Security = Airport paranoia

[Ultralights]

With stories like this written by Ill informed Journalists, its no wonder why the GA industry is being destroyed on all fronts by the "security" threat!

lifted fom todays Daily telegraph
GAPING holes remain in security at key Sydney facilities and landmarks thought to be on terrorist hit lists.

Two weeks after the arrest of 17 alleged terrorists in NSW and Victoria, an investigation by The Sunday Telegraph has revealed serious shortcomings in Sydney's security planning.

At several Sydney facilities, there is little to prevent a determined, resourceful and quick-thinking terrorist carrying out an attack.

It has also been revealed that calls to the national security hotline have doubled to 1500 a week in the wake of the arrests and debate about anti-terror laws.

Among the most vulnerable facilities is Bankstown airport. The runway can be accessed by simply walking through an unlocked gate.



A reporter toting a backpack was ignored by office workers and encountered no security personnel on airport property.

Security is virtually non-existent at dozens of hangars around the airport.

In July, when The Sunday Telegraph exposed a large unlocked gate at Bankstown airport, airport authorities said companies would be reprimanded over the security breach. But it appears little has changed..


as said before, with a pilots licence, i am subject to unjustified scrutiniy at MY expense, to help "prevent" another 911 event. yet in my previous career, driving a fleet of vans, i had Unrestricted access to EVERY building in the CBD with said Loaded van, INCLUDING the Premiers department buildings. not 1 check, not 1 drivers licence inspected. nothing.... and we all know what the Cowards Jihad warriors weapon of choice is......

These sorts of stories just Piss me off..

Since when has a Lonely GA airfiled become a Terrorist target?

[Keg]

Sounds like a letter to the editor right there Ultralights! Go for it.

I'll send one off as well. Perhaps if we get enough people holding the mirror up to them they may just start to actually do something about reporting serious issues rather than going for 'fluff' that can be dressed up as a serious issue! :mad:

[Old Smokey]

driving a fleet of vans, i had Unrestricted access to EVERY building in the CBD with said Loaded van, INCLUDING the Premiers department
Irresponsible journalism, irresponsible posting on a public forum.
If "Terrorists are Us" weren't aware of that gem of information provided by you, they are now.

Old Smokey

[one25six]

I think you are all missing something.

Did you not notice the curious combination of words?

-reporter

-investigation

-Sunday Telegraph.

Immediately you realise this is a work of fiction.

The Sun Tele has no investigative reporters.

(or for that matter reporters)

[Ultralights]

im quite sure die hard terrorists know how to use a van,

Why cant every driver who uses his licence for an income source be background checked just as Pilots licence Holders?

It can be easy to cross reference a drivers licence with a tax file number, Tax statement etc.

no more difficult than all the BS we are going through with ASICS Licences etc...

I just dont want to see Millions wasted closing imaginary security Holes when there are glaringly obvious holes that can be plugged with the same money, that might actually go some way to preventing an attack...

Im sure the Silent Majority would prefer the money spent checking professional drivers and the electoral backlash from professional drivers will be Minimal,

being background checked every second day for being a CPL holder for an imaginary attention diverting scheme is Insulting, but i would not object to a background check being a prefessional driver, as vans and other vehicles loaded with C4 are the real threat.

[one25six]

The chief scaremongers pushing the agenda (cabinet) dont even beleive it:

Before 100 Rotarians and guests, Senator Vanstone went on to poke fun at security measures on aircraft, such as the ban on metal knives, and the costly installation of bollards at Parliament House.

"I don't know if any of you travel that much and have the pleasure of trying to cut soggy toast with a plastic knife, which from my experience is not very reliable," she said.

"But we have this (no knives policy), of course, because we're worried about terrorists getting on planes and grabbing knives and doing bad things with them.

"But has it ever occurred to you that you just smash your wine glass and jump at someone, grab the top of their head and put it to their carotid artery and ask anything? And believe me, you will have their attention."


Of course - she is absolutely right.

But fear is a powerful thing. Too powerful to leave unexploited by a government bent on exploitation.

Having said that, how disengenuous for the rudderless Labor party and it's spokesman (Bevis) calling for Vanstone's resignation. If they had any back bone they would be congratulating Vanstone for having the courage of her convictions to speak her mind - and seeking the blood of Ruddock and Howard instead.

Of course for that, Labor would need some policies and some leadership.

At least some policies that are different to this shameful hand on the tiller of the SS Australia we have now.

[Ron & Edna Johns]

Wow. A government minister - Vanstone - realises that the emperor isn't wearing any clothes, and is saying so! There may be hope yet.

[pullock]

Isn't it refreshing to hear a voice of reason from a politician.

