When are we going to wake up?

[Aggers]

Doesn't the future look bright?

Read this.....

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04 ... k-on-west/

Surely the time has come to take some decisive action?

[Suff]

It is incredibly sad to say it but it will take something like this to make our government and our people aware that the human rights of the average British citizen far, far, outweigh any other consideration.

If it means the civilian casualties for eradicating IS have to clime massively, it will be balanced against future acts of this type.

In fact nothing could be better for the rest of the world than the west's response to this kind of attack. Because countries have started to believe that nuclear is a viable tool in a war... That kind of thinking has to end soon or we're going to sleep walk into a real nightmare.

[Workingman]

The amount of "lost" nuclear material is known to within a few kilograms. About 85% of it is not suitable to make a 'dirty bomb' of any great relevance, and the description 'dirty bomb' is a bit of a misnomer. Using high-level nuclear material it would be very dangerous (lethal) to the bomb makers and very difficult to produce one, transport it undetected and then detonate it ... and even then it would have a limited nuclear radiation effect contained within a relatively small area.

The drone scenario now under discussion is far more of a worry. If terrorists used this 'crop spraying' method a very large area could be contaminated with low-level alpha and beta emitters. The psychological effect on a population would be massive as would the clean-up, decontaminating and medical treatment costs, and these could take years to achieve. Such an attack will happen one day.

Drones controlled by a laptop, software and GPS are already available and can be flown out of sight of the operators on pre-planned routes. Some are capable of carrying loads of many kilograms. It would not be a difficult task to modify one as a nuclear capable 'crop sprayer' aimed at a specific target.

[Aggers]

It certainly seems we are heading for a nightmare.

[TheOstrich]

The drone scenario now under discussion is far more of a worry. If terrorists used this 'crop spraying' method a very large area could be contaminated with low-level alpha and beta emitters. The psychological effect on a population would be massive as would the clean-up, decontaminating and medical treatment costs, and these could take years to achieve. Such an attack will happen one day.

Drones controlled by a laptop, software and GPS are already available and can be flown out of sight of the operators on pre-planned routes. Some are capable of carrying loads of many kilograms. It would not be a difficult task to modify one as a nuclear capable 'crop sprayer' aimed at a specific target.

This.

Firstly, we need to ban easy availability and the use of drones in public - forget "registering" them, that's bureaucratic nonsense (they need to make bicycle registration compulsory before drones anyway, but that's another thread).
Then they need to develop some sort of electronic barrier that will block drones from entering any form of restricted airspace, such as around an airfield or a stadium.

Any they should tell Amazon to take a hike - ban delivery drones before they even get started.

[Suff]

Horse bolted, stable door? Not really, it's already reached the stage where the availability of drones make it virtually impossible to stop. Worst case they could 3D print their own from a design on the Internet, add motors and sensors, plug in a raspberry pi and download maker software to run it. Or even simple manual stuff, but, in reality, it will be a pre programmed device with a mobile phone strapped to it giving GPS and internet...

Think it can't be done??

http://3dprinting.com/how-to/3d-print-drone/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-an ... -printing/


I didn't find this link till after what I wrote above, honest.

http://www.3ders.org/articles/20150506- ... phone.html

Also when you can get one of these for this pice.... What can't you make in your garage?

The days of suggesting that we can clamp down on hardware to stop a threat are long gone. When you can buy precision machining tools for under £1,000 and reasonable 3D printing machines for under £2,000, that technology is no longer the premise of the government or large corporations.

We are back to the time where the back street garage can really produce almost anything you want. The only reason we don't is that even the back street garage can't compete with China and India.

[Workingman]

Already available to fly out of the box. Quadcopter drone, range 2km, ceiling 1000m, payload 4kg, (remove the cameras and that can be increased) flight time 54mins, programmed flights, GPS, runs Smartphone app.

Of course, the first thing Mr & Mrs Terrorist are going to do is rush down to the Post Office and hand over loads of personal details in order to register it, aren't they?

[Suff]

I know, I was just pointing out the fact that even if the government shut down all sales of drones, the terrorist could easily make their own. One of the biggest mistakes made by authorities in dealing with fundamental religious terrorists is assuming they are stupid.

I'm sure, if we check, some/many of those involved in this will have Masters and PHD's. I'm not talking the two footed drones (not so smart bombs), I'm talking the people who organise them and direct them.

[Workingman]

My ex BIL was flying his about in the back garden at Christmas. They are great fun and ever so easy to handle.

It strikes me that a reasonably good model maker, of the model aircraft type, could build a perfectly serviceable chassis and turn it into a working machine using OTC spares from any number of other models on the market - very difficult to trace. It might take those with good qualifications to turn one into a high-tech weapon, but not that hard when you think about it.

I also remember reading in a certain 'cook book' articles on how to produce botulinum and anthrax (both available naturally in most soils) in a home lab with easy to buy lab equipment. I fear their (mixed) use more than the nuclear threat.

[Suff]

There is only one real defence. Find them and stop them before they do something.

The old IRA saying is equally true today. We have to get lucky every time. They only have to get lucky once.

Britain, I believe, is already well advanced down this road. But the rest of the EU, who have felt they could just interfere in Islamic affairs as we did over a century ago when we ruled them, thinks they can do this with no impact at home and can just carry on as normal.

That is no longer true and it's going to be a long and hard lesson to learn.