Britain is on maximum alert over two attempted terrorist attacks and it seems that it was shear dumb luck that no one was killed and that the only injured people were the perpetrators.
Despite all the money spent and controversy generated by Britain’s attempt to combat the ‘war on terror’, hundreds owe their lives to a couple of quick-witted ambulance men and a not-so-quick-witted tow-away driver.
Two cars laden down with explosives, gas and nails (just in case blowing your arms and legs off wasn’t enough you get the chance of a flying nail trough the eye) were discovered not through any kind of intelligence garnered by anti-terrorist units, but by everyday people keeping their eyes open.
The first car that was due to detonate was seen to be smoking by two ambulance men attending to a different matter at the same location. They called it in to their dispatcher and a tragedy was averted.
Another car, believed to have been set to detonate while survivors were evacuating the area, was towed (smoking) all the way to a car impound for being badly parked but it wasn’t until the car actually arrived at the impound lot that the smoke was noticed – just goes to show how much care and attention goes into winching a car up before towing it away!
On the up side, it seems they just don’t train terrorists the way they used to! You’d think if you were going to go to the trouble to rig a couple of cars to blow you’d take the time to park them properly so as not to run the risk of having them towed away. Not to mention avoiding the use of an early-warning smoke alert.
As for the attack on Glasgow airport, it seems like a bit of a waste of time to drive a blazing car into a doorway and only incur damage on yourself (not to take away from the trauma sustained by an injured glass door).
On a more serious note though, it was good to see that Britain isn’t kowtowing to these latest terrorist threats, as neither attack was enough to keep people in their homes for the Diana concert.
As dramatic as it sounds, we live in a world of instability where danger is just around the corner.
Britain got away lightly this time but next time might not be quite as lucky.
Attacks will happen and tragedy can’t ever be totally avoided but the main aim of terrorism is to spread fear and hatred and disturb everyday life as much as possible.
Staying strong and refusing to allow it to control your life is the only way to insure terrorism in all its forms can never win.
With a Wembley Stadium concert crowd of over 63,000 strong, the message was loud and clear: Nil Illegitimus Carborundum (or Illegitimi Non Carborundum for my more pedant
readers).
