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, a farmer who called 999 when she saw “a large group of hooded and masked men” said she “foiled” their plans - here’s the WhatsApp she sent her neighbours at 01:49 on Sunday
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But Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the farmer only had a “partial picture”, while declining to speculate on the possible Iranian links
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The RAF base is used by the US military. President Trump said the US had the five men “under view for a long time, and we got them”
Sounds like a close call to me. 5 men and 3 vans were on the farmer’s land near the base.
It is good that locals are trained to watch for suspicious activity and report it.
…
Yeah, for sure. Interesting that Trump claims to have been monitoring these guys because from what UK sources said they did not have them on their radar until they were arrested. I don’t have a cite unfortunately, I read about that yesterday and didn’t save the link.
Hang on tight, you can get dizzy from the News Spin. 
You think? This is just a woman coming home from a party in the early morning and spotting something weird and threatening. If you lived near a base that sent bombers to Iraq I imagine you would be a bit wary. No training involved.
I now read that the five individuals involved (all white men from London) have been released on bail. Make of that what you will.
And as someone on NPR this morning pointed out, if we were supposedly monitoring these guys, why in the world were they allowed to get as far as they did, to the point where they were almost at the base apparently ready to carry out their plot? Normally you would apprehend suspected terrorists well before they get that far along in their plan.
I’m just spitballing here but maybe – just maybe – Trump lied.
I know it’s hard to conceive but work with me here.
Plus from what I heard they were blocking the road to her house. So even if the base phone line dismissed her, there was still the problem of, if not blocking her house, being close enough that she should be worried enough anyway enough to call 999.
Have authorities stated what was found in the van?
Bombs or materials to make them is a serious crime. Guns are regulated in Britain.
I’m surprised they qualified for bail. It depends on what the police found.
Not that it would be surprising (the people who sabotaged an RAF base with equipment that was headed to Ukraine were mostly white IIRC) but where are you seeing this info? All I’m seeing is that they are British nationals:
That seems like a safe assumption.
About eighty years ago, British farmers would be on the alert for Germans falling out of the sky, whether pilots or paratroops. England was rather worried about invasion. Might be a family habit passed down over time.
The “farmer” was obvoiusly Trump’s agent in the field. She made up the
story about spotting suspicious activity to alert the British authorities while
not blowing her cover.
Obvoiusly.
Rubbish.
A farmer would be concerned about theft. Either of machinery or stock, and anyone living near RAF Fairford would also be concerned about attempts on that.
It appears that security at the base has been on high alert recently, and locals would be aware of that. I saw a report of a woman with children in her car who were stopped by some overbearing American military and, after an unpleasant encounter, were made to turn around.
Do you think these people don’t talk to each other?
I have a theory about that: Trump is lying.
Especially when you consider that Trump was already watching them! Oh, they cleverly slipped through our grasp!
Yes, there are many unanswered questions. It is a relief they apparently didn’t show up with three vans of explosives.
At least now security concerns should be at even a higher level. I’d bet this was a major pucker factor for the Brits and US officials.
The fact that these people were released on bail very strongly suggests not only that they are not terrorists, but that they are very obviously not terrorists.
If this is a group that has shown any capability to make bombs, then of course they would not be released. It would be like the police saying “We won that round lads but fair’s fair, how about best two out of three? We’ll give you a head start.”
If there weren’t enough evidence of capability and intent, but even a vaguely reasonable prospect of that evidence being gathered in the near future, they wouldn’t be released either, but detained for further questioning.
The fact that they are not being held for questioning, nor jailed awaiting charge or trial, really can only mean that everyone is very sure these guys are not a threat.
Which doesn’t mean they’re innocent of any crime. Diesel is expensive and rural areas are plagued by fuel thefts. A few oil drums would look at first sight like bomb making equipment, three vans so equipped and parked up near a farm at gone midnight in any other part of the countryside would have an obvious explanation.
Odds are these are dumbest/unluckiest petty criminals you’ll read about all year.
I might be confusing stories, but I’m pretty sure i heard on the evening news (npr) that they’ve been released without charges.
If the police found the equipment for making crop circles in their vans, it’d be a rather short interrogation.
Police: Are you lot extraterrestrial Aliens?
Suspects: No Sir! We’re from Yorkshire.
Police: Right then! You can go.
Are crop circles still a thing in the UK?
I think those two crop creator guys retired!..
Diesel theft or copper wire theft sounds like a good guess.
Or just YouTubers out for funz and likez.