Commentary
| Published date | 01 September 2006 |
| Date | 01 September 2006 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1350/pojo.2006.79.3.197 |
| Subject Matter | Commentary |
The
Police
Journal
COMMENTARY
During the summer of 2006 and at the time of writing a number
of interrelated events are serving to question the way in which
we respond to acts of terrorism. First we had a report into the
London bombings on 7 July 2005 to consider and then, secondly,
we were faced with what transpires to be a failure in intelligence
leading to a high-profile police raid on a residential house in
Forest Green. Finally we were confronted with the arrest of 23
suspects on suspicion of being involved in a conspiracy to
detonate liquid bombs on aircraft travelling from London to the
USA. All three have thrown up a number of lessons that need to
be learned as we continue to try and identify the most effective
counter-terrorism measures.
In June 2006 a report on the 7 July 2005 bombings in
London was published by the Greater London Authority (GLA).
The 7 July Review Committee, established by the GLA to
undertake the review, acknowledged that it was neither a
replacement for a public inquiry nor was it concerned with
examining the background of the bombings. As noted by the
Chair of the Committee:
Rather, our task has been to identify the successes and
failings of the response to the bombings, and to help improve
things for the future: to help protect and secure the lives of
Londoners and of the visitors to our great city in the months
and years to come. (Greater London Authority, 2006: 1)
The final report is both wide-ranging and far-reaching and the 54
recommendations are testimony to the rigour applied by the
Committee in achieving this task (see www.london.gov.uk). The
Committee received evidence and testimony from a wide range
of people involved in the bombings including emergency ser-
vices, London Underground representatives and victims. A
major finding of the Committee concerned the extent to which
the three emergency services were able to effect a coordinated
The Police Journal, Volume 79 (2006) 197
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