Sunday, 25 February 2007
 

R J Del Vecchio: The voices are getting louder...
Contributed by Bill Faith

Del emails:

OK, the wake-up calls are getting louder and louder in some places, maybe loud enough to get heard over the incessant pap of the politically correct crowd that has trumpeted "diversity" and "tolerance" for so long. I still find Reagan's quote to be one that should be ringing out all over the West these days... "If history teaches us anything, it teaches that self-delusion in the face of unpleasant facts is folly."

But the addiction to fantasy seems to be stronger than ever in leftist circles and among too many intellectuals.  One wonders how bad it will have to get before the fantasy collapses, and the real ugliness begins.

British Multiculturalism - One Man's Experience
Giraldus Cambrensis

We received a testimonial from one of our readers, of his experiences of the current climate in Britain. We shall call him "Doug" to disguise his identity. In his own words, unedited, this is his account:

Why its time to go

This story starts in Bristol city in the SW of the United Kingdom. In June 2003 I decided to leave that city to return to Scotland the Country of my youth. The reason for that return was simple, I had witnessed a series of events, which had shocked and depressed me.

The worst of these was a serious assault against a student, he was walking home from a night out, he was causing no harm, the area was St Pauls, a notoriously crime ridden area, favoured by immigrants, and Afro Caribbeans. The student was set upon and his mobile stolen, he was left bloodied and unconscious, we went to help but we were no match for the attackers who fled instantly.

The other events in Bristol, which prompted my return North, included the introduction of armed police onto the streets of part of Bristol, this was done to combat the armed gang violence between black gangs. Bristol is the UK's crack capital. These gangs were a mix of Afro Caribbean "Yardies" and Somalian tribesmen, as well as a few indigenous hangers on. People who lived in these areas where subjected to endless robberies and assaults by drug addicts, crackheads etc. I decided that this was not for me. I packed my car and left. As I was leaving I noticed a large queue on the pavement I had seen the queue many times full of people of African and Middle Eastern extraction, they were outside the local Asylum seeker help centre. I paid little attention.

I was originally brought up in the Scottish lowlands a beautiful area of rolling hills and moor land, one of the least populated parts of the UK. On my arrival at my parents house I knew I had made a good decision, I immediately felt at home, amongst the trees and hills.

Anyway after a few months I started to set my mind to careers and money, without which we all know you don't get very far. I had friends in Glasgow a hundred miles North I decided to head up and look at opportunities. I have always liked Glasgow, it was once the richest city in the British Empire (per capita). A place with a chequered history but a good vibrant city. Well after a while I decided to move there, I chose to move to an area in the south side of the city, Pollokshields. This is area was one of the UK's first garden suburbs, massive houses, and beautiful large tenement apartments. I decided to purchase an apartment; it was one of the few areas I could afford given the UK's housing price boom. I had high hopes and was full of ideas and expectation.

It began the first night, the upstairs neighbours began shouting and screaming, a man was hitting his wife, the noise was unbearable, they were Pakistani, the area was home to the largest Pakistani Muslim community in Scotland. I had looked at the area and was bedazzled by the ornate Georgian architecture; I had forgotten to take a look at the more important social dimension. ...

Read the whole thing,

Contributed by Bill Faith on February 25, 2007 at 10:38 PM in Great Britain, Islamism Delenda Est, R J Del Vecchio | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Sunday, 21 January 2007
 

For Queen, Country, and One Lance Corporal...
Contributed by Bill Faith

Balls. Big bloody brass British balls. Read it.

*** Update and bump. Original timestamp 2007.01.18.13:44

The Sunday Mirror has the full story here, Sky News has video here. (H/T: Allahpundit)

Contributed by Bill Faith on January 21, 2007 at 01:52 PM in Afghanistan, Bill Faith, Great Britain, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Friday, 19 January 2007
 

'If our troops pull out my son will have died in vain'
Contributed by Bill Faith

I won't even try to excerpt it. Read it here. Hat tip: Allahpundit, who also links to Kingsman Green's official MoD obituary here.

SEE YOU AT THE BRIDGE
Anthony W. Pahl

I never met you mate, but your name was not unknown
I never shook your hand mate, but together we had grown.
We lived in different countries but we fought in the same war
And we served at different times mate, upon that foreign shore.

We were brothers, one and all mate; no matter what our creed
We fought and held each other mate, whenever there was need
We were in that foreign country and never forgot the things we saw
And the brotherhood there formed mate, would never be foresworn.

You've travelled to the bridge where all honoured warriors tread
You're now on sentry duty mate; you've forged the way ahead ...

