You are. Is it?
I hold The Independent in high regard, not least their bold and polemical front covers, but I don't want this:
I know the question mark is supposed to make it alright (we're not saying they are the enemy within, we're asking, are they?), but do we really want to be suggesting that the "enemy" walks among us in this kind of emotive, curtain-twitching, shop-your-neighbour fashion? The phrase "the enemy within" harks back to what Mrs Thatcher called the leaders of the 1984-'85 Miners' Strike. The Independent looks like a copy of the Daily Mail today. I expect better. (Inside, admittedly, Robert Fisk is given his usual platform to say what needs to be said.) Oh, and while I'm here, I like the art prints they've been giving away but does the big red and blue lettering of "LICHTENSTEIN: FREE GLOSSY POSTER" not slightly distract from the seriousness of the story beneath? I know, I know, sign of the times. But I don't have to like those times.
I didn't like yesterday's front page either:
10/8
Was this going to be the next date in the calendar of terror?
Answer: probably not. Again, Daily Mail sensationalism.
And if you want to know that what we're reading isn't news, but speculation, just skim over this lead article from the Indie and take note of the bits I've bolded up. It makes enlightening reading:
Bomb-making equipment has been discovered by anti-terrorist officers investigating the foiled plot to blow up 10 transatlantic airliners, intelligence sources say. MI5 and the police believe a Britain-based terrorist cell, assisted by al-Qaeda members, had been planning to start a series of suicide bombings on American-bound planes as early as yesterday or today. It has also emerged that there was a police informer working closely with the plotters.
The alleged terrorists were foiled after police carried out the series of raids in which they arrested 24 people, mostly young British men of Pakistani descent, in east London, Buckinghamshire and Birmingham. The police were rushed into making the arrests after one of the alleged ringleaders - a British citizen - was arrested in Pakistan on Wednesday, US intelligence sources have disclosed.
The police acted swiftly because they were fearful that the arrest in Pakistan would alert British based suicide bombers and prompt them into carrying out the planned attacks in the next few days, the US sources confirmed.
Anti-terrorist officers are understood to have found material and documents that could be used to make liquid explosive bombs for smuggling onto aircraft, at houses in east London and High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire. There are also unconfirmed reports of one or two "martyrdom videos" - recordings made by would-be suicide bombers - being discovered. The suspects are accused of planning to use specially adapted sports drinks bottles to smuggle in the explosive material, which could be detonated with a battery, or flash from a disposable camera.
An unprecedented year-long surveillance operation by MI5 and the police is alleged to have uncovered a plot to blow up nine or ten airliners, killing up to 3,000 passengers and crew, in three phases. The investigation has discovered a series of links with Pakistan, where several of the alleged plotters are thought to have been partly trained, financed and radicalised by al-Qa'ida members, although the alleged plot remains largely a homegrown affair, intelligence officers believe. The alleged plan was to use a homemade explosive and smuggle it through airport security in hand luggage.
Three of four suicide bombers would each board a passenger plane heading for the United States and detonate the devices at the same time. Two further waves of attacks would then be carried out at later dates. The terrorists had got as far as identifying several American-owned airlines to target, but had yet to select specific flights or buy any tickets, it is understood. Security sources believe they intended to purchase tickets at the last minute.
The alleged plot has caused chaos to airports and forced the authorities to introduce strict new security measures, including banning hand luggage. Britain also remains on the highest level of security - known as critical - although the Home Office has admitted this is only as a precaution. Police continued to search more than 20 properties yesterday and are preparing to question the 24 suspects being held on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. Nineteen of the suspects have had their bank accounts and assets frozen.
Several of the people arrested, which included a mother and her child, are expected to be released without charge in the next few days. As the investigation progresses more details of the the operation have emerged. Known as Operation Overt, the US network, ABC News, revealed that the British police had penetrated the alleged cell and had someone working for them on the inside.
MI5 were reportedly alerted to one of the suspects after a relative became suspicious and contacted the authorities, according to an unconfirmed US report. It was also disclosed that the reason the police had to bring forward their plans by about a week was that one of the leading alleged plotters was mistakenly arrested in Pakistan.
Police have said that they have arrested all the suspected main players, although it is not clear whether everyone involved in Pakistan has been detained. But John Reid, the Home Secretary, said: "We can never be certain and we want to be sure that, alongside the operational interventions we made, we maintain a very high level of vigilance and the necessary restrictions on the aviation sector."
posted by Andrew Collins @ 2:38 PM
18 Comments
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18 Comments:
I can normally spot The Independent in the shop even though its low shelf, low circulation placing hides its masthead. The last two days I've had to look more carefully.
I suppose the press are in a difficult position when these stories come out. Unless they can prove that they're being fed a load of bollocks (which they won't be able to do anytime soon even though they probably suspect it as much as you do) they're pretty much duty bound to report it with all the provisos you've highlighted. It's still disappointing that The Independent feels that either of these covers was helpful or appropriate. You could almost believe that we won't be safe until the tanks are back at the airports.
The Lichtenstein banner is a real clunker, possibly because the whole page is divided into horizontal strips so the distinction isn't clear enough. Its pop art styling looks jarringly wrong.
