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HELLO WORLD
Just a quick heads up to say thank you to everyone who emailed, texted or phoned me last week to enquire as to my wellbeing after Thursday's terrorist outrage in London. Ironically, despite spending the week with an arm of the military directly involved with Thursday's events, I first became aware of what had happened via a phone call from my wife who was caught up in the confusion at Kings Cross Station in the immediate aftermath of the tube bombing there. Assuming I knew what had occured, she rang me just minutes after the explosion to reasure me that she was well only for me to ask, "Why, what's happened?". I found out soon enough, as I found myself in the eye of a storm of military efficiency with the arrival of several of those responsible for Britain's response to the terrorists' threat - first, Tony Blair, en-route from the G8 conference, followed by General Sir Michael Walker, the Chief of the Defence Staff . Surrounded as I was by close protection officers, armed police and soldiers - and amidst enough guns and weaponry to start a war, I felt frustratingly detached from events, even though I was there at the heart of the Government's response. There's been enough written about what happened though, and the stoic response of London's residents in the aftermath without me adding to it, so I shall refrain from doing so. Instead, I'll point you to an interesting feature in Newsweek Magazine here about how Bloggers and 'Citizen Journalists' led the way with some of the best coverage of Thursday's London bombings. As events unfolded in the immediate aftermath of the explosions, the major newswires and news rooms around the globe turned not to their correspondents, but to bloggers and those travellers at the scene armed with camera phones, PDAs and digital cameras. Read it - it'll be of interest to anybody with a blog.
There can be no complaints levelled at the emergency services after their terrific reponse to not one, but four simutaneous major incidents. My only question concerns the Metropolitan Police's decision to utilise an 0870 telephone number for concerned relatives seeking information about loved ones to call. It's particularly galling when callers can pay up to 1400% more for calling an 0870 number over a standard UK landline number - especially when all 0870 numbers mask a standard fixed line number anyway. To add insult to injury, the news channels were publicising the number alongside a freephone 0800 number for anybody with information about the bombings to call. Is it me, or is there something a little...distasteful about that? I've got a whole raft of stories and images to blog about but somehow, they all seem rather unimportant in light of what happened on Thursday. I was planning to post them when I arrived home on Thursday night, but events overtook me, and it felt insensitive to do so on Friday. No matter, they'll keep for now - things will have settled down a bit come next week, so I'll upload them then. |
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10.7.05 14:34 |
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THE AFTERMATH OF THE LONDON BOMBINGS: PASSING THE BUCK
As I wrote yesterday, the emergency services in London were remarkable in the aftermath of last week's bombings, implementing a well-rehearsed contingency plan to deal with the confusion left from four major incidents. My only complaint was the Metropolitan Police's insistence in utilising an 0870 number for concerned relatives to call when seeking information about loved ones. It might seem petty to highlight this issue, but the Metropolitan Police as a public body has been previously warned by telephone regulator OFCOM against using 0870 numbers. By Friday evening, more than 105,000 people had called the police emergency hotline desperate for news about loved ones. During the busiest period between 3pm and 4pm on Thursday, a team of 200 civilian and police volunteers were bombarded with more than 42,000 calls - a rate of 700 a minute. Calls to an 0870 number cost about eight pence a minute during the day, compared with around three pence for a call to a conventional geographic phone number (many telephone providers offer free calls to geographic numbers but calls to all 0870 numbers are charged in full). The longer people are kept in automated queues, the more money is generated.I was unable to research the reasoning behind the use of this number last week as I was involved in covering events from another perspective, but with time on my hands this morning, I decided to look into things a little deeper. After countless phone calls and emails to a number of different bodies, each seemingly intent on distancing themselves from the issue, it would appear that somebody made a serious error of judgement last week; if only they were prepared to stand up and admit it. Perhaps unsurprsingly, the Met's press bureau were at pains to stress that they had nothing to do with the decision. They say that the 0870 telephone number used for the Casualty Bureau was provided to them by the Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO). The contract that dictates how the number is operated and the call charges, was negotiated directly between PITO and Cable and Wireless, the service provider. The Met claim that using this service allowed it to use the resources of all UK police forces by distributing calls, thus providing for five times as many people answering calls from concerned members of the public than would otherwise have been possible. They claim too that had they not used this system, they would have had to rely on the Met's Casualty Bureau facilities at Hendon where 40 people can take calls at a time. The system PITO provided allowed 200 people to take calls. Fair enough, nothing nefarious in there.
The Metropolitan Police Service does not profit from this number and is one of many forces that rely on this system to provide an emergency high-volume telephone number. My source went on to state that, "Naturally we would have preferred a number that did not impose a charge on the caller. However, there was no immediate alternative available to the MPS that would have allowed such a volume of calls to be taken in the hours after Thursday's incidents. Once the issue was identified, the MPS arranged with PITO for a local London number to be activated. This gives callers an alternative means of contacting the Casualty Bureau". My curiosity pricked, I contacted PITO to get their take on the issue and after a lengthy justification of the benefits available to the Met through being able to utilise the call-answering facilities of other forces, I was told that I'd need to contact Cable and Wireless for details on the contract. I was a little surprised by this - after all, with Cable and Wireless doing no more than facilitating whatever wishes PITO had requested, I wasn't entirely sure how responsiblity for this fell at the organisation's feet, but I thought I'd have a word anyway. The press officer I spoke with at C&W was as amazed as I was that I'd been directed there. According to him, Cable and Wireless offered PITO a choice of 0800 (free to callers), 0845 (local rate) or 0870 numbers and it was PITO that decided to run with the 0870 number. My understanding is that the contract was effected last March so it wasn't specific to the Casualty Bureau. That said, the Met's reliance on an 0800 number for the Anti-Terrorist information line shows that PITO aren't averse to 0800 numbers; and it dispenses with the Met's justification that the 0870 number utilised allows for 200 people to take calls - an 0800 number would have offered exactly the same benefits. Funnily enough, when I referred the matter back to PITO, I was told that "somebody would look into the matter and get back to me". And yes, I'm still waiting - but I'm not holding my breath. For what it's worth, Cable and Wireless have said that they "will donate to a relevant charity 100% of any profits received from (our) share of the national call rate levied". Oh, and in case you're wondering - similar missing persons numbers in the U.S and Spain set up after their terrorist attacks were free. Edit, 07:30 Tuesday 12th: The BBC picked this story up yesterday afternoon and managed to get a comment from the Home Office minister responsible for the debacle. Her attempt (for it is none other than Hazel Blears) at justification though has all the hallmarks of a blatant untruth about it. Read it here and see what you think. |
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11.7.05 12:05 |
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LONDON STANDS ALONE: THANKS, AMERICA
You're going to love this! In the wake of Thursday's bomb attacks, US military personnel based in the UK have been banned by their commanders from travelling to London, as they consider it to be 'unsafe'. So, Baghdad's okay then, but Britain's capital city, one of the most progressive, cosmopolitan places in the world is too dangerous. Well, thanks. If that's what counts as support by the great U.S Military machine, we'll stand alone guys. According to newswires, which published details of the story in the early hours of this morning, personnel from US Air Force units at RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath, in Suffolk, have been told not to travel within the confines of the M25 motorway. Family members who are from the US are also being urged to stay away. A spokesperson from the USAF base at Mildenhall said, "It's important that our troops stay out of harm's way until more is known about the attacks". Most of the 12,000 US Military personnel in the UK are based at Mildenhall and Lakenheath. "We are concerned about the safety of our folks and are trying to do what we can to protect them," RAF Mildenhall spokesman Matt Tulis said. "This is the best course of action right now." RAF Lakenheath spokesman, Staff Sgt Jeff Hamm, 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." He said the US sympathised with Londoners, but added: "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 what has happened is greater than the need to send them back into the city." Service personnel are being allowed to use the M25 to get to Heathrow or Gatwick airports. Details of the travel ban, enforced on Friday, emerged as US President George W Bush said the US would "not retreat in the face of terrorists" . He said: "In this difficult hour, the people of Great Britain can know the American people stand with you." The president said the US remained committed to military action against terrorist groups. "We continue to take the fight to the enemy and will fight till this enemy is defeated," he told the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia.
I'm speechless at this; it's utterly unbelievable. Even as that buffoon Bush, the US Military's Commander-in-Chief tells the world he will not flinch from the terrorists, his military commanders are telling troops to stay away from Britain's capital city because it's 'not safe'. Those of us who live in and around London have been receiving solicitous phone-calls and e-mails from friends around the world ever since news of the attacks broke. Are we alright? Has anyone we know been hurt? How are people coping with the shock? Have we stopped travelling on the Underground? Have we stopped going out in the centre of town? No. We've picked ourselves up and carried on. Most of us have replied that things are carrying on pretty much as normal, thank you: the sun is shining, people are eating ice-cream in parks, schoolchildren are enjoying their sports days. Some, of course, are going through the horror of looking for their family among the victims. And almost anyone might have friends among the murdered, for the list of names has yet to be released. But this grim knowledge does not prevent the city from going about its affairs. As was written in yesterday's Daily Telegrpah, such sang-froid is bewildering to many foreigners, who struggle to understand why London is not experiencing the same collective trauma that seized New York after 9/11, or Madrid after 3/11. Most overseas newspapers have dwelt wonderingly on the businesslike way in which the city carried on even on the day of the attacks. "It is reassuring to see how the English respond when history puts them to the test," commented Le Figaro, contrasting our attitude to that of the Spanish, who reacted to the Atocha atrocity by throwing out their government and withdrawing from Iraq. "If these terrorists thought they could intimidate the people of a great nation," said Donald Rumsfeld, "they picked the wrong people and the wrong nation." When the worst happens, we respond with quiet restraint. No histrionics, no panic or loud and inappropriate gestures. We get on with it. Londoners are accustomed to attack. For those who lived in the capital during the 1970s and 1980s, bomb scares were a fact of life. And even if Thursday's fanatics were to detonate a similar load of explosives daily, they would not come near to the damage inflicted on London by the Luftwaffe. Since the Middle Ages, foreign visitors have remarked on the aggressive bloody-mindedness they have found in these islands. These are not always attractive characteristics. But there are times when they are precisely what is needed. "What kind of a people do they think we are?" asked Churchill in 1940. The Nazis found out soon enough; so will the bombers. We stood alone against Germany in World War II until America decided it was right to join us and so we stand alone today. We're supposedly America's greatest ally, and this is the way our support is repaid. If this 'policy' is the result of one commander's decision, he should be stripped of his rank and thrown out of the service for his thoughtlessness has made the U.S. military - a fine and upstanding body of men and women - a laughing stock. |
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12.7.05 09:53 |
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SHOOTING ROYALTY: THE PRINCE, THE MINISTER, THE GENERAL AND ME
One wonders what the late Labour prime minister Harold Wilson, who is famously quoted as having said "A week is a long time in politics", would have made of the past seven days. Looking back over the landscape of the past week, it's difficult to conceive of the world that existed before the bombs exploded in London last Thursday, forever changing the way we regard the events that preceded them. When London finally hosts the Olympic Games in 2012, who will remember the euphoria of the announcement that gave us such a sweet victory over the French? Or will we look back and remember the way the celebrations were cut short by the horror that unfolded as the following day began? This time last week, things had such a different hue. Monday saw me arriving at RAF Northolt where I was due to spend a week on assignment covering life at the RAF's oldest base. Having been born and raised in London, RAF Northolt has always held something of an interest for me, being situated as it is in the midst of a quiet residential area and adjacent to the A40 in Ruislip, west London. RAF Northolt has two high profile roles for which it is best known. It is home to 32 (The Royal) Squadron, the division of the RAF tasked with the movement of British and Foreign Royalty, Heads of State and Government Ministers, and military personnel of both the British and Foreign armed forces. It is also the preferred destination for many civilian VIPs and celebrities who enjoy the privacy and first-class passenger handling service available. Celebrities appreciate RAF Northolt for a number of reasons, not least the discretion that flying into an operational RAF base affords them. Heathrow airport, which is just six miles away, may be Europe's busiest international airport, but high profile celebrities departing and arriving from there have to face all the same intrusions and delays as the rest of us - and come face to face with their fans and the attendent media pack, whether they want to or not. Northolt on the other hand, offers them a sterile, private environment, from which the general public and press are excluded. They have access to private lounges where they can relax, far from the madding crowds and air traffic is significantly lighter than at conventional airports so there is none of the hustle and bustle the average passenger experiences. The majority of flights arriving at Northolt each year are private - some 7,000 per annum - against military flights of around 5,000. The airport is discrete and offers a passenger handling service whereby cars can drive straight up to arriving aircraft, allowing the VIP to leave the aircraft cabin and get straight into a waiting limo. What's more, it;'s closer to the centre of London than Heathrow, and more accessible too - the A40 runs alongside the main runway and is a major route into the capital. With Live8 having taken place the day before I arrived, the airport had seen several headlining acts arrive and depart over the weekend - Coldplay, U2 and REM having flown in on private jets. Sir Paul McCartney is a regular and one RAF officer told me he often plays his guitar and sings whilst waiting in the lounge, offering an impromptu private concert to anyone working there. Robbie Williams is another regular face through Northolt's terminal, as are David and Victoria Beckham as they fly between their bases in Madrid and Hertfordshire.
Table for Two? One of the highly polished, veneer tables in the VIP cabin of the BAE 146, bearing the Queen's monogram (c) Black Rat The main reason for my visit though, was 32 Squadron, which merged with the Queen's Flight in 1995 to become 32 (The Royal) Squadron. It's principal role is as a 'Communications' squadron, charged with flying 3 and 4-star Generals from all three services on offical business. It is most widely known though for its role in transporting senior Government ministers and the Royal Family throughout the UK and around the world. Since the creation of The King's Flight by King Edward VIII in 1936, there has been a Royal Air Force Unit who are responsible for providing air transport for the Royal Family's official duties. The Ministry of Defence is ultimately responsible for all flights and routes and the squadron is often called into service to provide air transport to senior commanders in an operational theatre. The squadron provides air transport for the Prime Minister, senior ministers and other senior serving officers and it is these duties that account for most of their time. Royal air travel only accounts for around 15% of the squadron's duties. I joined the squadron over several days and accompanied them on a number of flights to get an insight into the their taskings over an average week. I spent most of Monday talking to various of the other units accommodated at Northolt, including the Officer Commanding 621 Squadron of the Army's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment, better known as the Bomb Squad. They were to be rather heavily tasked come Thursday, being responsible for an area encompassing London and the South East. On Tuesday though, I joined the crew of one of 32 Squadron's BAE 146 regional airliners for a packed program over the following 48 hours. 32 Squadron is comprised of three flights - 'A' flight, which operates the two BAE 146s, 'B' Flight which operates three AS 355 Twin Squirrel helicopters, and 'C' Flight, which operates six of the smaller BAE 125 business jets. A standard BAE 146 in civil aviation use can carry up to 90 passnegers, but its typical configuration as used by the RAF is for just 19. There are three cabins; the A cabin which carries the VVIP, or 'principal' and up to 5 others; the 'B' Cabin which can accommodate up to 10 of the principal's entourage, and the 'C' cabin which accommodates the crew. Typical crew on a 32 Squadron sortie consists of two pilots, two cabin attendents, a crew chief (ground engineer) and RAF police officer, responsible for the security of the aircraft.
Grounded: A BAE 146 of 32 (The Royal) Squadron on the pan at RAF Northolt. Note the new, low profile 'civillian' paint scheme, designed to replace the more conspicuous red, white and blue scheme.(C) Black Rat Until recently, all of 32 Squadron's aircraft were painted in distinctive red, white and blue livery but concern over the aircraft's vulnerability to terrorist attack has recently seem them emerge with a low profile civillian scheme. The aircraft are not armed, but are fitted with the most up-to-date fully-automated self defence countermeasures available - Northrop Grumman's 'Nemesis' DIRCM (Directional Infrared Countermeasures system).
Countermeasures: One of the DIRCM pods fitted to the BAE 146. DIRCM protects the aircraft from attack by heat-seeking missiles, and works automatically by detecting a missile launch, determining if it is a threat and activating a high-intensity infrared countermeasure system to track and defeat it. (C) Black Rat After the Met briefing I walked out to the aircraft on Tuesday morning with the rest of the crew to await the arrival of the principal for our first sortie of the day - HRH Prince Andrew, Duke of York. The Prince arrived driving his green Jaguar, accompanied by just his principal protection officer and his Office Controller, former banker Amanda Thirsk. Aircraft of 32 Squadron travelling with a senior member of the Royal Family aboard assume the call sign 'Kittyhawk' followed by a number and an 'R' to signify 'Royal'. This grants the flight priority by air traffic control and other air traffic is routed away from close proximity.
Short Finals: The runway at RAF Northolt is visible off the nose as we turn short finals and prepare for landing after the first sortie of the day. (c) Black Rat. Our mission was a short one, carrying Prince Andrew on an offical engagement to Humberside Airport where he was due at the official opening of Humberside Police's new helicopter base. At our crusing speed of 300 knots, the flight time was just 45 minutes - no sooner had we reached cruising altitude and we were beginning our descent for landing! Prince Andrew is a personable chap, coming on to the flight deck upon arrival to engage us in conversation. A keen pilot, he rushed to the cockpit again as soon as we'd landed at our destination, joshing with the pilots about their abilities as aviators and mine as a photographer. TV crews from local media were waiting for the aircraft as we taxied to the stand and Prince Andrew was whisked off in a motorcade straight from the aircraft.
By Royal Appointment: HRH Prince Andrew, the Duke of York shadowed by a local dignitary and his personal protection officer, on the ground in Humberside. (c) Black Rat We were on the ground for just 15 minutes before heading back to RAF Northolt, via a short detour at 1,000 ft over my home town (no matter, it was on our routing, anyway). How different it all looked from height - I did manage to get an image which is of infinitely more use than a map in spotting the local places with which I'm so familiar on the ground. Once at Northolt again, we were joined by Sir Michael Jay, head of the Diplomatic Service and the PM's special adviser for the G8 talks, for a flight to Dundee. We had been due to fly Tony Blair too, but his delayed departure from Singapore where he'd stayed on to promote Brirain's bid for the 2012 Olympics, meant that he would be flying direct. Instead, we flew Sir Michael and Mr Blair's delegation to Scotland for the G8 Summit Talks at Gleneagles which were due to begin the following day. From Dundee, we flew back to Northolt via Humberside where we collected Prince Andrew.
Royal Escort: A female RAF Officer waits patiently in the rain to greet the Duke of York upon our arrival back at RAF Northolt. Close by her is his Jaguar, engine running - the prince prefers to drive himself. (c) Black Rat Britain was under a thick carpet of impenetrable cloud with heavy rain as we landed back on the ground at RAF Northolt but I was already looking ahead to our next sortie which would take us across to Europe on an overnight stop. The weather at our destination was significantly better there, too! The pilots who'd flown the day's sorties bid me farewell, and a new crew joined the aircraft as it was valeted prior to the arrival of our next VIPs - a brace of senior cabinet ministers due in Strasbourg. Shortly thereafter, they arrived - Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and Secretary of State for International Development, The Rt. Hon. Hilary Benn, accompanied by the members of their delegation and weighed down by the red boxes of ministerial office.
Foreign Secretary: The Right Honourable Jack Straw walks out to the waiting aircraft, accompanied by an officer from RAF Northolt. The cloud base which gripped Britain slipped away as we crossed the English Channel and gave way to glorious clear skies and the golden sunlight of late evening over France. As we dropped down towards Strasbourg, I was introduced to Jack Straw and I took the opportunity to shoot some images of him in relaxed mood - jacket and tie off, sleeves up and collar open, deep in conversation with Hilary Benn. He's an affable fellow, Straw, popular with the crews on the squadron - and come to think of it, everyone I know who'e ever dealt with him. His character must have a large part to play in his having occupied the post of Foreign Secretary for as long as he has - he certainly seems popular with those who work with him.
In Relaxed Mood: Beginning our descent into Strasbourg, Jack Straw unwinds, deep in conversation with Hilary Benn. Benn is a fourth generation MP, the son of former Labour cabinet minister Tony Benn. When campaigning for election, he used the slogan 'A Benn but not a Bennite' because of his father's reputation as a hero of the left. (c) Black Rat The red carpet was rolled out for our arrival and as our passengers were whisked away, we secured the aircraft in the setting sun. Our ground agents had made all the arrangements for our transfer and we were driven out through the airport to two SUVs which transferred us to our accommodation, the Novotel in Strasbourg. It was 22:30 local when we arrived, so just time for a few beers before bed.
Setting Son: Our BAE 146 takes on fuel ready for departure the following day. On the ground in Strasbourg, shortly before being locked down for the evening. (c) Black Rat Our planned departure at 14:30 local the following morning meant a leisurely morning for us, marred only by the stress of awaiting the IOC's decision on where to host the 2012 games. Our transport was booked for 12:30 local which meant we had to leave the hotel - and televised coverage of the voting - before the decision was made. There's something magical for me about 'owning' an aircraft - having it sat there on the pan, cold, inert, waiting. Crewing in at the airport though, the walk out to it, opening it up, bringing it to life; I love it. The whine as the APU is engaged, the aircon starts to flow and the screens and instruments in the flight deck light up heralds the promise of travel.
Making Plans for Nigel: The co-pilot thumbs through approach plates prior to our departure from Strasbourg en-route for London. (c) Black Rat. We were all of us anxious now to find out the result, our collective will focused across the miles to Singapore where London's fate hang in the balance. The crew chief tuned the HF radio and made contact...just as the verdict was announced. A cheer went up on board the jet, as we erupted into celebration. How sweet a victory - to find out in France, snatching the trophy from the jaws of Paris and hearing the result on your opponent's turf. The last time I felt this joyous was when Arsenal won the Championship at White Hart Lane! Jack Straw and the Foreign Office delegation were ecstatic as they boarded the aircraft. They'd heard the result whilst at the European Parliament, where he'd addressed a debate on the future of Iraq. Sat directly opposite the French delegation, the FCO contingent had been able to see the disappointment writ large across the faces of the delegates, even as smiles were breaking out across their own.
Farewell, Adieu, Bon Chance: Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, in bouyant mood, bids farewell to his French hosts after a day of talks at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. (c) Black Rat. The flight back to England was joyous, the mood predictably bouyant. I wandered back to talk with Jack Straw in the cabin hoping to get some quotes from him regarding the squadron. After what happened next, I'm lucky I wasn't arrested for assault though - as I entered his cabin, a piece of architraving fell from the door frame against me, forcing me forwards off balance and into the Foriegn Secretary where I bumped my head against his and knocked him off balance! "Hello again" he said, grinning. Assorted members of his entourage were scattered about us so I had a huge audience to watch as my face reddened with embarrassment. Still, he was gracious enough to offer me an impromtu interview, even if I had almost knocked him somewhat awkwardly,to the floor - and he was effusive in his praise of the officers, men and women of the squadron. "Flying isn't my favourite pastime" he told me, "but these guys do a fantastic job and I feel completely at ease when I'm in their hands. The cabin on here is a great place to get work done, one of the few places where I'm able to relax and work uninterrupted if need be".
Inconspicuous Ingenuity: Flanked the motorcycle outriders of the Met Police's Special Escort Group, Jack Straw's Ministerial car whisks him off to the FCO in Whitehall. (c) Black Rat. His ministerial Jaguar was waiting at the aircraft's steps as we stopped on the pan at RAF Northolt and within 3 minutes of us opening the aircraft doors, he was on his way back to the Foreign Office, speeding into London flanked by motorcycle outriders from The Special Escort Group of the Metropolitan Police. I spent that night in the Officers' Mess again as I was due to join one of 'B' flight's helicopter sorties on Thursday. As it transpired, that was the day none of us could have forseen. I found out about the morning's events from my wife, who called my mobile as I was leaving the mess for the squadron crew room with the news that she was ok and that a series of bombs had exploded across London. She was at Kings Cross station when the bomb exploded on the underground train there and that was my introduction to the news, just minutes after it happened.
Transitioning: A Squirrel helicopter of 'B' Flight, 32 Squadron transitions to the hover (c) Black Rat As the morning wore on, I saw things unfold from the RAF's perspective as first the threat level escalated, and various sorties were changed, cancelled, or introduced. We'd planned to fly over the affected areas, but helicopter incursions over central London had been suspended by the CAA in the aftermath of the explosion, even for military flights, so that plan was aborted.
The General: Air Vice Marshall Ian McNicholl, RAF - AOC 2 Group, RAF Strike Command. Instead, we flew to RAF Strike Command where we collected a two-star General, Air Vice Marshall Iain McNicholl. As the AOC 2 Group, he was due at RAF Lyneham for a meeting and as we flew in, the base was a hive of activity. I watched Tony Blair on TV there as he departed Gleneagles, cutting short the G8 summit to return to London, and ten minutes after landing myself at Northolt, watched him emerge with my own eyes from a BAE 146. He walked across the pan, right past me to another Chinook which was waiting, rotors turning, for his arrival, after which it would transfer him to Chelsea Barracks. The rest of that day passed in something of a blur, as I watched the frentic activity unfold around me and began the long fight to get myself home.
Yes, Prime Minister: Tony Blair hosts a press conference in London after cutting short the G8 summit. He returned to Gleneagles later that same evening. As with 99 Squadron, who I flew with last month, the pilots of 32 Squadron occupy a unique position in the Royal Air Force. They are unique in the RAF in that they fly in 'blues' - uniform shirt sleeves and trousers, as opposed to the 'growbags', or green flying suits that are the preserve of every other military pilot. They fly more 'cycles' - take offs and landings - than probably any of their peers and fly into airports more commonly seen on around the world luxury tours. Later this year, for example, HM the Queen and HRH Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edingburgh will fly to the Far East for a tour. Although the Royal Family will travel there by chartered BA jet, a BAE 146 of 32 Squadron will be fly on ahead and be used by the Royals once in theatre. Wherever they go, the crew go. They brush shoulders with heads of state, Royalty and Government. They stay in the best hotels, they travel widely, and the flying is some of the most exacting and technically complex that any pilot in the Air Force can expect to face in his career. Small wonder then that places within the squadron - numbering just over 50 personnel in total - are so sought after. It's a common misconception amongst republicans that 32 Squadron receives extra funding from the public purse to finance its role as VIP/Royal transport facility; it doesn't. It receives funding as an operational squadron, just as any other, and along exactly the same lines as it did before its merger with the Queen's Flight in 1995. It's primary role is military, flying senior officers on official business, but where it has the spare capacity, it will accept taskings from the Government and Palaces provided the cost is competitive. The cost of royal travel by air is met by the Royal Travel Grant-in-aid and detailed breakdowns of costs and expenses are available in the accounts published annually by the Royal Household |
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13.7.05 16:30 |
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LONDON FIGHTS BACK
I'm proud of this city, passionate about it. I always have been. I was born here, I grew up here, and I've policed the streets at its heart. I've worked in its financial district, and later, as a journalist, I've built a career around it. In short London flows through my veins, defines me. I love it with a passion that consumes me. But I've never felt prouder than I did yesterday as the whole capital came together to remember the victims of last Thursday's atrocity. As Big Ben struck 12 yesterday, it was if somebody had pulled the plug on the capital. As noon fell, the city stopped. It takes a lot to stop the traffic at King's Cross. The roads around the London railway station are rarely empty and tailbacks at 2am are not unknown. But yesterday changed that. Drivers got out of their cars and stood in the road. Buses stopped mid-journey. Commuters in the capital's stations stopped where they were, trains halted across the network, and at Heathrow, take offs and landing were suspended; airlines delayed requesting engine starts. The Queen stood silent and alone in the courtyard at Buckingham Palace, Tony Blair stood in the garden at Number 10 flanked by police officers; Ken Livingstone stood amidst the crowds at Trafalgar Square and right across the city, life came to a halt; the only sound in the centre of the capital was silence. Across Britain, the same scene was played out, and it was the same across the globe; 12000 British troops in Basra stood silent and still; people in cities across Europe joined in unity. The live video feed which the BBC ran for the duration of the silence looked like a series of photographs, so still were the subjects in the film. Watch it for yourself here - can you remember the last time you saw Picadilly Circus, Liverpool Street station looking like that? Yesterday morning was the time for remembering; last night though, London fought back, when over 50,000 people came together in Trafalgar Square to show their defiance of the terrorist attacks in the capital. This was London at its best, Londoners from every culture, every class, every religion and every creed. Mayor Ken Livingstone, who lately has become one of the best orators of our time, spoke passionately, his voice breaking in an emotive speech to those assembled. He opened the way for a series of prominent Londoners, drawn from every aspect of the media, the emergency services, politics and religion, to pay tribute to the victims, those who worked so tirelessly to save them, and to London through a series of readings and poems. Leaders of the Sikh, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and Christian communities stood side by side and London listened.
United Together: Britain's Union Jack and the U.S' Stars and Stripes show the way forwards as a member of the crowd shows Blair and Bush what G8 couldn't - want something enough, and no amount of diplomatic speak will stop you. (c) Black Rat The atmosphere was electric, the power from the crowd almost physical. Stood in the press pack erected at the front, I could feel the weight of emotion emanating from the tens of thousands of people behind me. But this was no crowd of mourning; this was London at its proud, confident, defiant best. Poet Nii Parkes summed up the mood in one of his poems - "Defiance is a four letter word, spelt with a finger".
Students Unite: Members of Britain's student community send their message to the world at the vigil in Trafalgar Square (c) Black Rat. We weren't the media yesterday - we were all of us Londoners, as affected and in union with those speaking as every single person in the crowd. I saw a photographer weeping, others with faces set in defiance. Every one of us applauded with the crowd. I've never felt anything like it. Some have criticised the collective show of defiance as somehow 'un-British'. Others argue that there were no general silences for victims of IRA atrocities, so why now? Why? Becuase we're different now. We're a different generation, with different ideals, steeped in the ways of a wider world brought home to us via the internet and modern methods of communication. This is no collective outpouring of grief, a la Princess Diana. This is collective defiance, an almost tangible spirit of strength. It's not 'American' to respond in the way we have, it's not 'fashionable' - it's the right thing to do. The attacks last week were an attack on London as a whole, an attack on the most normal and mundane of things, going to work in the morning. Dissemination of fear and paranoia was the objective, therefore we are right to remember those who died collectively and assert our collective refusal to acquiesce: No, we are not afraid.
We Are Not Afraid: One protester's flag encapsulates the feeling of the rest of Britain: Do your best, terrorists, but it'll never be enough. (c) Black Rat It'll take more than bombs to cow us. Not for us the way of the Spanish, throwing out their government and pulling their troops out of Iraq in the aftermath of the Madrid train bombs. Sure, bombs are indiscriminate, but they are remote - they destroy the lives of those involved, but they serve only to strengthen the resolve of everyone else. While others mourn, we're left to carry on as before, our daily routine serving as our collective defiance. Brave? Those killed weren't brave, they were unlucky. And those of us uninvolved aren't stoic, either - that's just a label that seems to fit. What we want, what we've done, is to carry on, working round the hiccup that the terrorists visited upon us. As trees absorb CO2 and give off oxygen, so the stone walls of London's buildings absorb our collective hysteria and exhale calm. The language of London is understatement. It's what we do best, and it's the complete antithesis of terror. So, that'll be London 1, terrorists nil, then. Again.
From the Heart: Actor Michael Greco recites words of hope to the gathered crowd. Greco was just one of over 20 household names at the vigil in Trafalgar Sq. Others included amongst others, Anthony Stewart Heade, Sir Tevor MacDonald, Lord Coe, Ben Okri, Rt. Hon Tessa Jowell MP, Richard & Judy, Jo Brand, Margherita Taylor and Sir Iqbal Sidiqi (c) Black Rat. It is fitting that our police speak a different language though, and theirs is a visible power in the form of weapons; no need for understatement here. Walking along Whitehall yesterday, past the Palace of Westminster and in every surrounding street, the message to would-be suicide bombers is writ loud and clear in the face of every officer, armed and ready: "Let me assist you in your passage from this life".
Sentinel: The public face of policing, London, July 2005. A police officer in Whitehall, armed with Heckler & Koch MP5 and Glock 9mm sidearm stands defiant opposite the Cenotaph (c) Black Rat I've seen some things in my life, and I thought London had shown me most of what it had in its portfolio, but I learned something else yesterday. London is great, but the people who live here are better; we are what make the difference. |
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15.7.05 12:55 |
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STILL UNITED; STILL NOT AFRAID
An open letter to those attempting to 'terrorise' London: How's it going, guys? Not so good eh? Bad day at work yesterday, was it? You must be wondering where it's all gone wrong eh? It must have looked so easy in the recruitment video - a few weeks at a training camp somewhere hot and dry in the Middle East, followed by putting theory into practice on an ageing public transport system, 12 million people within the city during the working day to target, countless buildings to choose from. And none of the hazards that the average IRA terrorist trying to bomb the mainland in the past had to contend with, either. All the surveillance in the world is useless against a 'clean skin' terrorist working alone, aiming to bomb a tube train. Walk right up and away you go. Maybe you blame your training. But how difficult could it be? Really, I think you need to look closer to home. The failure is you. Let's say, for argument's sake that you decide today that you want to become an airline pilot instead of a terrorist. Just how easy do you think that might be? Well, aside from the countless hours of study, the myriad exams, not to mention the eye-watering cost in terms of commitment and money, I daresay you could do it - if you've got the tenacity and motivation to stick with it. If you give up your perverted ideology today, start training on Monday, in theory - and if you're exceptional - you could be flying in the right hand seat of a commercial jet somewhere in the world within two years. Instant respectability. Let's be objective though - in terms of all the myriad jobs, vocations and careers out there, being a pilot is probably one of the more complex. There's a high rate of attrition on training courses and a number of even the most committed students fall by the wayside long before they ever even sit in a commercial jet, let alone fly one. But then, that's how you'd expect it to be, isn't it? You wouldn't want somebody barely capable of wiping their own nose flying you on holiday, would you? Becoming a terrorist though, that's a different matter. I mean, it's not exactly tough, is it? People scare easily when the thin veneer of normality that they call 'life' is compromised and it's not exactly difficult to do - terrorise people, I mean. Anybody can learn how to make a bomb on the internet these days, even if you don't have the backing of a large umbrella organisation like Al-Qaeda. Rummage around in the cupboard under the sink, take to your shed for a few minutes, and voila - instant terror in a rucksack.
Barrel of a Gun: There are thousands of these in the hands of trained police marksmen all over the city just waiting for you. And they're loaded with 'frangible' rounds that don't penetrate the body, but expend all their energy inside, causing massive trauma. Just think what one of these will do to your head - best make sure you tuck all the wires inside your rucksack, eh? (c) Black Rat So to be honest guys, I think you need to take a long, hard look in the mirror this morning. And I hate to say this, but the face looking back at you is that of a failure. Yes, I'm talking to you, Mr 'Oval' Failed-Bomber. And you, Mr Warren Street Failed-Bomber. And your friend on the number 26 bus. Oh, and the fella you sent over to Shepherd's Bush, too. And as for the bombmaker - it's back to the drawing board for you, sunshine - perhaps you should consider knitting instead, as chemistry doesn't seem to be your 'bag', does it? I'm advised by those better qualified to know than me that there is, or was, a character called Andy on the popular TV series 'Eastenders' who was meant to be a gangster. Trouble is, he was utterly useless and unconvincing, so he was known as 'Andy the Crap Gangster'. And although you're all real, the theory is the same - you're crap terrorists. Whatever you're trying to do, it's not working. This city has stood for over two thousand years. It's survived plague, fire and several wars. It's repelled invaders and famine, welcomed people from across the globe and allowed them to prosper. It was created from nothing, but survives because of the people who live there. And you don't scare us. The IRA didn't scare us either, even though they had almost 30 years in which to try and bomb us into submission. The Luftwaffe didn't cow us when it decided to attack us either - greater in number and experience its pilots might have been, but we saw them off with just a few barely qualified RAF pilots and a big stick. They dropped far bigger bombs on London than you've shown you can manage - sometimes every night, for the duration of the war. But that wasn't enough. It didn't work. 1,000lb bombs rained down from the sky on London then, whole streets, whole communities were blown away. But life carried on. People still went about their business, still socialised, still laughed, cried, made love and had babies. Life changed, but it carried on. You think you can destabilise society with a few misguided kids carrying 10lb bombs onto the tube in their rucksacks? Think again. There are currently 274 stations and over 253 miles of active lines, with three million passenger journeys made each day (948 million journeys made 2003–2004). So to be honest, four guys with bombs attacking a different train every two weeks aren't going to stop most of us - I'll take my chances, thanks. So will my wife, all my friends and her friends, our families - and doubtless evey other Londoner too. You think you're terrorists, but you're not. The IRA were terrorists, but at least they had an objective that they were fighting for. You lot - you're no more than common criminals. Your perverted hijacking of a peacful religion to justify your aims does nothing to make you more effective. It does not alienate us from Islam because we see through your lies. Your attempts to wrap your actions in the veil of Islam is an affront to all true muslims everywhere and serves only to expel you from the folds of religion - as a lapsed Catholic, I have more in common with Islam - and more respect for its ethos - than you ever will. You'll never win, so you might as well give up. You won't, I'm sure of that. But know this. The police and security services are right on your tail. They're waiting for you - with guns, ready and happy to speed you on your journey to exit this life. And London? We're waiting too. Do your worst, because it'll never, ever be enough to cow us into submission. Enjoy hell, because the fires are stoked and waiting for you. And so are we. |
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22.7.05 10:26 |
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BREAKING NEWS...
Police officers have opened fire and shot a suspected suicide bomber on a Northern Line tube train at Stockwell station in South London. Marksmen opened fire as passengers were evacuated. Eyewitnesses say that the man ran into the station from the street and vaulted the barrier, pursued by up to 10 armed police in plain clothes. Passenger Briony Coetsee said: "We were on the Tube and then we suddenly heard someone say, 'Get out, get out' and then we heard gunshots". The man is thought to have been about to step on to the train. Another eyewitness, Mark Whitby is quoted as saying "An Asian-looking man ran on to the train. I heard shouting, "Get Out, get out" and three plain-clothes officers ran on to the train. One of them was holding an automatic pistol in his left hand. The man fell to the floor and I saw the armed officer shoot the man in the head five times. He's dead" A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "We can confirm that just after 10am armed officers shot a male at Stockwell underground station. A man was challenged by officers and subsequently shot. London Ambulance Service attended the scene and he was pronounced dead."
Police have been given orders to shoot to kill if they believe someone is about to detonate a bomb. This story just breaking on Sky News and others. More to follow... |
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22.7.05 10:49 |
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