WESTMINSTER MAJOR TERROR INCIDENT IN LONDON FIVE FATALITIES, MULTIPLE CATASTROPHIC INJURIES. Earlier USA and UK enact ban on electronic devices in carry-on cabin baggage on flights

+++ ONGOING MAJOR TERRORIST INCIDENT +++
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By Justin Parkinson

Shock over 'sick and depraved' attack at Westminster

"He was someone who left for work today expecting to return home at the end of his shift, and he had every right to expect that would happen." Those are the words used by the Metropolitan Police's head of counter-terrorism to describe the sense of shock at the death of 48-year-old husband and father Keith Palmer, the unarmed PC who gave his life protecting Parliament. The attack at Westminster, which left five people dead - including the attacker himself - was described by Theresa May as "sick and depraved". A car ploughed into people on Westminster Bridge, many of them students and schoolchildren, before the driver got out and ran into the grounds of the Palace of Westminster, stabbing Mr Palmer. Police and security services are working out whether the attacker, who seems to have been inspired by international and Islamist-related terrorism, worked alone. The prime minister, who spoke in Downing Street last night, is expected to make a statement in the Commons later, while the UK remains in a state of "severe" terror alert. Extra armed and unarmed police are on duty on the streets of the capital. The leaders of France and Germany, whose countries have also suffered terror attacks involving vehicles being driven into crowds in recent months, have expressed their solidarity with the UK.

+++ APPEAL FOR PUBLIC TO URGENTLY SUBMIT ANY CAMERAPHONE IMAGES AND/OR VIDEO
http://www.ukpoliceimageappeal.co.uk/CSIPS_Public/upload/choose
Met Police Command INCIDENT ROOM  
0800 789 321 or 999 +++

+++ THE UNARMED MET POLICE OFFICER KEITH PALMER PROTECTING PARLIAMENT AT THE CARRIAGE GATES HAS LOST HIS LIFE  +++

+++ PRIME MINISTER Mrs. MAY TO CHAIR TOP LEVEL 'COBRA' MEETING +++ 

+++ LONDON MAJOR INCIDENT PLAN DECLARED AND ENACTED AFTER TERRORIST INCIDENT +++

+++ MULTIPLE POLICE OFFICERS INJURED AND ONE OFFICER STABBED +++


+++ POLICE CLEAR WHOLE OF WESTMINSTER AND WEHITEHALL CENTRAL LONDON AREA +++

+++ APPEAL FOR PUBLIC TO URGENTLY SUBMIT ANY CAMERAPHONE IMAGES AND/OR VIDEO
Met Police Command  0800 789 321 +++  

+++ LONDON WESTMINSTER'LOW-TECH'TERRORIST ATTACK +++ 

+++ MAJOR INCIDENT PLAN ENACTED +++ 

+++ MANY 'CATASTROPHIC INJURIES' SAYS ST. THOMAS' HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM DOCTORS +++

+++'MULTIPLE' FATALITIES AS VEHICLE DRIVEN INTO OVER A DOZEN PEDESTRIANS NEAR WESTMINSTER BRIDGE +++ 

+++ SUSPECT WITH KNIFE SAID TO HAVE STABBED SEVERAL PEOPLE +++

+++ WOMAN FACE DOWN IN RIVER THAMES, PULLED OUT ALIVE, BUT WITH SERIOUS INJURIES +++

+++ VEHICLE RAMMED INTO HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT ENTRANCE +++ 

 +++ POLICE REPORT SUSPECT ARRESTED HAVING BEEN SHOT BY ARMED POLICE +++

+++MP'S 'LOCKED INSIDE' BY POLICE +++

The London terrorist major incident plan which is still at 18:00 BS 22nd March 2017 in operation is likely to continue for the rest of today and rolled out through out the UK over the next week or so.

Already 6 Birmingham addresses linked to the hire car used by the seemingly lone attacker (armed with two large knives), have been raided overnight and 7 arrests made. All UK police leave has been cancelled and a greater physical police presence will be noticed throughout the land.

Police have not ruled out more 'copycat incidents; all this follows on from the Trump Administration in the USA banning electronic devices from cabin carry-on baggage on flights from eight mainly Middle Eastern and North African countries. 

USA Fox News (who are negotiating to take over SkyNews in the UK put its own spin on UK events > http://video.foxnews.com/v/5369240578001/

The UK announced an almost identical type of ban with a few minor variations, simply anyone (including UK subjects) returning to the UK will now have to go through the same security screening process, and have their banned electronics consigned to the aircraft hold and later recovered from the airport baggage carousel.  

A US government source says the measure would affect nine airlines operating out of 10 airports:

1. Mohammed V International, Casablanca, Morocco
2. Ataturk Airport, Istanbul, Turkey
3. Cairo International Airport, Egypt
4. Queen Alia International, Amman, Jordan
5. King Abdul Aziz International, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
6. King Khalid International, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
7. Kuwait International Airport
8. Hamad International, Doha, Qatar
9. Abu Dhabi International, United Arab Emirates
10. Dubai International, United Arab Emirates

US media reported the order was sparked by intelligence gathered overseas which suggested 'a terrorist event was likely to happen within the next few days.'


