In an effort to help the police keep the details of their raids secret this weekend, the people of Belgium swamped #brusselslockdown (the # people had been using to comment on what was going on) with cat pictures so that any chatter about the actual police movements got buried. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34897645 please log in to view this image After they finished, the police even got in on the act with a thank you message to all the cats that helped them. please log in to view this image
I liked the response given the other day by one of the presenters of Who Dares Wins, a former member of the SAS. When asked what the SAS would be doing on the streets of London, said, I don't know and even if I did I would not say on here, or words to that effect. Sometimes the press in their haste to get the edge on a story, put security operations at jeopardy. The initial request from the Belgium police was to the press, to ask them to stop tweeting and the public picked it up, generating a news story in its own right. One of the most disturbing stories from Paris was that hostages were shot after their phones rang... The thought that a call made to check on someone's safety when in a hostage situation could lead to their death is a chilling one. Belgiums response so far has been well thought through, but some of the reporting has not. Mali last week had reporters telling everyone that was going on, whilst the siege was still ongoing. The press need to think these things through.
I rang my nephew who was in Paris having a meal in a restaurant! I like to think I warned him of the danger around at the time, Because he was oblivious to it! I definitely didn't think my phone call might have got him shot! He just reminds me that I ruined his passionate night he'd planned with his Mrs! They sat up all night in their hotel room watching the news!
Yes the press are a bunch of twats! Always dramatically trying to get the juiciest story possible, I did a journalist course years ago now & although it didn't say to do this, you can see how it's s must to get their job done! I highly doubt that whatever they say or do would really affect any operations done by security forces unless something Top Secret was released, but in any case that would come from the inside, so whether it was given to a journo or a family member then it would still be a huge leak! SAS members are very secretive to the point where only wives know what they do on an everyday! I have heard of one woman who knew nothing of her husband until he retired & told her that he hadn't just been in the army! Can't remember if it was in some Sunday paper as a story or part of some book that was being released! Anyone remember this? It will have been a few years ago now!
Every so often some faker gets outed. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/fake-sas-hero-lorry-driver-6764545 I would guess that the families of serving troopers and officers do not ask about operations. Loose talk happens, it is worse when it comes in the form of ex service personel giving an opinion on a situation. It happened during the Falklands War when a former senior officer took great pleasure in telling a presenter, how he would attack the Argentine forces, he even had graphics. Talk about giving the game away. As for the press not giving away operational secrets, I think you are wrong.
