Friday
Terrorism has always been cheap and easy, to be sure. The reason we do not have more has more to do with the tiny numbers of people it appeals to, and the sort of people it appeals to not generally being much good at practical organisation, than the competence of security forces. But modern governments and modern media appear to make terrorising the general population costless, workless and safe. Just hold a few meetings, send a few emails, and confess to plotting some extravagant crimes, and you are guaranteed to occupy the media for days.
Dhiren Barot, of north London, planned to use a radioactive "dirty bomb" in one of a series of attacks in the UK, Woolwich Crown Court heard.
Leave aside that 'dirty bombs' are not significantly more dangerous than ordinary bombs, but rely on superstitions about radioactive contamination - read further down the story:
The Crown could not dispute claims from the defence that no funding had been received for the projects, nor any vehicles or bomb-making materials acquired, [prosecuting counsel] said.Barot had also faced 12 other charges: one of conspiracy to commit public nuisance, seven of making a record of information for terrorist purposes and four of possessing a record of information for terrorist purposes.
The judge ordered all these charges to lie on file following his guilty plea to conspiracy to murder.
It's about time to re-introduce the death penalty, so that terrorists would not be released to the general population due to jail overcrowding or stupid things like that.
Posted by ic at October 13, 2006 08:04 AM
Don't think that even Texas would introduce the death penalty for conspiracy to commit murder.
I wonder what made Barot plead guilty if there was no clear evidence against him. Surely, as if oft with this level of 'terrorist', this is another case of a mentally subnormal individual (the type most commonly recruited by Al Queda and others) desperate for some form of attention and notoriety, even if it is as celebrity inmate status courtesy of Her Majesty.
Posted by Julian Taylor at October 13, 2006 08:57 AM
Not necessarily subnormal, but definitely abnormal. Reports of the trial suggest he is contentedly taking notes of it all on a laptop.
Posted by guy herbert at October 13, 2006 09:32 AM
The bloke sounds like Rudolph Hess at the Nuremburg trials. Mind you, as a convert to the Religion of Peace he was probably a crank to begin with.
Posted by John K at October 13, 2006 09:41 AM
I suspect that most who blog are familiar with the power of the desire to be taken notice of; but most of us are not so afflicted with it that we think fame worth threatening other people for.
There is/was a name for it: Herostratus complex. But now one has the cooperation of government and media if one wants to spread fearful fame, it is unnecessary actually to burn down any temple.
Posted by guy herbert at October 13, 2006 09:48 AM
This bloke does seem to be a strange jihadi-fantasist. The plots were amongst the most audacious terror plots ever and yet the least threatening because they hadn't moved beyond the initial planning/fantasy stage.
I suspect that wannabe terrorist Walter Mittys are on the increase and the media is playing a part in this. Petty criminals, scoundrels, failed x,y and zs all - try and blow yourself or something else up and get your 15 minutes!
These fearless (and clueless) protagonists of Holy War aren't exactly Minutemen?
I suppose Richard Reid has plenty of time to ponder the question "Why didn't I take a lighter with me?"
If Mr Barot (doesn't he work for Kazakhstan TV?) is taking notes on his laptop, I suspect it's because he thinks he'll get a book deal.
Posted by Nick M at October 13, 2006 09:56 AM
Of course there are other forms of terrorism, this girl's teacher seems to be more efficient.
A war of many fronts.
Posted by Proportionallity at October 13, 2006 03:48 PM
I wonder if the terrorists' shills in the media, who claimed that this was a stunt timed to help Bush's re-election chances, are going to apologise?
*crickets chirping*
*dingoes howling*
*...
Posted by murph at October 13, 2006 04:13 PM
John Lettice in The Register, takes much the same line as I do, and also points to this nice blog.
Posted by guy herbert at October 13, 2006 06:23 PM