[Read on.]

Contributed by Bill Faith on January 19, 2007 at 09:03 PM in Anthony Pahl, Bill Faith, Great Britain, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Tuesday, 16 January 2007
 

Degenerate Psychopaths Stand Trial in London
Contributed by Bill Faith

An item that was posted here in error has been moved to Bill's Bites.
[Dang it, Bill! From now on, three cups before you start posting.]

Contributed by Bill Faith on January 16, 2007 at 10:32 AM in Bill Faith, Great Britain, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Friday, 22 December 2006
 

UK cops alarmed by Internet chatter urging holiday strike
Contributed by Bill Faith

I did it again. Sorry. Eventually I'll learn to keep track of which blog I'm posting what to. I've moved this post here where I meant to put it to begin with.

Contributed by Bill Faith on December 22, 2006 at 04:28 PM in Bill Faith, Great Britain, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Sunday, 03 September 2006
 

Brits arrest 14 jihadis in new terror plot
(Updated and bumped)
Contributed by Bill Faith

UK police: 14 held in terror swoop

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Fourteen men were arrested Friday and Saturday in anti-terrorism raids in south and east London during a "pre -planned intelligence-led operation," a statement from Scotland Yard said.

Officers from the MPS anti-terrorism branch arrested the men after months of surveillance on suspicion of the "commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism," the statement said.

[Read on.]

14 held in terror police swoop

Armed police have arrested 14 men overnight following anti-terror raids in London, which included 12 arrests at a restaurant in the Borough area.

Two people were held elsewhere in the city, in what Scotland Yard described at a pre-planned, intelligence-led operation.

Police said the arrests were not connected to the alleged transatlantic jet bomb plot or the 7 July attacks.

[Read on. Hat tip: Allahpundit]

***

New British Terror Sweep Nabs 14 Suspects
Ed Morrissey

[...]

The school only had nine students at its last inspection, which seems very noteworthy considering the size of the facility. The school advertises to Islamic centers as a central instruction point for leaders of Muslim communities. Given the size of the facility, either Jameah Islameah has fallen on hard times -- which seems unlikely given the current state of affairs -- or it served as something more than an instructional facility.

In fact, the BBC's sources say that the arrests involved the operation of training camps for terrorists. It's the same kind of training that British investigators suspected the July 7 bombers of undergoing but were never able to establish when or where it happened. While investigators so far have found no connection between the school and the July 7 plotters, they apparently have taken that theory seriously enough to look for similar training centers for would-be terrorists.

[Read the whole thing.]

Allah's updated his post several times since I linked to it earlier.

Mary Katharine Ham has good coverage here.

***

London Terror Raids Nab 14 Suspects

***

14 Arrested In UK Anti-Terror Raids

***

Britain's First Jihadi Training Camp

*** Update and bump  Original timestamp 2006.09.02.03.31

Guess who got arrested yesterday in Britain
Allahpundit

So saith Sky:

The search follows a series of anti-terror raids across London which saw 14 men arrested after months of surveillance by M15 and Scotland Yard.

Among them was Abu Abdullah, an associate of Abu Hamza.

They are suspected of being involved in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terror.

Remember him? I almost didn’t cut the clip when CNN interviewed him two weeks ago. “What for?” I thought. “All he is is Hamza’s toady. Is this really newsworthy?”

Londonistan, baby. It’s always newsworthy.

[...]

Contributed by Bill Faith on September 3, 2006 at 03:26 PM in Bill Faith, Great Britain, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Tuesday, 22 August 2006
 

FBI Leaks Hampering British Investigation Into Terror Plot
Contributed by Bill Faith

Police hit out at FBI over leaks

Anti-terror police in Britain have made an angry request to their US counterparts asking them to stop leaking details of this month's suspected bomb plot over fears that it could jeopardise the chances of a successful prosecution and hamper the gathering of evidence.

The British security services, MI5 and MI6, are understood to be dismayed that a number of sensitive details surrounding the alleged plot - including an FBI estimate that as many as 50 people were involved - were leaked to the media.

FBI sources confirmed to The Observer that the bureau had been ordered to stop briefing at the request of the British authorities. 'The shutters have come down,' a bureau source said. 'We have been told not to discuss the case any more.'

[Read on. Hat tip: OTB]

Contributed by Bill Faith on August 22, 2006 at 11:51 AM in Bill Faith, Great Britain, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Monday, 21 August 2006
 

8 suspects charged with conspiracy to murder in UK
Contributed by Bill Faith

Charges Over Terror Plot

Eleven suspects in the alleged UK airport terror plot have been charged - as police revealed they had found bomb-making equipment and martyrdom videos.

