UK Counter Terrorism cock ups - Official : Interpol.

On Friday, November 04, 2005 " Secret Service spread terror message" we posted details of Interpol Secretary-General Ronald Noble addressing the Counter-terrorism Committee of the UN Security Council on Interpol’s work.He claimed then that there were 10 to 15 million stolen passports in use around the world at the present time

"If member countries treated stolen passports like citizens treat their stolen credit cards, then we would have many, many fewer terrorists and organized criminals in the world than we currently do,"

At the time Noble said 87 countries are using an Interpol database on stolen passports - that has now risen to 108 with some 70 countries remaining undecided to join.

Since it's creation in 2002The Interpol database carries information about 11,000 suspected terrorists and seven million stolen passports - which is only routinely used by a 17 countries countries to check visa applications and passports on entry of visitors / immigrants.

On the BBC4 Today programme, this morning, Noble was interviewed by James Naughtie and he claims that the USA and the UK do not access this database although there are no technical reasons preventing them. (BBC ONline report timed 8.08 BST today) They handle some 50 odd requests from the UK per month on a random basis.

Switzerland for example checks 300,000 visitors per month and get 100 hits and France by comparison makes 700,000 checks. CARICOM countries, the EU-style organisation for the small Caribbean states, uses it 80,000 times a month - Lord Patel detailed how it was used during the recent Cricket World Cup during the Woolmer mystery murder / suicide / natural death saga.

Noble also told the Sunday Telegraph "We have the passport numbers, fingerprints and photos of more than 11,000 suspected terrorists on our database. But the UK does not check it against immigrants coming into the country or foreign nationals it has arrested.

"The guys detained last week could be wanted, arrested or convicted anywhere in the world and the UK would not know."

He told the Guradian - "Mr Noble said that Gordon Brown's promise last week to share a list of potential terrorists with other countries had yet to materialize. British citizens might be surprised to find that this watch list announced by your prime minister last week has not been sent to Interpol,"

A spokeswoman for the Home Office last night declined to discuss Mr Noble's accusations says the Scotsman ?/strong>today.

Almost daily we are confronted with the stupidity, incompetence, bone hededness of the Counter terrorism efforts , surely it is time there was a huge shaek up of senior peronnel - starting with that lard arse, Sphincter of the Yard, Commander Peter Clarke.

So far the failures of the authorities are equally matched by the apparent lack of professionalism of the alleged terrists - which is not a balance we can continue to rely on. As Admiral West early in his career lost some defence documents because he breached the rules - one has little confidence in his abilities.

Presumably at some time the real professional terrorists instead of the State organised false flaggers will get their act together....

Other reports Evening Standard Sunday Telegraph BBC Online Guradian Scotsman
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