Manchester Arena

[BennyCake]

To be honest this is not the last attack and the West continues to lose the self styled "war on terror". Until the Middle East is sorted out these will continue in Europe and the west long into the future. I would hope for some intelligent thought on that matter but we'll probably be treated to more of the same, i.e. Stealth bombing a school or arming militias in the hope of inciting civil war.

I mourn the deaths of those children but more so I mourn the neeedless deaths of innocents to come because the west are too stupid/naive/bloodthirsty/ingrained to come up with a solution to the Middle East.

Spot on.

The total disregard for human lives in Manchester is no different to the disregard for human lives in the Middle East by Brits/Yanks. As big a loss as last night was, it is nothing compared to the thousands in the M East. But the media spin it around so that 22 deaths is much worse than thousands somewhere else, as if those slaughtered in the M East, their lives mean less.

More of the same will continue, and to be honest, it's hardly surprising. The Brits tactics to the North helped IRA recruitment, and kept the Troubles going.  It's the same in the M East. They'll never learn. But it's the ordinary Joe who pay the price, in more ways than one.

[theticklemister]

I'm a fairly unique type.  I'm a born and bred Sheffield bloke.  But like watching GAA.  I've turned up at games from Manchester to Cork and few places in between as a lone traveller with a Yorkshire (or anywhere English) accent.  I've met people who call the GAA an anti-English faction.  I say very pro-Irish needn't mean anti-anywhere.  I come along to games for no other reason than to watch what I think are two great sports.  That said, I would never risk waving a Union Jack or even St.George cross at a venue.  But eh.  It would be greatly noticed if in view of what happened in Manchester last night there was some kind of solidarity gesture towards the victims, if not all Britain, at upcoming GAA games.

The PRO of Lancashire issued a statement...

All at Lancashire GAA would like to send our deepest sympathies to those who have died or injured last night.
Manchester has been a home for us exiled Gaels for years - as we arrived here for work,family or university. They treated us as one of their own.
These welcoming actions were clearly to be seen again last night, as the Manchester people were thrust into action to help those in the greatest of needs in the aftermath.
#gaelsformanchester

[BennyHarp]

I'm a fairly unique type.  I'm a born and bred Sheffield bloke.  But like watching GAA.  I've turned up at games from Manchester to Cork and few places in between as a lone traveller with a Yorkshire (or anywhere English) accent.  I've met people who call the GAA an anti-English faction.  I say very pro-Irish needn't mean anti-anywhere.  I come along to games for no other reason than to watch what I think are two great sports.  That said, I would never risk waving a Union Jack or even St.George cross at a venue.  But eh.  It would be greatly noticed if in view of what happened in Manchester last night there was some kind of solidarity gesture towards the victims, if not all Britain, at upcoming GAA games.

The PRO of Lancashire issued a statement...

All at Lancashire GAA would like to send our deepest sympathies to those who have died or injured last night.
Manchester has been a home for us exiled Gaels for years - as we arrived here for work,family or university. They treated us as one of their own.
These welcoming actions were clearly to be seen again last night, as the Manchester people were thrust into action to help those in the greatest of needs in the aftermath.
#gaelsformanchester

Good man Tickle! 👍

[michaelg]

http://www.irishexaminer.com/examviral/ireland-shows-solidarity-with-the-people-of-manchester-790830.html

Nice touch by Cork CC and kind words by President Higgins.

[macdanger2]

Awful stuff, terrible for the families

Would have to agree with J70 that I wouldn't let this type of thing stop me from attending events, chances of something happening are miniscule.

Would also agree that things like this are going to continue to happen until we get some sort of solution in the middle east - little or no chance of that happening any time soon though

[GJL]

Hard to comprehend. How does the man that done this let himself to be so brain washed where he thinks this is the right thing to do.

Young kids out for an innocent night's fun. So so sad.

[macdanger2]

Listened to a podcast about this a few months back, interesting approach to dealing with the radicalisation of young Danes from migrant backgrounds

Denmark's radical approach to Islamic extremism
Despite the Copenhagen shootings, programmes such as the Aarhus model for deradicalising extremists are proving effective in Scandinavia

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David Crouch in Gothenburg and Jon Henley
Monday 23 February 2015 09.30 GMT Last

As growing numbers of disaffected young Muslims travel from Scandinavian countries to join jihadi groups abroad, the debate on how to counter radicalisation is becoming more urgent.

According to police and intelligence agencies, as many as 300 Swedes, at least 70 Norwegians and 100 Danes may be fighting for Isis in Syria and Iraq.

But radical Muslims are not just motivated by the war in the Middle East. Young jihadis also flock to Somalia to fight with al-Shabaab, as the Guardian's film about 24-year-old Abdi Rahman Mohamed demonstrates.

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Mohamed travelled from Denmark to Somalia where he carried out a suicide attack during a graduation ceremony in Mogadishu in December 2009, killing 25 and injuring more than 60.

Denmark – which has produced more fighters per head of population since 2012 than any other western European country except Belgium – has been at the forefront of exploring new models for preventing extremism.

The so-called Aarhus model aims to create trust between the authorities and the social circles in which radicals operate, helping them find a way back into society. The fatal shootings in Copenhagen last weekend show that the approach is by no means infallible. But police commissioner Jørgen Ilum, who helped set up the deradicalisation programme in Aarhus, Denmark's second city, said the Copenhagen attacks made it more important than ever to make and maintain contact with Danish fighters returning from Syria, Iraq and Somalia.


The Danish city of Aarhus has pioneered a programme that aims to build trust with potential jihadis and returning Isis fighters. Photograph: Alamy
"We will continue our work and our initiatives and our contacts," he said. "It's far too early to say what the consequences, political or otherwise, of these terrible attacks in Copenhagen will be for our programme. As far as we can tell, it works."

Under the programme, individuals such as returning fighters or radicals who want to fight abroad are assigned trained mentors. They can also receive psychological counselling, an approach pioneered by Prof Preben Bertelsen at Aarhus University, where radicals are helped to think about critical life decisions and evaluate what they are about to do.

In Scandinavia, Denmark is top of the class for multi-agency interventions to stop extremism
Magnus Ranstorp, Radicalisation Awareness Network
"In Scandinavia, Denmark is top of the class for multi-agency interventions to stop extremism," says Magnus Ranstorp, the Swedish head of the EU's Radicalisation Awareness Network of 1,300 experts on dealing with all forms of political extremism. He is also chair of Copenhagen's "expert group" on the problem.

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There is support for families to create networks that support each other, which has a ripple effect in terms of weakening radicals' resolve, Ranstorp says. Finally, and most controversially, the authorities maintain contact with Grimhojvej mosque in Aarhus, which is openly supportive of Isis and has been a conduit for fighters.

Sweden lags behind its neighbours in terms of formulating a response to hundreds of young Swedish fighters in the Middle East, Ranstorp says. Last summer the government appointed a national coordinator to tackle extremism, the former Social Democrat leader Mona Sahlin, and there is appetite for stronger anti-terror laws.

But the issue remains a political minefield, Ranstorp says, thanks to the rise of the anti-Muslim Sweden Democrats party. Sahlin came under fire in a TV debate last month when she was accused of treating the perpetrators of atrocities as victims by giving them jobs and offering them psychological counselling instead of bringing them to justice.

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"Sweden says yes, the problem may exist, but we'll put it in a corner and hopefully it won't bite us, whereas the Danes tackle it head-on with strong legislation and a multi-agency approach," Ranstorp says, adding that prison can serve as an incubator of extremism.

Unlike Britain, where former radicals have come forward to help with anti-radicalisation measures such as the Channel programme, Scandinavia suffers from a shortage of defectors from the Islamist cause: "The most effective way of immunising youngsters against drugs is to have a former addict in front of the class."