They said eight people had been charged with conspiracy to murder and preparing acts of terrorism.

Three other suspects are charged with other offences under the Terrorism Act. One of these is a 17-year-old.

[Read on. Hat tip: Allahpundit.]

Contributed by Bill Faith on August 21, 2006 at 11:46 AM in Bill Faith, Great Britain, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Sunday, 20 August 2006
 

If you want sharia law, you should go and live in Saudi
Contributed by Bill Faith

Shahid Malik, the Labour MP, explains why he told fellow Muslims that if they don’t like Britain they should pack their bags

Scotland Yard described it as a plot “to commit mass murder on an unimaginable scale”. John Reid concurred: “The terror threat to the public was unprecedented, the biggest that Britain had ever faced.”

As it transpired, there was nothing melodramatic about these descriptions. It was to be a “terror spectacular” beyond our worst nightmares, involving blowing up a dozen aeroplanes in mid-air over the Atlantic Ocean, with the wilful massacre of more than 1,000 innocent men, women and children.

Last Tuesday, after a 90-minute meeting with John Prescott, the deputy prime minister, to discuss the challenges of extremism and foreign policy, I emerged and was immediately asked by the media whether I agreed that what British Muslims needed were Islamic holidays and sharia (Islamic law). I thought I had walked into some parallel universe.

[Read the whole thing here. Hat tip: James Joyner]

Contributed by Bill Faith on August 20, 2006 at 08:11 PM in Bill Faith, Great Britain, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Market-Based Profiling
Contributed by Bill Faith

The Daily Mail reports on a flight in Britain that remained on the ground due to the demands of its passengers that two Arabic passengers get ejected. The incident shows that citizens will start imposing their own solutions to flight safety in the absence of demonstrably intelligent security while attempts at attacks continue:

British holidaymakers staged an unprecedented mutiny - refusing to allow their flight to take off until two men they feared were terrorists were forcibly removed.

The extraordinary scenes happened after some of the 150 passengers on a Malaga-Manchester flight overheard two men of Asian appearance apparently talking Arabic.

[...]

[Read on.]

The bleeding hearts willl be in full cry by morning. If the pilot worked for an American airline he'd be out of work by now. OTOH, I don't blame the passengers a bit.

Contributed by Bill Faith on August 20, 2006 at 01:27 AM in Bill Faith, Great Britain, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Friday, 18 August 2006
 

Woman Who Caused London-to-D.C. Flight to Be Diverted Facing Federal Charges (Updated and bumped)
Contributed by Bill Faith

BOSTON — A 59-year-old Vermont woman faced federal charges Thursday for interfering with a flight crew, after her outburst on a London-to-Washington flight prompted a massive security scare and raised questions about the thoroughness of passenger screening.

Catherine Mayo, of Braintree, Vt., muttered incoherently, occasionally saying "Pakistan," as she paced up and down the aisle of United Flight 923 on Wednesday, ...

[Read on.]

I'm not real sure whether she deserves jail time or a padded room but something needs to be done to keep her off the streets.

*** Update and bump. Original time stamp 2006.08.17.11:36

There's something happening here
Karol Sheinin

The woman that disrupted the London-NY flight on Wednesday appeared in federal court yesterday.

The word is that she's simply crazy, and not a terrorist, although her circumstances are more than a little suspicious:

Ms. Mayo’s 31-year-old son, Josh, told reporters in Vermont that his mother was a peace activist who had been visiting a Pakistani pen pal and that she had just had a “bad time” on the flight. It is unclear how long she had been in Pakistan, but she worked as a journalist there, writing columns for the Daily Times of Pakistan, assailing the war and American political policy.

[...]

Update, 11:37am: Reader DS Vet points out that she was lucid enough to understand that saying certain words would land her into trouble. From the Washington Times:

"She made reference to being with people associated with two words," the affidavit said. "She stated that she could not say what the two words were because the last time that she had said the two words she had been kicked off a flight in the United Arab Emirates."

[Read the whole thing here.]

Contributed by Bill Faith on August 18, 2006 at 03:18 PM in Bill Faith, Current Affairs, Great Britain, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Wednesday, 16 August 2006
 

London-to-DC flight diverted
due to “dangerous situation” on board (Updated, bumped)
Contributed by Bill Faith

Watch for more on this one as the day goes on and more becomes available.

