😉

Publicising it early might even deter an aspirational terrorist

How?

Putting a big ship in the Thames to prevent people planting bombs on the tube? How does that work then?

That's like trying to prevent me eating cheese by putting a number of pumpkins in the kitchen.

Do you get outraged about everything you don't understand? Life must be a very angry and baffling experience for you.

Putting a big ship in the Thames to prevent people planting bombs on the tube

Have you seen any pirate attacks in the Thames since we parked Belfast there?

What more proof do you need?

(PS. the only reason for ocean being there, is that its cheaper than 1000 hotel rooms for squaddies 😉 )

Outraged? Hardly. Why do you think I'm angry Tootall? I'm just finding it difficult to comprehend. Doesn't take much to confuse me though. I'm not very bright

But from your dismissive tone, it seems obvious that you're phenomenally well-informed on the subject. I'm picturing some Chuck Norris type 'security consultant'. Its obviously your 'manor', this security lark

So... can you explain to me how putting an aircraft carrier in the Thames prevents terrorism? Try not to use any big words though

Like I said, to me that's like trying to prevent people speeding by putting hot air balloons next to motorways

wow.

really, wow

praps im a bit dim today but im struggling to distinguish the tards from the trolls

Military presence will act as a deterrent. This is why the forces spend time being seen; to remind our friends and enemies that we have ships and tanks and planes and people that are ready to be used.

The ship will have limited effect since its hardly manoeuvrable in the Thames but its what inside that matters: hundreds of personnel, a number of helicopters and a secure place that military/civilian teams can conduct operations from. This is what makes your hot air balloon analogy rubbish. A closer analogy would be "does a hot air ballon with a clearly visible speed camera in it deter speeders?".

And I hate to break it to you but it's not an aircraft carrier; it's a landing pad helicopter (LPH).

As said above - it won't prevent terrorism. What it does do is provide an additional command and control facility, a self-contained heliport, extra accommodation, more waterborne security resources etc.

Your analogies are utterly mad by the way.

I absolutely stand by my analogy. How about a fleet of hot air balloons, each equiped with a big cut out of Jeremy Clarkson sticking two fingers up at a man with a beard.

Would this deter Islamic Extremists more than an [s]aircraft carrier[/s] landing pad helicopter (LPH), or possibly anger them further?

I absolutely stand by my analogy. How about a fleet of hot air balloons, each equiped with a big cut out of Jeremy Clarkson sticking two fingers up at a man with a beard.

This is why the forces spend time being seen; to remind our friends and enemies that we have ships and tanks and planes and people that are ready to be used

But that's like me walking the streets, wielding a bottle opener/corkscrew combnation* at all times, so that anyone who's prone to a drink can be instantly reassured. I won't neccessarily have a bottle of wine, or even a beer on me either, but lets not hope it gets to that point eh? Fingers crossed

* I believe they're called a "Waiters Friend"

You're nearly there binners...

If people saw you walking around with your waiter's friend and you occasionally used it publicly then the effect would be similar.

Apart from the fact you'd potentially be mistaken for a nutter, you're not deterring anyone from anything and the combined armed forces outnumber you massively so our deterrent effect will be far more pronounced than your reassurance effect.

Hang on. I reckon I've got this now

Soooooooo........It'd be like me publicly carrying, and occasionally using my waiters friend. [i]But also[/i].... corks and bottle tops had been placed strategically around the capitals streets. [i]And[/i].... rumours had been circulated of a mega-off license, not far from here, seeling really nice wine, [i]and[/i] already equipped with those really good and very expensive Marks and Spencer corkscrews!

I think.

Is that right......?

Can we not just get binners locked up now? It might prevent any Waiter's Friend incidents during the Olympics.

The Germans probably wish they'd prepared a bit better for Munich.

Surely this is also a reflection of how G4S has bitten off far more than it can chew.

Another example of how Crapita-tisation is now the norm for UK infrastructure.

[img] http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTyYKEj61f3e2ippbBzqiQBZE5m7z74k8tdbVERjO6KbDIOPYDLfhkufcsoZQ [/img]

Binners- 'DONT MENTION THE WAR!!!!'

That's like trying to prevent me eating cheese by putting a number of pumpkins in the kitchen.

[url= http://www.scotsman.com/news/olympic_terror_flights_will_divert_to_scotland_1_2012054 ]Olympic terror flights will divert to Scotland[/url]

Presumably to be met by John Smeaton and "The Big Man" from the Scotrail ticket story.

@totall, can you explain to me how a typhoon can be of any use in policing a civilian based activity

binners, you have my undying admiration for your offer of wine AND a bottle opener

can you explain to me how a typhoon can be of any use in policing a civilian based activity

In the similar way to a hijacked aircraft that can be commandeered and flown into a civilian target.