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THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT held an emergency meeting Thursday after a string of crude explosive devices were sent to armed forces recruitment offices.
Prime Minister David Cameron chaired a meeting of the government’s COBRA emergencies committee after suspect packages were sent to seven offices in southeast England.
This evening, Sky News reports that at least one of packages is said to have had a Republic of Ireland postmark.
‘Crude‘
Counter-terrorism police are investigating and army bomb disposal units have been sent to assist.
A source said the devices were “crude” in design but “could have caused injury”.
An envelope was delivered to an office in Chatham and a package was found in Reading on Tuesday. Sky News television, citing sources, said they were small but viable explosive devices.
Another was discovered yesterday in the army town of Aldershot, while four more were found Thursday in Brighton, Canterbury, Oxford and Slough, the police’s South East Counter Terrorism Unit said.
Detective Superintendent Stan Gilmour.
The contents of the packages are suspicious in nature and will now be sent off for forensic examination.Even if the contents are determined to be a viable device they pose a very low-level threat and are unlikely to cause significant harm or damage.
A shopping centre in Slough to the west of London was temporarily evacuated, while cordons were placed close to all offices where packages were found.
“When a suspect package is reported we have a routine response which means we may need to evacuate the area if necessary until we can be sure it poses no threat to the public,” Gilmour said.
It is a necessary precaution until we know what we are dealing with.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said security advice has been reiterated to its personnel, while the Royal Mail postal operator said it was co-operating with the police investigation.
Routine search
Meanwhile, in an incident thought to be unrelated, a suspicious package was found during a routine vehicle search at the gates of Mildenhall air station in eastern England, one of the major United States military airbases in Europe.
British bomb disposal units were called in and the item was determined to be a home-made firework.
A spokeswoman for the base said the device intercepted there “is not thought to be terrorist-related”.
- © AFP, 2012 with additional reporting by Aoife Barry
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cowards who should be ashamed to call themselves Irish! They have nothing good to contribute to their country. No decent person wants to go back to this. Lived in Chatham for 5 years and got nothing but respect for being Irish from the English. There are are 100000s Irish people living and working there getting opportunities they couldn’t get in their own country!
Relations between England and Ireland are the best they have ever been. These lowlifes wont change that.
Very true Marc
Relations are only so good because shatter kenny and Gilmore act like good paddy’s around the queen.
If things are so good why not open the Dublin/Monaghan files?
Doubt it’s Irish people.
Hope your right Jamie
Looks like i may be wrong.. just checked a couple of sites and it seems to be work of so-called dissident republicans. At least that’s what the cops in England are saying anyway.
It’s terrible isn’t it. I lived in Chatham. It’s a very working class area, very run down in parts but the people were always friendly towards the irish. Every second person I met claimed to have an irish connection. The army provides opportunities and employment to a lot of them in that part of England. Bad things happened on both sides but you have to move on. I get too bogged down with the negative comments here but when you lived in a place and see stuff like this it upsetting
*it is upsetting
john it is what it is, sad and unnecessary but happening nonetheless. I wouldn’t say it’s any go at the ordinary decent English people though, more military/political related.
Id have thought dissidents would have claimed responsibility by now? No?
Exactly John. The majority of Ireland do not want this.
true
So London Derry is in Ireland when it suits…
hahaha excellent obsevration !!
They should return them all to sender with some improvements made to the devices
The gardai will probably be blamed for this too
No this takes some intelligence, that lot are only good for tax and insurance end of story so don’t worry it’s defiantly not them
Brilliant mart_n, love it.
What do you mean unnessarry garda bashing, u said they would probably be blamed for this, I said they wouldn’t , now you are saying they did not bug the office, it had to be them, only they could get caught, with all the cut backs, the only way the could bug anything is with one of them old tape recorders and microphones taped to the conference phone, it was bound to be noticed sooner or later, will ya whisttttttttt there now lad,
I was being sarcastic. The gardai are getting blamed for everything. And yes you did point the finger straight away at the gardai over the gsoc incident and yes you are garda bashing for no reason by saying they are unintelligent and only useful for tax and insurance.
Boylan is that you, how’s that new lorry going for you, heard you got a few new trailers as well.
A stray comma seems to have infiltrated your stream-of-consciousness rant, posing a real threat of momentarily interrupting your vitriol.
Yawn
The British army is responsible for the deaths of hundred of thousand innocent civilians.
Their war machine will match on and on and on.
Match on?
