Red Tamarin has always been a bit sceptical about the value of amnesties, but the success of the Government’s latest knife amnesty seems hard to deny - 17,700 weapons handed in within the first week, and those are just the ones prised out of the backs’ of Tony and Gordon.
But the highlight so far is this fantastic quote from a BBC News article.
As well as knives, Devon and Cornwall police also received an 8lb anti-tank rocket launcher, known as a “tankbuster”, which has a range of up to 350 metres.
A force spokesman said: “The amnesty is for all weapons and if someone wants to get rid of a rocket launcher, that’s fine by us.”
Clearly our anti-terrorism investigators are completely on the wrong track. Instead of relying on sketchy intelligence, arresting innocent people and failing to find any weapons, the police just need to ask nicely for them and promise not to ask any awkward questions…
redtamarin[at]gmail.com
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This problem goes back a long way, to the last World Cup and the previous Serjeant at Arms.
In short, an event for researchers to attend to watch the Argentina game on a big screen in PCH was arranged by a prominent mobile phone company. SAA got wind and cancelled the viewing saying it was “an inappropriate use of Parliamentary resources”.
Not only was the event cancelled, all large committee rooms were locked to stop staff sneaking in and watching the games together - being a recess week none of this affected MPs.
It was a particularly nasty movce by SAA because as you know staff do not have access to TVs if they are not in with their MPs. Only MPs are entitled to annunciators, not staff.
The really annoying thing was that for the later group match vs Nigeria the BBC arranged a screening on the Terrace for MPs only. When this was brought to the SAA’s attention (by me) he replied that the event could go ahead as it was an “appropriate use of resources”.
One rule for them - another for us.
I believe that is why the SAA are trying to discourage all football related events this time around. Hope that helps.
It was reported in Private Eye and the Mirror at the time if you want to check it out.
At least staff can watchthe games online now, if nothing else.
Kerron Cross said this on June 16th, 2006 at 2:34 pm
I saw this article on local TV several days ago. The item displayed was a M72 LAW 66mm. discarded launch tube the missile having already been fired. These are fire the missile and throw away the launch tube. he was probably picked up from the ground by someone. It’s a short range shoulder launched weapons designed to take out trucks, and light armoured vehicles. Any kind of heavy armour is way out of its league.
The identical copy produce in by the Russians (RPG18) was the type of weapon that was fired at the MI6 building at Vauxhall Bridge.Howler inspected the damage to the building at the time, and decided that he could do more damage to it by throwing a stone at it.
Howler Monkey said this on June 16th, 2006 at 4:44 pm