Al-Qaeda Target the Premiership

Al-Qaeda Target the Premiership

www.newsoftheworld.co.uk

"We have concrete intelligence that al-Qaeda is planning an attack that would be seen live on television.

"We understand they're targeting a Premiership stadium, probably by a suicide pilot flying a light aircraft right into the stand while a match is being broadcast.

(visit the link for the full news article)

I don't know how reputable a site this is, especially since this story should be pretty big news and I haven't seen it elsewhere. Maybe this is a non-event.

As for the story itself, I have thought for some time that a major sporting event in any country would be a target. You have thousands of people, live tv coverage, and a security nightmare. Add to that a blow to people's personal interests (sometimes obsession). An interest that crosses regions, race, gender, etc.


(I can't find a date on the article itself, but it is shown on www.globalincidentmap.com... with a date of 10/14/2007.)

www.newsoftheworld.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

Hmmm.

Remember during the troubles how the IRA never targetted the Queen because it would prove counter productive?

Same applies here. Would be a really, really stupid thing to do. It would galvanize the entire nation.

AS long as it's Chelsea I don't mind. On a serious note it's inevitable that sooner or later were going to get hit hard like never before and it will be London that suffers due to where that's where all the lies and deceit originate from. Brown is no different from Blair and until we get Labour out I see no end to the threats.

news of the world - would take that with a pinch of salt -used to do a sunday paper round and would stop and read the paper every now and then. some of the stuff they come up with is funny as hell. no if it gets put in guardian or the times, maybe even the daily mail, i would be more prone to belive it. but right now, with it being in the notw only (so far) then like i said before, i'll take it with a large pinch!!

The news of the World is the Sun's sister paper. Just pure Sleaze aimed at the working class bloke, nothing wrong with that of course but this paper like you said can't be taken seriously, it's for morons.

reply to post by neformore


More so than the previous attacks, in your opinion? And to do what? (Do not read this with an argumentative tone, I am seriously wondering what you think about this.)

To Paul and Shaolin:
That's pretty much what I thought. Thanks for confirming.

If the mods want to close the thread that's fine by me. Any discussions evolving from this have probably been carried out in another thread.

However, neformore, I am still interested in your reply. If you are interested in answering, and the thread is closed, feel free to U2U me.

reply to post by otherhalf


Yes, moreso than the other attacks.

Despite what alot of people think, London isn't the be all and end all of the UK. Theres 65+million people in the UK and the greater London area has a population of around 7.5 million. London exists in a "bubble" as it were. In a sense its a nation in its own right.

An attack on London is an attack on the nations capital - its an attack on a symbol. I know that sounds awful, in light of the deaths that were caused on 7/7, but thats what it was - a symbolic strike. Chaos and a small death toll. Unforgiveable yes, but as someone on another thread pointed out, the IRA made bigger bangs and we all got past it.

Attacking a football game isn't attacking a symbol, however. Its attacking the "ordinary" people. I guess thats a mentality thing with us Brits.

Those "ordinary" people have, so far, tolerated the actions of the British government and our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan as a part of the "War on Terror" albeit with a nagging doubt of the overall motive for our troops being there. We've questioned it, we want them home. Hell even Brown has recognised that with his pseudo election games.

Slam a Cessena/Helicopter/Jet into Old Trafford, or The Emirates, or Villa Park during a game and suddenly the whole ball game will change, in the same way as it did when the IRA went "on the road" and targetted Manchester and Warrington. There will be a hardening of attitudes, a whole sway of doubt about staying the course will be removed and - if I'm brutally honest about it - I can see a whole swathe of race related hate crimes for anyone who looks vaguely muslim because the worst scum of hooliganism will crawl out of the woodwork where its been slowly dying looking for "revenge"

You target the "ordinary" people in the UK and things change alot. And god help whoever does it, because the whole damn country will be out for blood.



[edit on 16/1007/07 by neformore]

Mmmmm... reminds me of another story, must have been 3 or 4 years ago now, about a foiled Al Qaida plot to bomb Old Trafford football stadium.
The police arrested a guy in a raid, simply for being Asian as there was never any connection to any terrorist organisation, and then leaked the story to the press that he was part of a cell plotting a terrorist atrocity at Old Trafford.

Turns out the guy was completely innocent and later released without charge. The evidence of this plot was a ticket stub from a Manchester United game and a poster on his bedroom wall. The guy was simply a Manchester United fan but at the time it helped whip up a media storm of outrage. As usual, the press all quietly ignored the matter of his release

reply to post by otherhalf


i cant believe people take the Sun seriously
the only thing its good for is Page 3 and dear deidre (having a laugh at social problems people have)

we always have the sun in the staff room at work, only thing decent about it is the fact that it has a free TV guide (for me that is not the page 3 part)

Wasn't there a bit of concern that large amounts of explosives could of found their way into the foundations at the new Wemberly stadium - I wonder which paper reported that one?

Oh, the news of the world.

I wouldn't trust them lot, right wing rad for the working class

The News of the World is a Murdoch rag. That should immediately cast doubt on its authenticity as a news story.

I personally don't think trained Al-Qaeda cells would target the Premiership, for the simple reason that its not the sort of thing they are after. The Jihadist thinking coming out of Iraq since 2005 involves attacking socio-political fracture points to try and make a society break down.

Remember when the Golden Dome Mosque was attacked, and no single group claimed it as theirs? Every group in Iraq immediately blamed someone else, usually the ethnic group they hated the most, and went at it hammer and tongs.

Now, I'm sure plenty of people love their football, don't get me wrong. I just don't see it immediately translating into political and social chaos. Its a vanilla terrorist attack, writ large. We know Al-Qaeda likes those, on occasion, but usually a more symbolic or military target is chosen, as two fingers at the government in question.

Of course, I wouldn't be surprised if some moronic self-starting cell (people whose only link with Al-Qaeda is reading one of their online rags, like Al-Ansar) tried to give it a go. But these guys are hilariously inept to start with, and certainly lack the logistical ability to wreak large scale havoc.

reply to post by paul76


I read The News of The World, I am working class. (I also read The Sunday Times)
I don't believe all it says, or any other newspaper including The Guardian etc.
I am not a moran.

This story may not be true, neither were The Hitler Diaries.

Bodrul;
As for The Sun, you forgot Striker.
Best read of the day.

[edit on 16-10-2007 by Freeborn]

reply to post by infinite


Are you insinuating there is something wrong or inferior with the working classes?

I suppose attacking a Premiership stadium would be a good way of attracting attention on an international level, but as others have said I'm not so sure the source of this story has any credibility to it. One thing is for sure though, I highly doubt the Emirates would be attacked, as if I remember correctly Bin Laden himself used to attend Arsenal matches back in the day.

O.k so your not a moron. What are you then for buying such drivel? I used to buy the sun every day of the week but I grew out of it and got fed up of the sleaze and the Anti French this and all the other agendas they try to ram down your throats.

Originally posted by Freeborn
reply to post by infinite

 

Are you insinuating there is something wrong or inferior with the working classes?

No,
I am working class and where did I make a comment regarding how the working class was "inferior"?

Originally posted by paul76
O.k so your not a moron. What are you then for buying such drivel? I used to buy the sun every day of the week but I grew out of it and got fed up of the sleaze and the Anti French this and all the other agendas they try to ram down your throats.

I am the moron, to think that I could post this article, ask if it was legit, and then expect that either it would be decided it wasn't worth taking notice of or that we could have an interesting discussion. Instead, the thread (with the exception of a few good posts) has come down to a war on the economic status and intelligence of the readers of this particular paper.

People are free to read what they want. I don't care for censorship. No matter what form it takes.

And I hate the fact that I will probably end up ignoring my own thread because of nastiness. Which is what I do to every other thread when this happens. It's too bad because a lot of really good threads have been brought to a screeching halt that way.


Sorry mods. Will post on topic in a minute. Gotta take a few deep breaths.



Edit to add:
Actually, I don't think I will. It's just not worth it.

Thanks to all of those that tried.


[edit on 16-10-2007 by otherhalf]