I have been saying for years that all of this airport security nonsence was just "visible" security to please the dumb masses, and that that the only people on the airport who were subject to it were the dumb masses.

That rediculous article by the Telegraph made me very mad - and did anybody read the editorial at all??? I don't very often read the telegraph because of it's low brow nature, and I know that it's sensationalist beatups hold no credability, but what angers me is that it plays on people out there who are dumb enough to believe it, and proof that they exist comes from the fact that the telegrap is still for sale!!

[7gcbc]

"and the costly installation of bollards at Parliament House. "


sure, poke away fat vandstone, one truck bomb and you'll be laughing all the way to oblivion.

did she not imply that asylum seekers "could" also "possibly" maybe "just" be "likely" terrorists, including the children under 6.

Her comments above just proves she's an idiot. and its a little more than soggy toast problems from her ad-dull-ade townhouse.

she makes me sick.

[one25six]

I wonder if Sen Vanstone will be brave enough to suggest a small piece of plastic dangling from the dusty shirt pocket of a GA pilot at Karumba is probably the most ridiculous example of effort mis-directed in the 'war against ideology' so far?

I noted that at the CT forum today Dr Rohan Gunaratna says authorities must act against "preachers of hate" or face the consequences.

"You must make sure that there is no place for extremist preachers. preachers of hate in Australia," he said.

This begs the question - what is to become of Stan Zemanec, Alan Jones, Piers Ackerman and Bill Heffernan?

[VH-Cheer Up]

If you were sitting in your airline seat minding your own business and Amanda Vanstone grabbed your hair and asked you for something, you'd give it to her just to get rid of her. No broken wineglass necessaryl...

[Binoculars]

Well, I didn't think I'd ever finding myself saying this, but Vanstone is dead right. Justice must be SEEN to be done of course, hence the crack front line troops at airport checkins who allow one cigarette lighter on board but confiscate a second etc.

Amanda of course is already backing down and prevaricating; perhaps Sir Humphrey told her she had done a courageous thing? :rolleyes:

[gassed budgie]

GA airports terrorist targets ? Of course not. But those oxygen bandits at DOTARS must reckon they are, as we now see such airports as Quilpie, Cunnamulla, Walgett etc. listed as security controlled airports. About the only facilities you'll find at some of these places are fallen down, clapped out shacks full of dead flies. Yet another example of over zealous, over the top officialdom slowly but surely chipping away at ones independence.
I'm frustrated by the thought of some prick terrorist sitting there in his cave watching CNN, with a smug, self satisfied smirk spreading across his (or her) ugly face, delighted at the way they have made the democratic Wetern governments jump at shadows.
Where Australians for christ's sake! Our soldiers were the best of the best during two world wars. We have a fine military tradition and aren't supposed to scare easily. It's not as if the country is about to be ripped apart then raped, burned and pillaged by hundreds of thousands of alien troops landing on our northern coastline.
No. A very small group of individuals whose thinking appears to be rooted in the seventh century and who interpret, in an exteme way parts of the Muslim faith are responsible for what's happening. And even worse they seem to be achieving what they set out to do. Disrupting our way of life and the way we are governed. They're winning.
We have lots of poorly thought through legislation being rushed through parliament, both at a Federal and State level and more of it to come. It is and will cost us billions to implement.
And for what ? For nothing. I don't feel any safer (not that I feel unsafe to begin with) and I don't think anyone else does either.
Sen. Amanda Vanstone, in one or two paragraphs today, spoke more truthfully and honestly than all of the other pollies put together during the long drawn out debate on Australias Aviation security.
I made sure I rang her electoral office (08 8223 1757) indicating my support of her statement.
I then rang Arch Bevis' office (07 3356 1555) and said to the nice lady that I while I was sure Arch was a delightful chap, he was also a bit of a goose for what he said afterwards.
Now I hear Melbourne will be a no fly zone during the Commonwealth games. The smirk will be even wider.
I hope it gets wiped off soon. Real soon.

[3 slips and a gully]

I noted that at the CT forum today Dr Rohan Gunaratna says authorities must act against "preachers of hate" or face the consequences.

"You must make sure that there is no place for extremist preachers. preachers of hate in Australia," he said.

Be sceptical about that guy. He used to work for a government whose ethos for the last 40 years is based upon power and dominance based on ethnicity (sinhalese unity/purity bugger the rest) where true democracy rarely appears. The government kicked off the civil war around the time he was with it. A two decade civil war that has assigned that country to basket-case status. I was just in the country doing corporate sponsored relief for Tsunami victims. Unfu<k!ngbelievable - The power, arrogance and self importance upon ethic lines makes one think of Serbia immediately post Communist Yugoslavia. The corruption and poverty is unrivalled.

Rohan Gunaratna (http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/07/20/1058545648013.html)