Just because it’s from here does not mean it was sent by an Irish person or has anything to do with British occupation
It could of been Ali babba over the Middle East
@foxys your right & that’s the exactly what I thought when I read this but a lot of journal readers don’t think rationally about the stories so they just jump to the first conclusion with the burn them at the stake attitude.
Carefully there foxy, jihad jane will come after you, death to all infidels lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalal
In fairness if it has an Irish postmark it’s more like an Irish terrorist than a Taliban terrorist.
Since when do terrorists try to blow shit up for someone else’s cause?
Also be realistic. People may want a united Ireland but let’s not get crazy and talk about british occupation. Northern Ireland is part of the UK because the majority want to be British. Whether us in Ireland agree or not doesn’t matter. It’s a question for those in NI and them only. If that changes and the majority want to be irish then that’s what will happen. Feck political crap!
Somebody didn’t stay awake in history class.
I hope these morons are caught, they aren’t representing the people of Ireland.
But they do…in their own twisted way….go away Republicans…
Calm down everyone! Just because Sky News reports that at least one of the packages is “said” to have a RoI postmark doesn’t mean we should all panic. Let’s wait and see what it’s all about….
Can’t be any from the Irish, as bad as they are they don’t do crude,
Alot of self hating “Paddy,s” on here!!!!!
A fair few armchair republicans as well.
A lot of d&#^#£^d$ on here to like yourself Tír Eoghan. Defining your Irishhness on how much you hate the British. Very mature attitude to have!
he said anything why are you jumping to a conclusion.
Yawn to you too John Smith if that is your name, yawn too to 800 years of oppression, British war machine, god I’m falling asleep here.
Its not that long ago that F.A.S offices where encouraging this behavour. The behavour of joining the Brittish Armed forces that is ( not making parcel bombs ).
Here here!!
Aging lothario go read history books and they’ll tell you the Brits killed more people throughout the world their a bunch of war mongering machines them and the yanks
Oh come on, this anti british crap is getting old in 2014. This is an article about Irish terrorists sending letter bombs and people can try and justify it? Shameful.
This is probably some Islamic loo-laas and nothing to do with Ireland.
In fairness the reports are saying they had irish postmarks. I’m sure 99% would thankfully want to distance themselves from crap like this though.
There are people out there who will resist British oppression by any means neccessary.
What British oppression! Like Northern Ireland’s free British national health service, fairer taxes on workers, a more stable economy! Oh yes the people are so oppressed in 2014! The republic we love in is the Mecca of freedom where you are taxed to the neck, and politicians who arnt even accountable to wipe their own arses! Get over yourself.
These bombs could have killed innocent people including Irish and British postal workers.
British oppression? Eh … What does that mean?
It’s embarrassing as an Irish person in England to be associated with this however slightly even if it’s from Ireland or Northern Ireland. I walked past the armed forces careers office the other day when the bomb disposal unit were outside and didn’t think much of it. What utter idiots. How can anyone justify sending letter bombs?
It is not only embarrassing but it can also be dangerous if you are anywhere near one of theses fiendish devices either when they are in transit via the postal system or after they have reached their destination. If they are identified as originating from Ireland, then it is bad news for Ireland and Irish people both at home or in the UK. Let us hope these criminals will be caught.
I’ve an appointment at one of the forces career offices soon and I have to say I feel a bit awkward about going in now with an Irish accent after terrorists from Ireland (or so it seems at least) sent them letter bombs. I’m sure they realise that almost irish people are decent people but these idiots do help anyone.
Stupid autocorrect. *most irish people are decent and they don’t help anyone
Don’t feel awkward James. Go in and just be yourself. There are loads of irish people in the army over already
Typical comments from west Brit Dubs
Oh drag out the old West Brit line again, which sad wannabe armchair republicans in this country drag out any time people do not agree with their pathetic anti British comments. Grow up lads, the war is over, and Britain if anything is one of our best friends in the world.
Lothario well said! Every country has its few eejets
Yea Al I’d say you contributed a lot to the ’cause’……. NOT
We elect their relatives and friends to the Dail. It says a lot about the Irish. They don’t represent me or any of my family and friends.
All of the criminal gangs of the IRA etc are in the UK. It is clearly their problem not ours.
why so many down votes he is right.
A lot of plastic paddies on here. Be off and don’t bother us with your free state rethoric. Btw this was too amateur to be done by Republicans. Probably done by a bored kid.
THIOCFIDH AR LA!!!!!
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