Aren't Terror Suspects Useful?

I said in the previous post here, that the suspected terrorists arrested in the North-West led to an open day in the tabloids about what the 'potential' targets were. As with the G20 protests, the media is quick to accept police and security services' version of events (and in this case quick to embellish the facts.

Now that all of those arrested have been released without charge, no doubt the tabloids will seek to justify the original arrests on the basis that 'you can't be too careful, guv' which is of course one step away from internment of anyone looking a bit foreign. The disturbing aspect is that they are facing deportation on security grounds, which smacks of the security services having more than one bite of the cherry. Hopefully, upon appeal, more facts will emerge. Should they be granted legal aid then expect the usual suspects to lambast this.

This is worrying for a number of reasons. Given the Government's complete faith in incarceration without charge for lengthy periods, these arrests seem to come at periodical intervals as if to remind us of the 'enemy within'. Those of us with a few remaining libertarian bones will be castigated for encouraging/condoning/supporting terrorism, but we will continue to seek answers and counter the lies, half-truths and dog whistles in the right-wing media.

If people want to know the effects of such reporting they need only have listened to a young woman interviewed on North-West news shortly after the arrests. She had been abused in the street. Because she looked foreign.

The reaction to 7/7 was also worrying. Aside from the ludicrous sanctioning of police placement outside railway stations (nice overtime if you can get it), there was a sense of a bunker mentality. Political correctness seemed to be jettisoned as people found it appropriate to express views which were openly prejudiced. In the name of 'better safe than sorry' I noticed anti-immigrant feeling which quickly disappeared when someone of a different ethnicity appeared.

Our fiends (sic) at BNP HQ are rubbing their hands of course.

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Finally, I've been following with interest the completion of The Dream in St. Helens on the site of the old colliery. Some impressive pictures here. I knew that the Taxpayers' Alliance would have a rentaquote response ready and wasn't disappointed. They really are a bunch of artless, self-appointed bastards.

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