Cover up of the failure to apprehend the 7/7 bombers

[muriel_volestrangler]

via Chicken Yoghurt.

Matthew Norman: Why are the police allowed to be a law unto themselves?

The problem is that we have no clue what the force is up to, and no mechanism to find out

...

Meanwhile, a report by the ISC committee of peers and MPs into communication failures between West Yorkshire police and MI5 before the London bombings of 7 July 2005 has been abandoned "for legal reasons", whatever they might be. The PM has read the document, which apparently implies that the bombings may have been avoidable, but prefers to keep it to himself, possibly for fear of distressing any poor police darlings already traumatised by a jury's scepticism regarding the guilt of those charged with conspiring to blow up planes with bombs made from formula baby milk and contact lens cleaner.

The humiliating failure of yet another major terrorist prosecution is something else for which no officer will ever be held accountable, just as none will be punished for the wrongful conviction of Barry George or any of the perpetual miscarriages that erode residual faith in the justice system. In the case of the airline bomb plot, it might very well be that Scotland Yard played a blinder but was undermined by factors beyond its control. But in the absence of proper scrutiny, as in the case of Mr Saunders, how does anyone form a judgement?

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/matthew-norman/matthew-norman-why-are-the-police-allowed-to-be-a-law-unto-themselves-925517.html

They're right - it's just one unaccountable failure after another - de Menezes, 7/7, and all the rest.

Sorry to link to the Mail, but they did cover this - and quoted Rachel North, who isn't just a kneejerk Labour attacker:

July 7 survivor Rachel North said last night: 'A fax was sent from the security services to West Yorkshire police flagging up the bombers. They are at fault because they didn't phone and follow the fax up, but West Yorkshire police are also at fault because what happened to that fax? Did it just fall on the floor or something?

'So although West Yorkshire police will be criticised, there will be some blow-back to the security services. The report will be very critical. The interesting thing will be to find out when the fax was sent.

'If they had investigated Khan after he returned from Pakistan in spring 2005 they would have found him and the other three up to their elbows in explosives.'
...
The report is now due for release on September 10 once Parliament returns from recess but the Prime Minister may rethink this if there is a retrial.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1040732/Lost-MI5-fax-stopped-7-7-The-crucial-missed-warning.html

[LeftishBrit]

1. Surprise surprise!

I would never have expected this! :sarcasm: :sarcasm: