Sir John Stevens is retired from the Metropolitan Police and is now free to stoke the climate of fear in Britain with intemperate language in the Murdoch newspaper of his choice.

Tim Ireland says, “I shan’t bother wasting my breath to point out the obvious,” but there are a few things I felt needed pointing out.

The timing of Sir John’s remarks were, obviously, optimum: published, as they were, the day before the Lords return to the Safety Elephant’s internment bill. But it’s the button-pushing language used which is more surprising, to the point where I find myself wondering if the piece wasn’t ghosted, or at least sexed-up, by some NOTW hack.

The piece isn’t on the News of the World’s website but the rest of the media have picked up on the choicer remarks.

He said there were small networks of militants who had been trained by Osama bin Laden and had “spawned and continue to fester” in British towns and cities.

…

“The main opposition to the Bill, it seems to me, is from people who simply haven’t understood the brutal reality of the world we live in and the true horror of the terrorism we face,” Sir John wrote.

…

“The difference is that no [IRA member] ever strapped a bomb to their body, walked into somewhere like Trafalgar Square and blew themselves and 100 innocent passers-by to smithereens.”

Smithereens?

“…even those born and brought up here.”

He doesn’t even have to say the word. You know who he means. Others, with strange languages and customs. Why he didn’t go the whole hog and talk about rivers of blood?

Whether he’s added anything constructive to the debate remains to be seen. He’s certainly given some tasty soundbites to Clarke and Blair. A few more people were probably a bit more anxious about getting the tube to work today or walking through Trafalgar Square. Who knows, maybe a few more angry young Muslim men were further incensed. Stevens should get back to giving credence to the various conspiracy theories about who assassinated Diana.

He says there are 200 hundred Bin Laden-trained terrorist on the streets of the UK. (Blair’s similar horror story last week pretty much evaporated on contact with even the most cursory scrutiny.)

But according to the Times this morning, a Home Office study says only 20 terrorist suspects would be subject to the control orders. Which begs the question: what happens to the other 180 of Stevens’ terrorists?

The study also says that the “that suspects whose movements were restricted would be monitored by private security firms.” Jesus Christ. That puts a shiver up my spine more than any cataclysmic claptrap from Blair. The security of the most dangerous men in the country - who want to blow us to “smithereens”, “undermine our way of life” and cause chaos on an “unlimited” scale - is going to be put out to tender. I just hope Reliance Custodial Services don’t get the gig.

Posted on March 7th, 2005 at 9:56 am

See also • Dogs can’t look up. Don’t ask me why. • A lemon entry, my dear Stevens • Told You!		Permalink • Trackback • Subscribe By Email • Print This Post • • •
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