Information useful to Terrists

The totemic nature of the Manchester bomb to the Metropolitan muttering classes is unknown. That bright sunny June morning in 1996 when tons of home made explosive in a truck (see pic) exploded in Cross Street, outside Marks & Spencers store , left an indelible mark on the Mancunian psyche. The security authorities know who did it, how they did it an nothing has been done to bring them to justice.

The explosion point of that bomb, which did more damage than Hitler, and miraculously killed no-one is located on the map above.BOMB

Also marked are the waste bins and cycle racks which are now installed (2) near to the re-installed (with commemorative plaque) Post Box (1) which withstood the blast and and stood out in the iconic post blast pictures.

Also shown are the 3 Police Transit vans (3) that blocked Cross Street to direct the Stop the War March as it turned right on it's final leg up Cross Street into Albert Square, with no access between the vans.

Lord Patel, left the march here and took a much needed breather and sat on the bench at the corner of M & S (where he had met 'er indoors many,many times aftershopping trips) and reflected.

He was not alone and watched as many people stuffed the adjacent bins with papers, posters, water bottles sticks. One thoughtful marcher aided by his children affixed a sticker declaring peace for palestine on one of the bins.

He looked around.

Absorbed by the rag,tag and bobtail, drummers and dancers at the tail end of the march, police relaxed in the sunshine amid the generally happy good natured crowd, in front of the zareba of Transit vans heading the march off from going North on Cross Street.

In the lee and shadow of the Police vans, there was a quiet(ish) oasis where any ill intentioned terrorist could have scattered remotely activated bombs on/in bicycles (a la byciclistes of Vietnam), waste bins, even discarded ruck sacks, shopping bags, which could have been left by the unattended rears of the Police vehicles, kicked under them, hunf from their mirrors. This pic (BBC) after the bomb is taken from almost the identical spot that Lord Patel was musing.... you can just see the post box on the left of picture.

Triggered by remote control, such devices would have proved the nonsense of the much vaunted "Ring of Steel" thrown up around GMEX and the major delegates hotels.

Another explosion ten years after the last one in exactly the same spot would have been a gift of immense sucess to any terrorists, anxious to strike.... as they did in London on 7/7 when the great and the good were meeting at G8.

Fascinating to see that Plod still hasn't learnt any lessons.... well not in protecting the public.

The Politicians of course will be safe inside their barricades and self erected Prison.

So, that's all right then.