Glasgow Traffic Accident with Jeep - Absence of armed Police explained

For the many people who expressed surprise at the sequence of events at Glasgae last weekend ... this might help.

Associated Press report / Bloomberg / 8/7/07 8.16 BST

" .....Meanwhile, authorities acknowledged no armed police were on duty at Glasgow airport June 30 when two men crashed a Jeep Cherokee laden with gas cylinders and gasoline into the main terminal.

"Armed officers are only deployed to the airport when the national threat level requires it," a Strathclyde police spokesman said on condition of anonymity because department policy barred him from speaking for attribution.

Britain's terrorism threat level was "severe" at the time of the attack - the second-highest level, which means an attack is highly likely. It remains at that level.

It is up to individual police forces to decide how to deal with the threat level, a Home Office spokeswoman said on condition of anonymity in line with department policy.

Most police throughout Britain do not carry firearms out of the philosophy that arming police makes criminals feel justified in carrying weapons. However, all forces have specially trained firearms teams ready for rapid deployment.

The two men arrested following the Glasgow attack were overpowered by an unarmed officer, an off-duty policeman and members of the public. Armed police have been on duty at the airport since the attack.

All we need now is to be told that the Fire engines didn't have any foam .."because we don't usually get vehicle fires at the front door sir ...etc., "

Adm. Sir Alan West, the former navy chief the newly appointed security minister says the fight against "domestic militancy" (?) will take 15 years .... well that's no fucking surprise at this rate.

Fear naught though ..."John Smeaton, an airport worker, was praised in the Commons yesterday as the "one-man scourge of international terrorism".