Banned from London

GaryKelly · Post by **GaryKelly** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 1:35 am

First reaction I had was one of surprise, then thinking "Gs, GW's dropped a real brick on this one!"

Now, though, the paranoia is creeping in and I'm thinking "What do they know that we don't, to issue such a proclamation right now?"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4673987.stm

The BBC wrote:US troops ordered to avoid London

Thousands of US military personnel based in the UK have been banned by commanders from travelling to London in the wake of Thursday's bomb attacks. Personnel, most of them from US Air Force units at RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath, in Suffolk, have been told not to go within the M25 motorway.

Family members who are from the US are also being urged to stay away.

The US air force said the order had been made in the interests of the safety of its troops.

Uilliam · Post by **Uilliam** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 1:50 am

Normal procedure for Abnormal situation..thats all
Slán Go Foill
Uilliam

US Servicemen Banned From London

Thousands of American servicemen and women based in Britain have been banned from entering London in the wake of the terrorist attacks.

Members of the US Air Force stationed at two RAF bases in Suffolk were instructed not to go within the M25 until further notice.

Matt Tulis, a spokesman at RAF Mildenhall, said the directive was issued to 10,000 personnel in the aftermath of the bombings and was considered the most effective measure to protect their troops.

"We are are concerned about the safety of our folks and are trying to do what we can to protect them," he said. "This is the best course of action right now."

Mr Tulis said the instruction was also issued to give the British authorities and officials the chance to "do their job" in the aftermath of the atrocity.

The instruction involved around 5,000 servicemen based at RAF Mildenhall and a further 5,000 based at RAF Lakenheath.

Staff Sgt Jeff Hamm, at RAF Lakenheath, said: "Because the attacks were so recent there is an uncertainty as to the reasons why and how imminent the threat is right now.

"Obviously it is in the interests of the air force to ensure its personnel are as vigilant and as safe as possible."

Asked whether he thought the directive may send out a negative message to Britons, he insisted the US military did sympathise with them, particularly having experienced the September 11 terrorist outrage.

"While it's important for some to carry on business as usual, the interests in keeping the air force out of harm's way until we have a bit more knowledge about about what has happened is greater than the need to send them back into the city," he said.

The directive was issued to all active servicemen and women at the two bases but their families were also "highly encouraged" to follow the same guidelines, Mr Tulis said.

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 1:53 am

There has been talk of last week's attack being the first of a series based, I think, on the fact that the Madrid bombers had other targets. If anybody really knew, arrests would have been made already. They might have received warnings. It's worth remembering, though, that just before the Bali bombings the US issued a hightened alert that the Australian Government didn't pass on. The alert was for Indonesia, not Bali specifically, but Bali is the place in Indonesia most frequented by westerners.

Al Queda doesn't seem to be a tangible group these days; I myself doubt the extent to which it ever was. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people who trained with bin Laden are now scattered around the world, some will have formed cells which have very flat organisational structures and there is no reason to believe that any are in communication with the others. The radical mosques have been infiltrated so I'd assume the terrorists are now one step ahead of the infiltrators.

Whatever, Bush really seems to have dropped the ball here. Those fighting in Iraq are supposed to form an alliance, for heaven's sake. This undermines the famous Londoner determination. If he knows something, he'd better tell London quickly.

Flyingcursor · Post by **Flyingcursor** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 2:19 am

I doubt that the English Govt. is dull enough to not be aware of the reasons for this proclamation. Maybe I'm giving everyone more credit then they deserve. How did Bush drop the ball on this one?

avanutria · Post by **avanutria** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 2:27 am

The impression from London news is "hmm, that's rather odd" and now they've moved on to five residential houses that are being searched for bombs today.

GaryKelly · Post by **GaryKelly** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 2:44 am

Flyingcursor wrote:I doubt that the English Govt. is dull enough to not be aware of the reasons for this proclamation. Maybe I'm giving everyone more credit then they deserve. How did Bush drop the ball on this one?

Well, GW is the Commander-in-Chief, and it looks like the US military commanders in the UK have acted autonomously and in direct contradiction of the President's speech:

"In this difficult hour, the people of Great Britain can know the American people stand with you."

Well, if the order was given on Thursday (understandably) it should have been rescinded on Friday. It's now the following Tuesday, and the order is still in place.

What signal does this give to US citizens in London? Imagine you're Redwolf, on a school trip, in London, and you learn this morning that US military commanders have placed an exclusion zone around London, ordering thousands of US servicemen and women (and their families) to stay out of the city "for safety's sake"... how would that make you feel?

It's hardly a show of 'solidarity.' Of course, the criticism here can only be levelled at the military commanders, and of course that means, ultimately, the Commander-in-Chief. I'm sure that US servicemen and women, their families, and all US citizens in the UK are probably as puzzled and confused (and perhaps a little dischuffed?) by this order as any Brits might be.

Jens_Hoppe · Post by **Jens_Hoppe** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 4:39 am

You make it sound as if having fewer American soldiers in town is a bad thing...

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 4:49 am

Jens_Hoppe wrote:You make it sound as if having fewer American soldiers in town is a bad thing...

Clever.

GaryKelly · Post by **GaryKelly** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 5:10 am

GW must've heard us. According to the Beeb, at 12 o'clock the order was rescinded.

jbarter · Post by **jbarter** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 5:22 am

GaryKelly wrote:GW must've heard us. According to the Beeb, at 12 o'clock the order was rescinded.

Yeah, once he knew C&F were on the case the order had to go. Now we've just got to convince him to start playing the whistle.

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 5:30 am

It did just kind of vaguely give the general impression that it was OK for UK citizens (plus US and other countries' visitors) to risk their lives, but US Military personnel and their families were too prescious. Kinda.

But I'm sure that was not the intention.

GaryKelly · Post by **GaryKelly** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 5:43 am

More at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4673987.stm

Along with a cross-section of the feelings the order generated this morning.

I rather suspect that there are some red faces in the military's "middle management" around about now, and some new career opportunities about to open up in the Arctic circle.

dwinterfield · Post by **dwinterfield** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 6:51 am

I think all this falls into the "closing the the barn door after the horse has escaped catagory..

Horrible events, instantly shared around the world, inspire well-meaning officials to have the need to do something. Hopefully silly responses will be quickly reversed. Others become routine. My favorite is the shoe bomber. He is real and he did have explosives in his shoe and he did try to light them. Now we all take our shoes off and have them xrayed before we can board a plane. I don't mind, but I suspect it does nothing to make us safer.

I should add that on two occassions in the last year I'd forgotten and left a standard sized pocket knife in my carry-on bag and only realized it when I arrived at my destination (Washingotn DC both times)

Flyingcursor · Post by **Flyingcursor** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 7:03 am

GaryKelly wrote: Well, GW is the Commander-in-Chief, and it looks like the US military commanders in the UK have acted autonomously and in direct contradiction of the President's speech:

"In this difficult hour, the people of Great Britain can know the American people stand with you."

etc etc

I see what you mean. I must have had a reading comprehension problem this morning.

Roger O'Keeffe · Post by **Roger O'Keeffe** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 10:33 am

GaryKelly wrote:GW must've heard us. According to the Beeb, at 12 o'clock the order was rescinded.

I suspect that it was just someone in the US Embassy in London who spotted a PR disaster and chewed a piece of airforce ear.

And of course a mere Lieutenant was pushed out to deliver the about-face.

One of the books that I read that most influenced my thoughts on matters military was "The psychology of military incompetence".