Ranstorp also points back to Norway, where last summer young Muslims organised a 5,000-strong demonstration of people from across Norwegian society, including the prime minister, to protest against radicals hijacking Islam.

With slogans such as "Not in the name of Islam" and "Together against terror, together for peace", protesters marched through the centre of Oslo, led by religious and political leaders, offering a model of how civil society can come together to fight extremism

[Boycey]

More to come?

Theresa May just raised terror threat level to 'Critical' which the world of twitter tells me means an attack is imminent.

[north_antrim_hound]

More to come?

Theresa May just raised terror threat level to 'Critical' which the world of twitter tells me means an attack is imminent.

Is she not a bit late
How can their intelligence be better now than 24 hours ago
The British response will be to send more planes to Syria and reap more retribution on innocent British citizens
And the cycle continues
Prayers are with those families in Manchester and let's hope for no more of this

[Wildweasel74]

The Uk has missed the point the past number of years, worrying about a possible threat from incoming immigrants when the threat is more profound in the home grown extremists born already in the country who have their minds easily twisted buying into radical islam. Again this man was know to police but what facilities they have to counter these threats is unknown, You think they spend more money on counter terrorism than buying new nuclear submarines.

[north_antrim_hound]

The Uk has missed the point the past number of years, worrying about a possible threat from incoming immigrants when the threat is more profound in the home grown extremists born already in the country who have their minds easily twisted buying into radical islam. Again this man was know to police but what facilities they have to counter these threats is unknown, You think they spend more money on counter terrorism than buying new nuclear submarines.

Britain spend 46 billion a year on toys like nuclear submarines
That's a lot a backhanders from the arms industry
Events like yesterday give them an excuse to maintain it 

[magpie seanie]

More to come?

Theresa May just raised terror threat level to 'Critical' which the world of twitter tells me means an attack is imminent.

Did no one tell her that the election campaign has been suspended? I'd be amazed if they have any indication that an attack is imminent, she's just doing what she thinks people will be impressed by. Her emphasis of the word "independent" when announcing this made me smell a rat. Perhaps I'm wrong.

[macdanger2]

The Uk has missed the point the past number of years, worrying about a possible threat from incoming immigrants when the threat is more profound in the home grown extremists born already in the country who have their minds easily twisted buying into radical islam. Again this man was know to police but what facilities they have to counter these threats is unknown, You think they spend more money on counter terrorism than buying new nuclear submarines.

Was this guy known to police?? I read that he wasn't

[omagh_gael]

Jesus, some of you lads are pathetic.

Anyway, with the UK threat level being raised to critical and army to be deployed to sensitive areas in Britain. What happens to, so called, soft targets in Belfast? I cant imagine soldiers being deployed here? PSNI do have more access to weapons due to the landscape here so will we see them fulfil this role?

[johnneycool]

It takes some serious brainwashing to make a young British lad strap a load of homemade explosives to himself and walk into a crowd of youngsters coming out of a concert and I'm not sure I could ever comprehend what sort of religious indoctrination could achieve that, but somehow it has to horrendous effect now in Manchester and various other European cities.
I'm not sure how you could possibly defend against the likes of that now or in the future and I think a different approach may need to be taken.
Things don't happen in a vacuum, so what are the triggers for these young receptive lads willing to get involved in such things, disaffection with their own lives in Europe, a bond with their Muslim brothers in other war zones or whatever, the questions need to be asked as churning out the same shite of interning all Muslim extremists and so forth is more than likely counterproductive.

It must also be put in context where we in the West are rightfully aghast by this, but stuff like this is happening day and daily in Syria, Libya, Yemen and we in the West can ignore it, but its every bit as bad, just out of eyesight. Libya in particular is a mess of European making.
We watch Trump, Cameron and Co traipsing round the Middle East selling billions of dollars of arms to governments with less than exemplary human rights records and with the Saudi's having close links to ISIS/Daesh/ISIL it sometimes beggars belief, are we making a rod for our own backs?