London off limits for US airmen

[PartTimePongo]

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/region_wide/2005/07/11/e362068e-c015-403a-9eb0-0175b83d2519.lpf

AMERICAN service personnel in Mid- Anglia have been banned from entering London in the wake of last week's terrorist strikes.

Concerned officials at RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath have ruled that the thousands of service personnel based in Suffolk must not travel inside the M25 ring road until further notice.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4673987.stm

Most of the 12,000 US 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."

 

[DozyBint]

2 things immediately spring to mind:

1) the actuarial probability of someone dying in a terrorist incident v the actuarial probability of someone dying in a car crash
2) US service personnel are 'allowed' to be killed on active service, but not during personal time at the weekend?

Am I missing something pertinent here or is this a bizarre over-reaction to Thursday's events?

 

[watertight]

Part time we must have been typing at the same time. Delete my post if possible, my comment below, ty

The reasons given are to ensure troop safety and to give police time to "do their job" following the Tube and bus bombings. What's the next step then, warn all US citizens to cancel their holidays to the U for the time being. As for giving the police time, I find it a load of shite. The areas of incident are sealed whilst forensic work continues. Is the odd spam soldier taking pictures of Big Ben etc going to make a difference or get in the way of matters.

Could be the reaction to some intelligence gathering but I doubt it. It actually annoys me more as after 9/11 there were great rallies of "Hey, America is open for business you tourists" and our Government promoted and echoed that sentiment. I think this action sends a very bad message. Source below and would welcome your thoughts:

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4673987.stm

 

[Sabre]

the thought of 'closing the stable door after the horse has bolted' comes to mind

 

[PartTimePongo]

Seen watertight.

I think it sends the message to the bombers and their supporters , that their action has in part succeeded. Was this a local initative, or at the behest of DoD?

 

[watertight]

Seen watertight.

I think it sends the message to the bombers and their supporters , that their action has in part succeeded. Was this a local initative, or at the behest of DoD?

"In this difficult hour, the people of Great Britain can know the American people stand with you" - Gerge Bush. Sure George, from behind closed doors.

The news on television seems to be reporting that this is most definitely a Pentagon decision. I suppose now they will ask their troops to stop patrolling the streets of Iraq to ensure the safety of their "folks".

 

[Ord_Sgt]

I’m in agreement with PTP, basically they are telling the terrorists that they have succeeded. Some days I just don’t get how the yanks can be so stupid.

 

[Prodigal]

In defence of the American UK based personnel, they are allowed to travel in uniform and would be obvious targets. In addition I would guess this is only a temporary measure - and don't forget the restrictions put on UK military personnel during the IRA campaign - certain towns and places were put OOB for periods of times.

 

[Crab_Sig]

Watertight, you chopped your thread just as I was typing my reply.

Living down in Docklands with 3 hotels within 200M of my place, I popped in to one late on Fri (late beers).

It was deserted, when it is normally full of US tour groups. The staff said the tour groups had cancelled. This one hotel is normally full of them, with another hotel here catering for Japanese tour groups.

The Japanese still came, and last night another two/three coaches full turned up. They obviously made a concious descision to carry on.

I hope this will not turn out like 9/11, when no US tour groups would travel, and it took at least a year for them to return.

 

[whiffler]

After all the 'London can stand it' stuff at the weekend, and the indiscriminate nature of the bombing, it shows the Spams in a very poor light. But remember it's not them, but their COs, and it's the tour companies rather than all tourists.

The bottom line is probably fear of litigation - the new terrorist weapon.

 

[Ord_Sgt]

In defence of the American UK based personnel, they are allowed to travel in uniform and would be obvious targets. In addition I would guess this is only a temporary measure - and don't forget the restrictions put on UK military personnel during the IRA campaign - certain towns and places were put OOB for periods of times.

Then travel in civvies. The decision just shows weakness in the face of terrorists. As for UK towns being put OOB during the IRA days I never heard of a single mainland UK town put OOB from 1984 to 1997 so not sure where you got that from.

 

[taffcraven]

Nothing like standing by your allies in times of need... and I mean "nothing like"!!

 

[Crab_Sig]

Prodigal

Being "allowed" to travel in uniform does not mean they have to, they can blend in.

HM Forces can now wear uniform outside the wire, it was changed to raise the profile a few years ago, it just comes down to using some common about when you do or not.

Is that not what we have all done in NI for years?(fiiting/blending in), places there are OOB for a specific reason/threat, and if we think about it, they are not places you would choose to go anyway.

 

[Ord_Sgt]

It's not even as if they were the bloody target. Very dissapointed epecially as this appears to have come from the top.

 

[Vegetius]

Another classic hysterical over-reaction from the spams. Do they really wonder why we shake our heads at their stupidity all the time? No doubt the Hollywood set will all be de-camping back to LA-LA land soonest. Don't let the door hit you on the arrse on the way out.

JFYI, septics, I flew into JFK in the fall of 2001 shortly after 9/11, having booked a trip there with my wife the Spring before. Lots of Londoners did but I'm not holding my breath waiting for you to return the compliment, you risk-averse, craven, ignorant dolts.

Yes, I'm angry. "Special Relationship" my arrse.

V!

 

[ViroBono]

This graphic from the USAF's Lakenheath website is rather unfortunate, in the circumstances:

 

[Scouting for Boys]

Reid being interviewed on Today prog now
"trying to get to the bottom of this story" implying that it was issued the day after - same as offices telling people to stay at home on Friday.

Being reviewed ... blah blah

An order that hasn't been recinded

 

[Steven]

Does this mean that any Spam service personel flying over London on the way to somewhere else will get another medal/ribbon due to being in a "conflict zone"?

 

[Purple_Emperor]

Spams, a target because they are in uniform? Dont think so. Didnt notice any uniformed personnel on the No 30. These terrorists dont care who they kill.

Thanks for the support, you bunch of stupid fatherlesses. As other people on this thread have said, by doing this you are giving in to the terrorists!

I appreciated the sentiment of the hand written sign I saw at one of the sites 'British people, we got your back' (even if the actual English is a bit dodgy) but for the Pentagon to then ban service men coming in to London....

I just dont know why we bother sometimes

 

[mizkrissi]

.............. US service personnel are 'allowed' to be killed on active service, but not during personal time at the weekend?
Am I missing something pertinent here or is this a bizarre over-reaction to Thursday's events?

I agree with you on that point dozy it does seem an over reaction and quite odd, as you say they can be killed on duty but not on personal time. I am sure they will all sleep a lot safer knowing the US military machine is worried about them dying off duty but has less concern if they die when on duty. Perhaps this may explain a lot of spam military decisions.....