Britain scrambles fighter jets

Britain scrambles fighter jets to escort Pakistani passenger plane

BRITAIN launched fighter jets this afternoon to escort a Pakistan International Airlines plane carrying 297 passengers from Lahore after it was diverted from Manchester, a spokesman for the Defence Ministry said.

Flight PK709 from the city of Lahore in Pakistan was due to land at Manchester Airport in north west England at 1230 GMT. The plane was diverted to Stansted airport, east of central London, according to a Manchester Airport spokesman.

Essex Police, who are responsible for the area where Stansted is located, said an incident had occurred on a flight and they were investigating.

The news comes two days after a soldier was hacked to death on a London street in an incident the government are treating as a terrorist incident.

Nothing more in the news about this yet, will have to see how this develops...

Interesting story. Since you posted there have been more reports, so I looked some of this stuff up to see why this happened.

Police declined to release the identities of the two men, saying only they are British nationals ages 30 and 41.

Police said the incident is being treated as a criminal offense, and did not mention a terrorism angle.
Wajid Hasan, Pakistan's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, told CNN that the two passengers "got into an altercation with air stewardesses and threatened to blow up the plane."

SOURCE

So these two guys were British Nationals that threatened to blow up the plane after getting into an altercation with stewardesses. What I don't understand is why this isn't being viewed from a terrorism angle. (Or maybe it is and they just neglected to mention it). Seems a no brainer to me. At least they got these guys.

Something odd is going on. Lone wolves are beginning to create mayhem in Western countries. Look for something to happen in France soon. They have a large Muslim population I hear.

THIS...is why I support background checks and the Patriot Act. I know its bigger govt, but in the interest of safety, I think its worth it. I support wiretapping certain foreign nationals. I support us having the ability to freeze certain groups (like those funneling money to terror groups) financial assets. I support immigration officials having the authority to detain and deport immigrants suspected of terrorism-related acts. Absolutely.

One good thing of late is that President Barack Obama signed the PATRIOT Sunsets Extension Act of 2011, a four-year extension of three key provisions in the USA PATRIOT Act which allows for roving wiretaps, searches of business records and conducting surveillance of "lone wolves" — individuals suspected of terrorist-related activities not linked to terrorist groups.

We're beginning to see more and more of these small groups or lone wolves and I think this is a necessary thing. Its time we nail these suckers to the wall and go hard core on them. Bring back hard time...make those convicted of violent crimes bust rocks in Death Valley for the rest of their lives.

There are practical means of defending ourselves without giving up our freedoms. Otherwise whats the point?

Perhaps. But historically it has been done before. Many argue that Lincoln was our greatest and most beloved president. But he ordered the suspension of the constitutionally protected right to writs of habeas corpus in 1861, shortly after the start of the American Civil War. I think Pres Bush did as well.

Rights have been limited at other times as well. Remember that in WW2 rationing was implemented. You didn't have the right to buy as much as you wanted whenever you wanted. You were giving ration stamps for gas and food.

Sometimes when it is for the common good, our govt has and will limit some rights. Its always been this way.

Dennis324 wrote:
Something odd is going on. Lone wolves are beginning to create mayhem in Western countries. Look for something to happen in France soon. They have a large Muslim population I hear.

Authorities investigating possible link to UK attack after French soldier stabbed in throat
Published May 25, 2013 Associated Press

PARIS – A French soldier was stabbed in the throat in a busy commercial district outside Paris on Saturday, and the government said it was trying to determine if there were any links with the bloody killing of a British soldier by suspected Islamic extremists.

Told ya.