Breaking: London-to-DC flight diverted due to “dangerous situation” on board (Update: Note referencing Al Qaeda?)
Allahpundit

The plane’s on the runway in Boston now; passengers are being offloaded. Details are sketchy, but Fox said there were three “suspicious” people onboard who confronted the crew and who may or may not have had an “item” or “items” with them.

[...]

A United Airlines flight from London to Washington D-C was diverted to Logan Airport this morning following a confrontation involving three passengers.

A woman on board Flight 923 apparently became “unruly,” prompting the pilot to request an emergency landing at Logan shortly after 10 a-m.

... Fox just said the woman had a note referencing Al Qaeda, along with “vaseline,” matches, and a screwdriver.

[...]

CNN asks a good question. Regardless of whether this was terror or just a lone nut, how’d she get vaseline and matches through the screeners at a British airport?

It's gonna be one of those days, isn't it?

*** Update and bump. Original timestamp 2006.08.16.10:42

Ed Morrissey: Flight Drama Somewhat Overblown.

Sounds like there was some real dumbness involved but no terrorism.

Contributed by Bill Faith on August 16, 2006 at 09:13 PM in Bill Faith, Great Britain, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Tuesday, 15 August 2006
 

Them or us (Updated and bumped)
Contributed by Bill Faith

Karol Sheinin, subbing for Michelle:

According to the Guardian, much of the information to stop the terrorist attacks out of London was obtained via torture.

Reports from Pakistan suggest that much of the intelligence that led to the raids came from that country and that some of it may have been obtained in ways entirely unacceptable here. In particular Rashid Rauf, a British citizen said to be a prime source of information leading to last week's arrests, has been held without access to full consular or legal assistance. Disturbing reports in Pakistani papers that he had "broken" under interrogation have been echoed by local human rights bodies. The Guardian has quoted one, Asma Jehangir, of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, who has no doubt about the meaning of broken. "I don't deduce, I know - torture," she said. "There is simply no doubt about that, no doubt at all."

[Read on.]

Not exactly the classic "ticking bomb" scenario, but close. This time common sense prevailed and the good guys won a round. This time.

***

Tom Bevan has worthy thoughts on the matter here.

*** Update and bump. Original timestamp 2006.08.15.17:20 This is going to have the bleeding hearts crawling out of the woodwork by morning. Might as well put it higher on the site where it's easier to find.

Allahpundit:

Gobsmackingly vile. What does it profit a man if he should gain the whole world but lose his soul?

Besides 2500-3000 innocent human lives, I mean.

(Read the whole thing.)

***

Ace of Spades: Torture "Broke" Pakistani-Held SkyBomb Plotter, Unravelling Conspiracy

Contributed by Bill Faith on August 15, 2006 at 08:47 PM in Bill Faith, Great Britain, Islamism Delenda Est, Pakistan | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Muslims face extra checks in new travel crackdown
Contributed by Bill Faith

THE [British] Government is discussing with airport operators plans to introduce a screening system that allows security staff to focus on those passengers who pose the greatest risk.

The passenger-profiling technique involves selecting people who are behaving suspiciously, have an unusual travel pattern or, most controversially, have a certain ethnic or religious background.

The system would be much more sophisticated than simply picking out young men of Asian appearance. But it would cause outrage in the Muslim community because its members would be far more likely to be selected for extra checks.

[Read on. H/T: Mary Katharine Ham]

***

Dan Riehl comments here.

Contributed by Bill Faith on August 15, 2006 at 11:44 AM in Bill Faith, Great Britain, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Monday, 14 August 2006
 

Pakistani Earthquake Relief
Financed, Covered UK Terror Plot
Contributed by Bill Faith

James Joyner:

It appears that the planners of the foiled UK hijacking plot operated under the auspicies of the earthquake relief effort to both finance and shield their activities.

British and Pakistani investigators are trying to determine whether the group of Britons suspected of plotting to blow up as many as 10 commercial airliners may have received money raised for earthquake relief by a Pakistani charity that is a front for an Islamic militant group. The charity, Jamaat ud Dawa, which is active in the mosques of Britain’s largest cities, played a significant role in carrying out relief efforts after last October’s earthquake in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir. It is one of the most militant of the groups battling the part of Kashmir controlled by India. In May, it was labeled a terrorist organization by the United States government.

[...]

[Read the whole thing.]

Contributed by Bill Faith on August 14, 2006 at 10:28 AM in Bill Faith, Great Britain, Islamism Delenda Est, Pakistan | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Sunday, 13 August 2006
 

About Bloody Time
Contributed by Bill Faith

British Government To Muslim "Moderates:" Drop Dead
Ace of Spades

Regarding a letter signed by numerous Muslim "moderates" who chose to immediately make all the same demands on the British as their terrorist fellow-travellers:

"I'm not going to question the motives of anyone who has signed this letter," [Home Secretary John Reid] told BBC News 24. "But I think it is a dreadful misjudgement if we believe the foreign policy of this country should be shaped in part, or in whole, under the threat of terrorist activity if we do not have a foreign policy with which the terrorists happen to agree."

A wake-up-and-smell-the-kuffar moment for the city formerly known as Londonistan, hopefully.

Other ministers have called the letter "facile", "dangerous" and "foolish" and Downing Street said Mr Blair "stands ready" to confront his critics when he returns from summer holiday and defend his record over the Middle East.

[...]

[Read on.]

Contributed by Bill Faith on August 13, 2006 at 10:27 PM in Bill Faith, Great Britain, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Defeating The Threat Of “Homegrown” Terrorism
Contributed by Bill Faith

Greg Tinti:

Today’s Sunday Times of London editorializes on the enemy within:

The great challenge for Britain is how to stop this and minimise the future risks. Nobody should underestimate the scale of the problem or the time needed. We already have a generation of disaffected Muslims who see any excuse, whether it is war in Iraq, Afghanistan or Lebanon, as a reason for killing their fellow citizens. The government has commissioned studies on combatting the problem, so far with little tangible impact. Tony Blair has been wooing Muslim leaders, too often the radicals rather than the moderates, although this policy seems to lie in shreds as they moan about wars in the Middle East inflaming Islamic youth. They are perfectly entitled to be angry about these conflicts, but that anger should be expressed through the democratic processes of demonstrations and elections.

[...]

[Read on.]

***

Backlash: Al-Guardian(!) tells British Muslims to get it together (Correction: The Observer, not the Guardian) (Update: Home Secretary blasts Muslim leaders)
Allahpundit

I was going to make the Times of London’s lead editorial the must-read of the day — until I saw this.

As the shock of the news about the bomb plot recedes, the story over there is rapidly becoming the miserably cynical, selfish way that Muslim special-interest groups have reacted to it. People are getting awfully tired of this good-cop bad-cop crap every time a plot is foiled (or isn’t foiled), where the first instinct of Muslim leaders is to mau-mau the British government about foreign policy by telling them things will get better if they just play ball.

It’s not working anymore, boys. If you’ve lost the socialists, you’ve lost everyone:

[...]

[Do read the whole thing.]

***

Ace: Editorial Of The Day

Contributed by Bill Faith on August 13, 2006 at 07:20 PM in Bill Faith, Great Britain, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Airlines: U.K. travel grinding to halt
Contributed by Bill Faith

LONDON - Airlines warned the British government Saturday that the country's air travel is "grinding to a halt" because of tough new anti-terror security requirements. One airline asked for police and army reservists to help with screening.

British Airways and Ryanair canceled scores of flights from Britain to Europe and the United States and blamed airport operator BAA for not investing enough in security systems and baggage screening in the aftermath of new terrorism threats.

BAA, which owns Heathrow and Stansted airports, ordered the cancellations because its systems for screening passengers and checked-in baggage for security threats could not cope with the extra required scrutiny of passengers and their luggage in the wake of Thursday's thwarted threat to bomb up to 10 U.S.-bound aircraft.

[Read on. H/T: OTB]

***

BA flight turned back to Heathrow

A British Airways flight from Heathrow to New York has been turned back after a mobile phone was heard ringing at the back of the plane.

No-one on board the plane admitted owning the phone, banned under current security restrictions, so flight BA179 returned to the London airport.

[...]

Contributed by Bill Faith on August 13, 2006 at 06:58 PM in Bill Faith, Great Britain, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

British AQ Leader Seized?
Contributed by Bill Faith

Ed Morrissey:

The Times of London reports that one of the men rounded up in the collapse of the airliner plot this week is the head of al-Qaeda in the UK. The Times does not identify him by name, but apparently MI-5 knows him well:

SECURITY sources believe that a man arrested in last week’s anti- terror raids in Britain is Al-Qaeda’s leader in this country.

Home Office officials say that one of those arrested is suspected not only of masterminding the foiled plot to bring down up to nine transatlantic airliners, but also of involvement in other planned atrocities over the past few years.

[...]

[Read on.]

Contributed by Bill Faith on August 13, 2006 at 03:00 PM in Bill Faith, Great Britain, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack