U.K. Police Arrest Soldier Under Terrorism Laws, Sky Says

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Aug. 17 (Bloomberg) -- U.K. police arrested a soldier on suspicion of possessing property that could be used for terrorist purposes, Sky News reported.

No further information was available.

British police have stepped up anti-terrorism operations since four suicide bombers on July 7 blew themselves up on London's public transportation system, killing 52 other people. Attacks two weeks later, also targeting three London subway trains and a bus, failed when explosives partially detonated.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=aZ05UIKQy664&refer=top_world_news

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1. BBC also mentioned it

I've been watching for a link since. They mentioned it once and once only, an hour ago, but haven't mentioned it since.

Ah, they just mentioned it again as I was typing, saying it was a 23 year old soldier detained yesterday in Kent, but NOT related to investigation of the July 7th and 21st bombings...

On edit, I think it was Kent anyway, not certain.

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2. Times link

A 23-year-old British soldier has been arrested under the Terrorism Act in Folkestone, Scotland Yard said today.

The Metropolitan Police said that the man, who has not been named, was detained yesterday morning and that his arrest is not related to the either of the bomb attacks carried out on London's transport system last month.

As part of the same inquiry, Scotland Yard said anti-terrorism officers raided a house in Bradford, West Yorkshire, and carried out a controlled explosion on a Second World War mortar shell that was found there.

"At approximately 9.30am yesterday a 23-year-old man was arrested in the Folkestone area by officers from the Metropolitan Police’s Anti Terrorist Branch," said a spokeswoman.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1739309,00.html

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4. I remember

Earlier in the year, the Sunday Times reported that Scotland Yard had some kind of evidence of infiltration by certain groups in the TA and I think the Royal Engineers as well.

Here's a link that I've just found to that story, I hope link works:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1313759,00.html

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6. Interesting, thanks

Smells like scaremongering on a quick scan but there could be something to it, who knows.

The arrest links mention a WWII mortar shell, can't imagine that alone would justify arrest under terrorism laws.

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7. Well

It is The Times we're talking about, so scaremongering is part of their thing.

The WWII mortal shell part is bizarre. We had an unexploded WWII device in our area a few years back, they just turned up and sorted it out, nobody got arrested over it.

Have to check Channel 4 News and see what more info they might have about this soldier and whats happened...I suppose Charles Clarke will be out soon turning up the scare tactics, he's been on a roll the past day and a half.

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8. Huh, it mentions outward-bounds courses

which have been mentioned in relation to the bombings investigation.

MI5 and Scotland Yard has known for at least two years that as well as targeting the TA, Al-Qaeda recruiting sergeants in mosques are sending potential recruits on outward-bound courses to improve their fitness and undergo mock weapons training.

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9. Either

MI5 and Scotland Yard can't see the forest for the trees or something more sinister could be going on.

They're arresting people right, left and centre, yet they let this other stuff go on and they KNOW it's going on.

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11. Can't see the forest probably in this case

He's been released now. Maybe someone found an old WWII souvenir and immediately thought al-Qaeda? As you do...

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13. Yeah

As we do...

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14. Didn't mean you mind!

Sorry, sarcasm failure again, just a phrase. :)

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16. It was my fault

I got the sarcasm. I was worried in case I was going overboard with smilies and whatnot...so I SHOULD have put one, but didn't.

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3. I know where they can arrest 130,000 more...

give you 3 guesses

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5. Not

All the soldiers are bad. I'm sure many would love to leave Beirut/West Bank Version II and be at home with their family and having a Stella Artois.

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15. Iraq, not Israel

but that fits as well.

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17. They both fit well

I wasn't thinking of Israel though. I meant that Iraq has now become a combination of Beirut/West Bank, thanks to Uncurious George and Bambi.

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10. He's been released without charge

Probably nothing? Just another nervous overreaction maybe.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4160538.stm

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12. Good grief

Heck this is getting CRAZY...mind you, this soldier's MIGHTY lucky that the police's overreaction didn't include shooting him six times in the head like they did with Mr. De Menezes.