Enough equipment stolen from UK military for 'small coup': official

Originally posted by Yissachar1
...So this is nothing new and has been going on as long as the army has

Nah it’s all a conspiracy mate. We’re supplying the Libyan rebels with musical instruments, Xbox games, silverware, DVD players, microwaves, Freeview boxes and pencil sharpeners.

Our government is just that evil. If only we had a pistol and some night-vision goggles, then we could take them down for sure!

reply to post by JohhnyBGood

half of them joined just to get the chance to kill muslims!

Really ?? I mean really !!! which half exactly ?? well off the mark there.

Originally posted by airspoon

This is pretty alarming and also suspicious... I'm wondering if the bulk of these "thefts" aren't really thefts at all, but rather theft being used as an excuse for accountability. I mean, how does one steal an aircraft fuselage?

I know that on US military bases, stealing critical military equipment is pretty hard to get away with, at least for the average civilian or service member. For instance, if even something as small as a firing pin goes missing, the FBI is called in to investigate and they will go as far as to shut the entire instilation until the part surfaces.

Anyway, what do other ATS'ers think about all of this missing military equipment? Do you guys think that it is due to simple theft or something a little more sinister? Whatever the reason, the story is pretty interesting and I will be paying attention.


--airspoon

www.rawstory.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

edit on 11-4-2011 by airspoon because: format

They would shut down a whole military base over a missing fire pin? Until the pin is found? Really?

Well, that sounds like the easiest way to stop the military from acting EVER. Snag a firing pin, drop it in a sewer off the base, and voila, no more military activity from there forever.

:

Glad yer back Airspoon, missed yer posts....
Theres a lot of scrap metal thats gone...pipes in copper, roofing leads etc electrical cable(copper)
The next most missing is night sights.
About 88000 lbs worth of them....
Thats british money by the way...not wieght.
Looks like a lot of the stuff was easily fenced or useful to the thief maybe...
From waht i read the satelite decoder is the worst security breach other than the missing weapons both pistols...
There is a signifigant quantity or silver missing as well, one statuette worth 25000 pds= about 60 000 us d.
The list looks more like theft for personal gain than enouh to start a small coup....
Unless you planned to bash the presidents head in with a silver statue of course.

Sounds like someone is stocking up on the storm to come.

Can the British military afford to lose any equipment?

Originally posted by airspoon

Anyway, what do other ATS'ers think about all of this missing military equipment? Do you guys think that it is due to simple theft or something a little more sinister? Whatever the reason, the story is pretty interesting and I will be paying attention.
--airspoon

Can I choose both?

I am deeply suspicious of anything that sounds like "uprising," "coup," "revolt," etc. right now. I think the uprisings in the middle east have not been entirely spontaneous, and I firmly believe at least one, (Libya) has been flat out manufactured.

When I heard my corporate owned media speculating if "uprising" might spread to the US, I got cold chills of a faked revolt as an excuse to suspend the US Constitution.

I know less about the political climate in the UK at the moment, so I dont know if they might be angling for that there as well.

On the other hand, I know for a fact people steal from the military. I grew up in Hawaii, and you cannot help but know people in the military or know OF people in the military, and I heard many tales of people stealing weapons one piece at a time after maneuvers, claiming they had been "lost," at the beach people would often set off grenade simulators for fun, which obviously must have been "borrowed" from the military, and things like MRE's and even old C-rats used to be floating all over the island.

So yeah, people steal from the military. But, they always have.........................so...............either its gotten so big and sloppy its more mentionable, or they are mentioning that "enough weapons have been stolen for a small coup" in the UK for their own purposes.

I think the most important clue is here:

Police estimate almost £700,000 worth of equipment was reported stolen from MoD buildings and bases during 2010, but said the level of theft had gone down in recent years.

Full Guardian Story here

So what we have here is typical in the US and I'd imagine the UK as well. Something isn't a problem until it is reported. And as in many other instances it isn't reported until people start doing something about it and it is getting better.

