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Terror expert scaremongering says Harper



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LOTHIANS Green MSP Robin Harper has accused a leading anti-terrorist expert of scaremongering by claiming a terrorist attack on Edinburgh was inevitable.
Head of counter-terrorism for the City of London police, Superintendent Brett Lovegrove, said earlier this week Edinburgh was an "extremely attractive" location for terrorists with the Festival and other major events like rugby internationals as prime targets.

He said last year's Glasgow Airport attack proved Scotland was not immune to the threat of terrorism.

Mr Harper said: "In a speech that was largely sensible, Supt Lovegrove . . . blew it by asserting that 'it isn't a case of if there will be an attack on Edinburgh but when'.

"The Festival, the Tattoo, and the Six Nations are some of Edinburgh's best events. Identifying them as not just potential but definite terrorist targets is, at best, scaremongering."

"Ian Rankin's Mortal Causes centres on a phoney terrorist attack on Edinburgh, and I think fiction is the right place for this kind of story, not police briefings."



The full article contains 171 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 02 February 2008 10:22 AM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Terrorism in the UK
 
1

Brian Hill,

Edinburgh 02/02/2008 11:56:58
I agree entirely with Robin Harper. I thought the comments of Supt Lovegrove were highly irresponsible, attention grabbing, juvenile and displaying appalling judgement.

You could say that any major gathering in the UK or the Western World for that matter was a potential target, so why state the obvious?

But to say it wasn't a question of if but when is scaremongering of the worst kind especially as it is not based on any kind of specific intelligence.

Clearly the good Supt Lovegrove isn't aware of the damage fear is doing to our society or doesn't care as he grabs some cheap publicity for himself which he would have got anyway for his otherwise good speech.

All of our leaders should be attempting to lower the levels of fear in our society, it leads to unhappiness, depression and violence.

Do they think youngsters are carrying knives because they are happy and carefree or could this general feeling of unease be a contributing factor?

2

brettgallacher,

edinburgh 02/02/2008 12:14:47
he may be lying to a certain extent but i dare you or anyother idiot to get on a bus, tube stand in a a long line waiting to get a plane when a muslim backpacker walks in the FACT is its going to happen sooner rather than later get yourself an education read what the muslims themselves say the tell us every day if they dont get what they want they will use violence to force us to subducate to their religon
3

Gothic Rose,

02/02/2008 13:12:48
1# Re. Feral Kids, another hollow excuse.
2# When you say subducate,do you mean subjugate?
4

drew 33,

02/02/2008 14:23:03
Well, if anyone should be a master in scaremongering it is Robin Harper, he has been practising it unsuccessfully for years
5

Hmm ...,

02/02/2008 14:48:26
Wit hall respect to Robin Harper, what would he know about terrorism?

He has made a career from Green issues yet still hasn't got that right! They favour congestion which created pollution against free-flowing traffic, buses which are greater pollutants than cars, even per passenger and favour trains which don't go to people's desired destinations or when they want to go there, preferring the "concept" to harsh reality.

This guy was a teacher in his working life - what makes him think that he knows anything about anything? He has never had a real job, having gone from school to college to school again before he "retired" to Hollyrood!
6

iain,

edinburgh 02/02/2008 15:03:39
The problem is that a whole industry of experts has arisen around the 'terrorist threat' - and it is good for Police budgets.
7

,

02/02/2008 15:04:42
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
8

,

02/02/2008 15:05:58
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
9

Graham Simpson,

Vancouver 02/02/2008 15:39:26
It's about time the hysteria around the so called 'war on terror' is put to an end and sanity is restored to the Western World. Only a fool could not get the message that if you keep interfering militarily and politically in muslim countries... they are going to bite back.

The best defense against 'terrorism' is to get the hell out of Afaghanistan and Iraq as quickly as possible... and leave them alone. Also make it clear to Israel that they must reach a fair settlement with Palestinians soon or they are on their own! It should be quite clear to all by now that trying to insert democracy into a muslim run state, or for that matter any theocratic regime... is an impossibility. If any group of people truly want to over throw their tyrants whether they be of church or state... they will rise up and fight for it!

It is also time that we stopped chipping away at our own democratic rights and lifestyles in response to the never ending admonitions from the the merchants of doom, hucksters of military hardware and the ubiquitous, big oil lobby.
10

An Beal Bacht,

02/02/2008 16:28:37
Wardog - good link.

Brett the Brit Lovegrope should keep his fearty fulminations for fellow fainthearts furth of Forth

Ah jist hid tae say that!.
11

subrosa,

02/02/2008 18:32:57
# 8

Thanks for that.
12

oder,

Scotland 02/02/2008 21:38:38
9 Graham Simpson,Vancouver

you said

The best defense against 'terrorism' is to get the hell out of Afaghanistan and Iraq as quickly as possible...

if what you say is true,why was there terrorism before Iraq and Afghanistan?
13

Graham Simpson,

Vancouver 02/02/2008 22:38:20
#12 Oder... thank you for your question

The interference in affairs of Arabic countries and therefore primarily Muslim (and by no means only them) has been going on for centuries. The entire Middle East, North Africa, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan have been plagued first by European powers, generally the French and British and latterly by the US, either for profit or as militarily strategic power bases. Indeed a major part of todays problems was the creation, primarily by Britain of false 'kingdoms' wherein puppet monarchs were placed, to rule over new and dangerous, incompatible ethnic mixes in the Middle East and Iran. Additionally, the Palestinians were obliged to hand over their country by Britain as a safe haven for the Jews out of primarily European guilt. So much of the present ethnic and religious bitterness between Kurds, Jews, Shiites and Sunnis is the result... and their distrust of the West is understandable. Remember that religious belief is not arrived at by rational thought and trying to impose our sense of justice and liberty on Muslim people and indeed any other fundamentalist group, is the utmost folly. Read the book 'God is not great' by Christopher Hitchens and understand both the past and the future.

Notwithstanding any of this unfortunate background it does not mean that we should accept attacks on our soil by fanatics and extremists whether as individuals or governments and we should have no hesitation in repelling them with maximum prejudice.
However if we are stupid enough to actually militarily occupy their countries, whether 'invited' or not... we must accept the consequences.





14

Julian,

EDINBURGH 03/02/2008 04:43:52
#12 Oder,

I'll give you the answer on Graham's behalf.

Just because you say something is the best defence doesn't guarantee that you won't be hit. So when he says we should be out of Iraq and Afghanistan, he doesn't mean this will guarantee we won't be attacked; just that it's the best defensive move we could make.
15

wolfette,

Edinburgh 03/02/2008 16:22:33
quite frankly, despite the high profile of the Festival, etc, the various terrorist groups probably think of Scotland and Edinburgh the same way London and Westminster do - a backwater suburb of North London not worth paying any attention to.

16

Beachcomber,

Edinburgh 05/02/2008 14:37:28
#9 Graham

Wise words from a wise man.

 

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