Julian Bray Aviation Expert speaking live on BBC World  Service and on BBC local radio stations throughout the UK  said: "It was only a matter of time, there has also been widespread disquiet over the carriage of lithium metal batteries, as they are prone to electronic  runaway and liable to combustion, by contagion unless securely packaged.  In addition, what has caught out security services is the power and reach of new generation in-flight satellite based on-board Wi-Fi systems, extending the effective range of laptops and computer games consoles in the process making them harder to immediately track as the aircraft is moving so quickly.

This latest terrorist threat intelligence is thought to have originated in Australia and suggested a variety of consumer electronics such as  laptops and games consoles although still operational might be additionally cavity packed with explosives and then detonated (possibly remotely) whilst in flight.

US United Airlines alone has spent over $550 million developing their in-cabin passenger w-fi systems. 

The British government has announced a cabin baggage ban on laptops on direct passenger flights to the UK from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.

The ban, which also applies to tablets and DVD players, follows a similar US move affecting eight countries.

Downing Street said it followed talks on air security and was "necessary, effective and proportionate".

US officials said bombs could be hidden in a series of devices, not just laptops.

The ban applies to any device larger than 16cm long, 9.3cm wide or 1.5cm deep essentially the size of a postcard. It includes smaller smart phones, only some fall within the new limits.

    

Another major concern is that airport security systems in some parts of the world are known and continue to be of very low quality, despite state-of-the-art scanning systems being installed and expert tuition in their use initially given. Investigators found that when airport systems and throughput is put under pressure, vast quantities of carry-on luggage are routinely waved through.

All that will now be frustrated under the new system as airlines and  airports will be held jointly liable.  

The new in flight cabin ban will extend to Lithium-ion. It will include all large electronic devices such as laptops, tablets, cameras, DVD players and electronic games, and large phones but not small thin pocket smart phones.

All will have to be bagged and held in the aircraft hold throughout the entire flight, and then recovered from the airport carousel on arrival, along with regular hold luggage.

This is likely to cause extreme delays at peak holiday periods as the new security systems are worked through. It will also create a field day for petty criminals, to easily acquire a new computer... 

http://talkradio.co.uk/news/electronics-ban-uk-will-ban-flights-these-airports-completely-if-they-dont-comply-17032211647

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Firefighters battle a blaze onboard a UPS cargo plane at Philadelphia International Airport in this 2008 file photo. The risk of fire is prompting federal officials to back a proposed ban on shipments of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries as cargo on passenger airlines. The Associated Press

 

Billions of the lithium-ion batteries are used to power consumer electronics ranging from cellphones and laptops to power tools and toothbrushes. Tens of thousands of the batteries are often shipped on a single plane.

FAA tests show that even a small number of overheating batteries emit gases that can cause explosions and fires that can’t be prevented by current fire suppression systems.
Thursday’s meeting was called to discuss what position the U.S. will take on the issue at an upcoming international aviation safety meeting.

The International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N. panel, is scheduled to take up the question of the safety of battery shipments at a meeting in Montreal later this month. ICAO issues global aviation safety standard, although it’s up to countries whether to adopt them.

The government’s statement was the first indication of a formal position on the battery shipment issue, and is particularly important because the U.S. has more influence at ICAO than any other country.

The International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations has proposed that the panel adopt a ban until better packaging or other measures can be developed to reduce the risk.

Earlier this year, aircraft makers including Boeing and Airbus called the battery shipments an “unacceptable risk.” Boeing and Airbus also sent service bulletins to their airline customers warning of the risks revealed by FAA’s tests.

As a result of the FAA tests, more than a dozen airlines have stopped accepting any battery shipments, or large quantities of batteries shipped together. ICAO also sent a bulletin to airlines this summer urging them to conduct safety assessments of their cargo operations to determine if they can safely handle battery shipments.

Janet McLaughlin, another FAA hazardous materials official, told the meeting that the U.S. position at the ICAO meeting will be that the ban should include all cargo shipments of the lithium batteries on passenger planes, not just bulk battery shipments. The ban wouldn’t apply to cargo airlines or to other kinds of batteries. It also wouldn’t apply to lithium-ion batteries that are packed inside equipment.

For example, a shipment of cellphones with lithium batteries inside them would still be allowed. FAA officials have said being inside a device lessens the risk that a short-circuiting battery will affect other batteries.

Officials from the rechargeable battery and cargo airline industries spoke against a ban at the meeting.

Passenger airlines are often paid by cargo airlines to carry shipments to destinations they don’t service. A passenger airline ban would means some places around the world won’t be able to receive battery shipments, industry officials said.

George Kerchner, executive director of the Rechargeable Battery Association, said some airlines have conducted the safety assessments and determined they can safely transport the batteries. He said the FAA should leave the question of whether to transport lithium batteries up to the airlines, which are better able to determine what they can do safely than the government.

Airlines flying to and from the U.S. that accept lithium battery shipments carry 26 million passengers a year, Stubblefield said.

Source: CNS, BBC, AP, Reuters,

JULIAN BRAY +44(0)1733 345581, Journalist & Broadcaster, Aviation Security & Airline Operations Analyst/expert, www.freelancedirectory.org?name=Julian.Bray.aviation.comment Travel / Maritime & Cruise Industry, NUJ, EQUITY, LIVE ISDN LINK, Broadcast ISDN COOBE ++44 (0)1733 345020 e&oe Old faithful NOKIA: 07944 217476 www.aviationcomment.com