I say no coup, no new problems, just an MP looking for a little fame.


Edit to Add: Also check here to see the list of missing items: UK Parliament Deposits open the document named : DEP2011-0602 This looks like a list for someone trying to make a little cash on the black market rather than someone trying to stage a coup...

Ok One more Edit: from the list:

Computer mice 150.00 HMNB Devonport, Plymouth.

ha haa! Smoking gun there is a coup being staged with stolen military equipment. I also saw an imitation firearm, 30,000 pounds worth of clothing (someone opening a boutique?) among many other things. The most dangerous in my opinion would be the Diesel and the heavy duty batteries.

Me think's someones' planning a Royal wedding gift ??? or maybe the background story ?

It certainly looks alarming on the surface but when you look at the entire list, it includes things like televisions, video games, clothing. To me that sounds like soldiers augmenting their incomes. Though I do have to wonder how and why anyone would steal an aircraft fuselage.

Originally posted by InvisibleAlbatross
It certainly looks alarming on the surface but when you look at the entire list, it includes things like televisions, video games, clothing. To me that sounds like soldiers augmenting their incomes. Though I do have to wonder how and why anyone would steal an aircraft fuselage.

The scrap metal value on that if cut into pieces would be a huge not traceable cash paycheck...

Originally posted by JohhnyBGood
Everybody in the UK (except the Politicians - ha ha!) knows that jihad/civil war is coming - it will happen in Europe first accompanied by mass influx from across the med - I'm not surprised that army personellare stockpiling weapons in anticipation - half of them joined just to get the chance to kill muslims!

This is also what the PTB wants so no doubt they won't be stopping it any time soon!

Yeah your right, it's probably these guys who have stolen the equipment preparing for battle against the muslamic ray guns!

Probably working up to the next false flag. Great to see you back, you have been soooo missed. Peace starchild.

Originally posted by OptimisticPessimist
reply to post by airspoon

 

I remember when I was working as a civilian in one of the bases around here in the UK.

A private came up to me and enquired as to whether I wanted some cheap tobacco, or even some army issue clothing.
After buying some tobacco from him a few times, I was then accosted by a higher ranking officer who asked me if I wished to purchase other things...basically, after being made clearly aware that he was offering much more than tobacco, I joked that I could do with a hand grenade or two - to which he stated that that could be arranged...!!!!

Got to say I was secretly unnerved by this and, just a little disappointed.

I didn't buy anything, because I couldn't afford the outlay for what, at the time, I considered to be extravagant purchases, but I wish I'd taken him up on his offers now, what with this world and the way it's becoming.

I can tell you that from my time in the forces it was a bit lax but nowhere near what the MP was saying.

Body Armour was available (flak jacket, no trauma / ceramic plates) for nothing in the 1990s in a few bases.
But getting handgun's was a very difficult. One of the way's some soldier's would do it was to deliberately say they'd 'lost' a handgun. Take the military charge for it (usually a fine of £500) and they'd have themselves a nice browning Hi-Power to play with
When I passed through customs never searched me once crossing the Channel. They'd ask for Id and you'd show them your Mod Form 90 and be waved on, no question's asked
Some lads did do a bit of black-market arms smuggling from Gemany to the UK. The arms were non-military and normally from civilian's in Germany with serial number's taken down.

I'd heard but it was usually pistols for the gangs up in Scotland. This is going back a long time ago though.
Nowaday's accountability is a lot more stringent. They have something called 'OP Plunder' which is where all the vehicles that have arrived back in Germany or the UK are searched by the Military Police. It didn't used to be a crazy search though there were way's to get stuff through if you were really determinded...
For night-vision equipment that is very accountable. It's issued out and if you lose it you pay for it. It costs £1000 plus for a top set of goggles, that's a lot for a struggling squaddy to pay out.
The scam's for gear theft normally goes on in the Quartermaster Store's by the guys / gals working there. It's usually full of the lame and lazy soldiers (usually) but they have the perks that go with it