Natural yogurt.

Nice bit of scaremongering from the South Wales Echo

In the latest arrests on alleged terrorists in the UK, Cardiff came tops with 5 men taken into custody under the Terrorism Act. Now the South Wales Echo asks "Were these Christmas terror targets?". Cardiff city centre and Bridgend Designer Outlet may have been at the centre of a planned terror attack. Documents seized in dawn raids found at some of the houses are believed to have contained information about both shopping centres. Documents seized from raided houses on Monday are alleged to have had information pertaining to the McArthurGlen shopping centre just off junction 36 of the M4 in Bridgend, which is now formally known as Bridgend Designer Outlet. It is understood that following the discovery of the information the outlet closed. But the centre’s manager Richard Garrett said the site had only closed two hours early at 7pm on Monday because of problems caused by the snow. He denied he had received information in relation to any specific terrorist threat. He said: “To be honest, what we read or see from yourselves [the media] is all we would know anyway.”

...Well, this surprises me for a number of reasons.

These arrests were made by unarmed police officers. Terrorists are evil, violent people who carry and use guns. The police always close roads in Cardiff at the drop of a hat and claim this is because of health and safety in case people walk off pavements and get knocked over by moving vehicles. The police with their obsession of health and safety are unlikely to enter a terrorist cell unarmed.

Remember the arrests in London of 6 Veolia workers because they were overheard in the staff canteen joking about making an attack on the Pope. Maybe these Cardiff men were joking about having suicide bombers at Bridgend and Cardiff shopping centres, they were overheard and next thing they get a 05.00 house alarm call from the police. Oh dear, I have joked and raised my own concerns about the need to look closely at all the passengers before boarding them in both Birmingham Coach Station and London Victoria Coach Station. When you look at the density of passengers in the crowded waiting areas it frightens me that it would make a prime suicide bomb location with the prospect of many fatalities from the confined area. Will I be getting a visit from the police for expressing my concerns, remember I also have a beard!

Think about the timing of these arrests under the Terrorism Act. The police have had a lot of criticism lately over it's very rough handling of demonstrators in London. The police want to get the public back on side and frightening them by making arrests under the Terrorism Act is one way to convince the public that the police are their friends in the fight against all evil. At this time of year the police have their annual drink drive campaign with suspicion thrown on all drivers. This can cause a lot of resentment from sober drivers having to prove their innocence but with an increased awareness of a potential terrorist attack, the police will appear to be vigilant in protecting the public.