Who Poses/Posed The Biggest Threat??

[Bernie]

Right here is a question to make you really evaluate the biggest threat to our national security. No headlines or links to post but would really like to hear what people think on this issue.
Not so long ago the IRA were seen as a big threat to safety in these parts(maybe they still are and have just gone quiet who knows??) But what I really want to know is do/did they make you feel more scared than the Muslim extremists who are IMO our biggest threat today?
Before any of you start I am not saying all Muslims are terroists was just wondering who you thought was/is the biggest threat to national security.

[Churchill]

The IRA has/have a political agenda, even though they were a bunch of cowardly murdering shites, just like all terror groups. The main difference as I see it is that anything that involves a Muslim group loosley falls under the vague category of Al-Quada. What and who are Al-Quada? We're not told very much by the media, and so it's difficult for the lay-person to assess the risk overall imho. Who funds them? How do they operate? We all knew more about the IRA, so the perceived risk is ultimately greater because we cant assess it ourselves, and we all fear the unknown.Also, the IRA had a clear mandate, they generally targetted specific 'hard' targets like military for example. They realised that this was the only way they wouldn't lose popular support, which is why after the Lord Mountbatten murder, (I think the fact his 6 year old nephew was killed was what made this really unpopular for them) they had to be very careful.

It seems that civilians are fair game to Al-Quada, even if they're muslims! That is why a senior copper recently said that they need a dialogue with these groups that loosley fall under the heading of Al-Quada. It allows SO13 to negotiate when warned of a target, and deflect their focus away from members of the public because they (terrorists) then feel legitimised.

Originally Posted by Bernie

Not so long ago the IRA were seen as a big threat to safety in these parts(maybe they still are and have just gone quiet who knows??) But what I really want to know is do/did they make you feel more scared than the Muslim extremists who are IMO our biggest threat today?

The IRA wanted a political solution. Therefore they COULD be talked to. The muslims however will not be happy until the Queen is beheaded, all women stoned (With stones!), and you can no longer listen to music, dance or eat a pork pie.

What they WANT is more dangerous.

As to THREAT.

I work in the "security branch" of Government, and I have worked in N.I during the height of the IRA campaign.

The IRA were REAL.

My intelligence estimate, the present threat is being blown out of all proportion by Western Governments to justify ever more draconian restrictions on legal recourse, privacy, assumption of innocence etc, on the ordinary people of the West.

Not a fortnight to a month goes by without our equivalent of the home office warning of "imminent threats" to German cities.

Personaly, even though our department is heavily involved in the counter messures, and reacts to them MOST seriously, it has an "exersize" feel to it for us all.

In private not many of us believe them.

WHY Governments should do that, I do not know. I am not into world domination myself. Perhaps one of you who is could answer that?

[skinny]

If only Bugsy was here, if only...

Bugsy???????

[skinny]

A great believer in The New World Order and all things conspirical...if that's a word?

I think it was Bugsy, from talk uk.

Originally Posted by skinny

A great believer in The New World Order and all things conspirical.

Don't knock it.

If conspiracies did not exist, they would not be an offence in 99% of the known world.

It is what "conspiracy" is attached to, that is the problem.

[skinny]

Where Bugsy was concerned conspiracies were connected to every fucking thing, well, almost.

Well. EVERYTHING is PLANNED, therfore he was, in some way, correct.

BUT what they refuse to see, is that not EVERY plan has criminal intent.

And not EVERY plan is out to get them.

[skinny]

Originally Posted by von Clausewitz

Well. EVERYTHING is PLANNED

You don't half make some stupid sweeping statements Von, AND IN CAPITALS. I didn't plan to stab myself in the hand with a screwdriver on Friday.

he was, in some way, correct..

Absolutely, i agreed with many of his comments, well, a lot.