“This is not how to use laws against terrorism. Very unjust usage of the Terrorist laws, used against Iceland in a situation that has very little to do with terrorism,” TV Channel 2 reported tonight.
Michael Dobbs was interviewed on Sky News by Adam Boulton where the use of terrorist laws against Iceland and Icelandic companies was discussed amongst other topics.
“Here we have a financial crisis and what does Gordon Brown use to have a go at little Iceland? The Terrorism laws. I seem to remember that when these laws were passed, we were assured that nothing like this would happen. That it would be used on terrorists, not on little Iceland,” Dobbs said.
Dobbs also said that Gordon Brown is trying to make this situation “his little Falkland Islands”, but he would rather compare these disputes to the Cod War (disputes in the fishing industry) between Iceland and Britain in the seventies.
“(At that time) we had to get down to our bended knee, if it is not the wrong metaphor to use,” he concluded.
David asked “how else could Brown have protected these people/companies?”
Perhaps the following fact says it all.
Liberal Democrat peer Lord Oakeshott , who is a pension fund manager, and Tory MP Michael Fallon claim they both reportedly raised concerns with Government ministers about Iceland’s banks following warnings in July.
Oakeshott asked two written questions.
@ Trevor
Just a side note on the Whale thing:
Iceland has recently started Whaling again, they harvest the whales selecting only what they need, They use nearly all of the complete mammal, Old ladies in the north still make hair commbes (Speeling ?) out of the bones.
The whales do affect the fish stocks here as virtually all whales in the world mate here due to the qulaity of the water and the fish stocks.
The whaling here is SO completely different to that in the far east where they cut out the toungue and disregard the rest.
Again the UK media is to blame for your opinion I reluctantly suggest ?
Iceland is suffering like the rest of the world,stop blame iceland we are all choking on our own greet,this to will pass,i hope we have learnd from our selfisness and greed…
David: We know very well what would have happened to Kaupthing without the initial scare. In Sweden the Head of the National Bank Stefan Ingves, stated that peoples money very safe and there was no cause for alarm. There wasn’t any bank-run, Kaupting Edge is being dissolved in an organized manner, people already got their money back.
Kaptings Sweden branch is still in operation, and it will probably be sold off at a reasonable price when a suitable buyer appears.
I am truly sorry but I can not see any logic in the actions of Gordon Brown in this matter. his actions have not in anyway been beneficial to the people whose money are caught up in this. And I firmly believe the Swedish approach was more productive.
GD, just read your last comment. Having fun Briton bashing? Have you been to Paris lately? I was stopped and asked for ID 20 years ago and again 5 years ago (nothing dodgy about the way I look by the way). I agree, there is a lot of shit TV that keeps the people’s minds active, however there you go again with your sweeping statements and total lack of knowledge about the great documentaries and wildlife programs still being commissioned by the BBC. Try downloading Planet Earth, Stephen Fry in America, The Story of Maths, James Mays Big Ideas, Amazon with Bruce Parry… This is just to name a few. Mate, I was brought up in Canada and hated this country when I first got here (as a kid) but you seriously have a problem if you think that this is such a bad place to be………
Actually, GD having read some more of the facts, I think that if most of the British public did know more about why decisions over the last few days have been made that they might agree with the Government. I mean money they have given to charities to the amount of £120m is tied up in this mess + all the other millions of our money invested in Banks with interests in Iceland, how else could Brown have protected these people/companies? Do you have any ideas? How would you have solved the problem? What would you have done differently? Don’t get me wrong, I think that the Labour gov’t f**ks up regularly and having made a statement that needed to be toned down after most of the damage had already been done is a good example, although hindsight is a funny thing so who knows what would have happened to Kaupthing without the unnecessary scare.
This national ID-card scheme reminds me of Sct. Petersburg, there officials would now and then stop you and say only one word “Dokument”. and then you’d better have your passport ready.
Britain is getting worse and worse, and strangly no one seems to really care. It used to be such a wonderfull country!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BBC is full os sitcoms and Docu-soaps, SOMA for the people I suppose? What happened to the documentaries and nature programmes that made BBC famous all over the world?
trevor: I spend 2 years at our office at Canary Wharf, I must have been videoed and photographed 1000’s of times. I do know a bit about the UK.
And to David you know Aldous Huxley’s “brave new world” is nothing compared to Orwell’s Ingsoc (English Socialism) regime of 1984.
“these decisions are being taken by a small number of politicians who do not necessarily represent the views of most of the British public.”
Isn’t this how a totalitarian regime works? a small number of politicians taking decisions that the majority disagrees with?
Oh, and by the way, I agree with Trevor……
“you Brits”? Let me tell you something GD, although a lot of Britons are concerned about the global financial crises, I can guarantee you that less than 5% are even aware of any terrorist law being used against Iceland, (although most people are disgusted about what happened to Jean Charles de Menezes). Rather than being aware of any terrorist laws being used against Iceland, more people in the UK are concerned about whether or not we will qualify for the world cup, or what is going on in the Premiership, how the kids are getting to school, the weather over the next week and monthly expenses etc… So when you use expressions, like “you Brits”, please bear in mind that we are a very diverse people and these decisions are being taken by a small number of politicians who do not necessarily represent the views of most of the British public. So don’t insult us with your sweeping statements. And as for where the society is heading, people in power abuse the law and that is a fact that is endemic in any society and needs to be dealt with as a serious matter. If you think that your government (wherever you’re from) is perfect, then think again. However, despite the cameras (which by the way prevent and solve a lot of crime), this has to be one of the most exciting countries to be in the world. Yes, we have our problems but don’t blow them out of proportion like the rest of the media does. To bloody talitarian? You’ve been ready too much Audus Huxley!!
So long as they don’t start stealing our money, we’ll be okay.
Great Dane, you are showing about as much insight at the four legged version of your pseudonym.
The terrorism legislation was used as it was the only practicable way of freezing the Icelandic banks’ assets – a very wise course of action in my view. Nobody is suggesting Icelanders are terrorists – apart from the hapless whales blown apart by them (or hacked, in the case of your Faroe Islanders) – it just happened to be the label on the legislation used. This was explained in full here.
You may well be right about CCTV cameras – hopefully the UK government’s own financial black hole will prevent the hugely expensive ID card scheme from progressing. It will be scrapped after Labour lose the election anyhow.
Hmmm and that someone advised Thatcher, who ordered the shooting dead of IRA suspects in Gibraltar. Some champion. Although these laws were brought in as part of the anti-terrorism response, it would be wrong to call them anti-terror laws.
Finally someone in Britain realizes that the terrorism laws have been abused, I hope Gordon Brown is made responsible, for this abuse.
Anti-terror routines also made it “legal” for the Londen met-police to shoot an innocent man in the head, without proper warning.
You Brits got to really think hard at where you and your society is headed, is this really the path you want to travel? Because at the end of this path you have a totalitarian state waiting for you with cameras everywhere.
Oops sorry about the cameras you already have them, and you already have politicians abusing laws as they see fit, what is next? Abolition of fair and balanced press? that also happened years ago!
I will end this with a adaptation of a shekespeare quote. “It is not only in the state of Denmark something is rotten”
It’s kinda crazy to use anti-terrorism law against fellow NATO member.