I'm with Dave on the use of provisos and clearly you're riled by all this stuff. I would imagine that most of the emboldened words were put in there by the legal team, to protect against being sued all the way by those of the 20+ "suspects" who will inevitably be released without charge.
The lichenstein banner is crap. A simple Wham! might have provided some ironic relief.
Do I detect a pattern from your recent blogs?: litter louts, modern films that you can't hear and where the actors' diction isnt what it could be, people being rude in shops, how newspapers arent what they used to be, an unnatural pride in successful DIY. You're rehearsing for grumpy old men arent you!
Actually the use of an italicised Comic Sans font is pretty deplorable too. Also I think it says a lot about me when I saw that headline and thought 'Hold on -- wasn't that the working title of the Doctor Who TV Movie with the Pertwee Logo starring Paul McGann?'.
There is a climate of fear being generated in this country, along with an upturn in the profits of smoke and mirror manufacturers. Normally reliable, and sensible newspapers are printing hearsay as facts, and whislt this has long been the practice of the Daily Mail, it's notwhat I've come to expect from my beloved Guardian and secret mistress The Indy.
I do not deny that there are many people out there, regardless of creed or colour, who would be more than happy to do whatever they feel is necessary to further their beliefs and aims, but, something about the recent scare stories just doesn't ring true. Maybe, just maybe that's all they are. Scare stories, to distarct our attention away from the bigger stories, and also making it easier to justify any further errosion of whatever civil liberties we assume we still have.
Still. Mustn't grumble.
Yup - The Indy has turned into another "ooo scary" publication, I've noticed the trend too. I know its the silly season, but really. Thursday's news talked about 3 waves of bombing on 3 consecutive days...are the bombers stupid or enormously optimistic here as everything would be grounded pronto. Doesn't ring true, and after all the bullshit we've been fed about Kelly and WMDs, excuse me for being cynical, but you immediately start looking for what they are hoping will slip by unnoticed.
Oh I see -- it's not Comic Sans -- it's the lettering in Lichtenstein's work. Ok move along.
I've always trusted The Indy - it's usually the paper that questions all those security sources rather than repeating their comments verbatim - but the last few days have ben really disapointing. I even bought The Observer today ... and I've hardly ever read the Guradian since it went berliner.
I also thought the 3 waves things seemed implausible, but felt that may have been steered by knowing now what type of device was intended to be used. (One of Rumsfeld's things "we know we know").
If a first wave of attacks had brought down 3 aircraft mid-Atlantic then its likely that the security focus would be on devices planted in the hold and not on devices assembled on board from components carried aboard by multiple passengers. (A thing we didnt know we didnt know). Its quite probable that a second wave of attacks could have been successful. As for a third - that would depend on whether the penny would have dropped. Psychologically, this would have had a pretty devastating effect as the travelling public's confidence in any type of security check and hence airline bookings would probably plung. The intent of terrorists isnt just to take the lives of a relative few but to alter the lives of many more besides through widespread distrust, paranoia and fear.
HM government has done a lot over the past few years to engender the suspicion of "cry wolf" within the electorate. In this case I'm pretty confident that the security services (i.e. the true professionals whose intelligence gets monkeyed about with by politicians for nefarious reasons) have done a good job, although if what's in the media is true then there been a fair dollop of serendipity working in their favour.
I agree with david jockney's first remarks Andrew, you would get on well talking to my "grumpy old" Dad!!!
My sister was on a camping holiday last week with her family and she hadn't really heard anything about last week's disruption. When I spoke to her, she asked me to explain what was going on.
Once I started explaining, I quickly realised that I didn't really know the ins and outs of this story and I could only pass on the very basics. It just goes to show how much I ignore "the news" once the journalists start to sensationalise everything. Doesn't that defeat the object?
Oh well, if US SOURCES have confirmed it, it must be true! They are after all renowned for their accurate intelligence.
On the other hand, it's all very well being slightly dubious about all of this, but I was interested to hear John Reid on News24 saying "Wolves, there are wolves everywhere!, No really, this time I'm serious, WOLVES! Run for your lives!"
Reid: "For more on the wolf situation I'd like to pass you on to the Secretary of State for Transport, Douglas Alexander. Geez Douglas, you're looking kind of startled. What big eyes you've got"
DA: "All the better to see you with Little Reid Riding Hood"
etc etc yawn
Andrew, I'm afraid I stopped holding the Independent in any kind of regard the moment they went to 'polemical covers'. It's the Daily Mail for lefties.
"Daily Mail for Lefties". Isn't that an oxymoron?
I take your point, Ill Man, in that both the Mail and the Indie seek to scare their readership to death - one about house prices and immigration, the other about melting ice caps and police powers - but surely even objectively speaking, one is working for the status quo, the other against. Not that I'm much of a fan of the Indie at present, as you know. But they're all trying to sell newspapers at the end of the day.
Did you see the Mail's front cover on Friday? It was a full-page photo of the World Trade Center in flames. Oh yes. With an allusion to foiling a new 9/11. Now that's scaremongering on another scale.
I am naturally inclined towards the Indie standpoint, but the tubthumping approach leaves me cold.
You're right though, nothing will ever hold a candle to the Daily Mail or the Express. Certainly not in terms of wild eyed, foaming mouthed irrational hysteria.
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