UK: Tanks at Heathrow

Phyllis Gardner describes the joys of air travel: "As a person who flew into Heathrow last Wed/Thurs when the tanks were deployed, I can let you know that the fear was the shooting of planes by SAM-7 missiles from the ground. The incoming planes circled around the airport and took a deep descent to land (one fellow flying in from Sweden said his pilot practically belly-flopped his plane). During the subsequent 24 hours, a passenger carrying a live hand grenade was arrested at Gatwick, shutting that airport down for awhile, and four men were arrested for loitering in the flight path at Heathrow. By Sunday, the military and terrorist warnings receded. The British papers also raised the question of whether this was simply posturing by Tony Blair and Jack Straw to thwart anti-war sentiment - if so, it was an abysmal failure as demonstrated by the million marchers who converged on Hyde Park on Saturday. I found tremendous anti-war sentiment and profound disgust with Tony Blair in everyone with whom I conversed in London and Oxford (admittedly perhaps the more liberal constituents, or certainly among the highly educated and knowledgeable). Ken Livingstone, mayor of London, was quoted as saying that Bush, et. al was not a government, but merely an ill-disguised front for the oil industry. The sentiment is deep and profound.

Meanwhile, I took the terrorist warnings seriously. The chaos and resentment incited by our unpopular drive to war and our neglect of anti-terrorism due to the focus on Iraq (see front page, New York Times 2/18/03), is providing ample opportunity for terrorists to act. They surely love this situation".

Ronald Hilton - 2/18/03