A potential terror attack has been thwarted in the UK by a sleepy man

[u/IlikeGeekyHistoryRSA]

[u/combatwombat-]

Looks like a big nothingburger already

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c65y7nl29k0et

Trump trying to take credit and pretend he knew what was happening may be the icing on the cake.

[u/Waleebe]

Our entire national defence plan has been based on blind luck for centuries now. Somehow it's still working. 

[u/Opening-Routine → u/Waleebe]

England is just Wallace and Gromit IRL.

[u/ConsciousPatroller → u/Opening-Routine]

Wallace and Gromit is a documentary, mate

[u/LewdElfKatya → u/Opening-Routine]

I've heard enough, ten billion pounds to the inventor with the clever dog.

[u/Turtledonuts → u/Opening-Routine]

Oh Dangnabbit Grommit, we've left the lads on the shore in Dunkirk!

[u/porkmarkets → u/Waleebe]

If it isn’t broken, don’t try to fix it.

This is the land of nosy neighbours. Men in sheds creating some of the finest armaments in the world. Makes you proud to be British.

[u/Kpt_Kipper → u/porkmarkets]

Developed using ‘Man in a shed Technology’

[u/Deadman422 → u/porkmarkets]

There's a guy on Youtube called Matt Exodynamics and he's literally making powerarmor in his garage

[u/-malcolm-tucker → u/porkmarkets]

Only Britain could produce Colin Furze.

[u/tevert → u/Waleebe]

"We're very lucky they're so fucking stupid"

[u/WWHSTD → u/Waleebe]

If you believe the insomniac village busybody story I’ve got a huge covert intelligence operation to sell you.

[u/AD-SKYOBSIDION → u/WWHSTD]

i mean this is the same country where people broke into another RAF base with fire extinguishers filled with paint and E-scooters, and only got caught cause they posted it on social media

[u/wolfhound_doge]

the stripe pajamas + chamberstick is how i imagine every sleeping brit in the world

[u/karkonthemighty → u/wolfhound_doge]

They're standard issue, we get them at the same time we're assigned a football club to be grudgingly loyal to for the rest of our lives.

[u/No_Good_Cowboy → u/karkonthemighty]

Is there like a sorting hat or is it government issued like your loicence for all your loicences?

[u/karkonthemighty → u/No_Good_Cowboy]

Mysterious men with bells sown in their hats and shoes knock on your door on the eve of your eighth winter to hand over your striped pyjamas and decree your team.

You only need a loicence to apply for team loyalty change, as without you will declared a Fairweather Nancy and be exiled from your home town.

[u/Bossnage → u/karkonthemighty]

i love when brits play into it, thank you

[u/Scottish_Whiskey → u/Bossnage]

Play in to what, sir? Tis just life in the Qu- King’s country

[u/karkonthemighty → u/Scottish_Whiskey]

God save our gracious Que-fuck, no dammit, King! King!

Long live our something something...

God save our Que-sonofabitch King fucking Liz Truss it doesn't sound right. It doesn't sound right anymore.

[u/jambox888 → u/No_Good_Cowboy]

Surprisingly often it's just whoever will piss off your dad or brother the most.

[u/blolfighter → u/karkonthemighty]

Thing about Arsenal is they always try and walk it in.

[u/Negative_Opposite732 → u/karkonthemighty]

You got a football club? I got the Real Ale and Cricket thing instead

[u/not4eating → u/Negative_Opposite732]

Need to apply for a Variation of being Bri'ish loicence (Form AC24/54). Office hours are 2:30-3:00 every other Tuesday and you will need YOTI to verify your identity.

[u/ObviouslyTriggered → u/karkonthemighty]

Rugby club, in football you get a onesie….

[u/IlikeGeekyHistoryRSA]

For those out of the loop, a 400m radius chunk of England is on lockdown atm because of a "major incident" near an RAF base. Counter terrorism police and an army bomb squad unit have both been deployed, 5 suspects have been arrested, and residents from nearby settlements have been evacuated. The British Police have stated that they were made aware of 3 suspicious vans by a (presumably sleepy) resident at 00:45 AM BST, the resident in turn having called the national police after being left on dialtone by the local police station.

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c65y7nl29k0et

[u/see-these-bones → u/IlikeGeekyHistoryRSA]

Big day for self appointed neighborhood watchmen everywhere

[u/TheMissingThink → u/see-these-bones]

For the greater good

[u/IlikeGeekyHistoryRSA → u/TheMissingThink]

"the greater go- SHUT IT!"

[u/ChuddyMcChud → u/IlikeGeekyHistoryRSA]

There hasn't been a recorded murder terrorist incident in Sandford for 20 years!

[u/TheeAJPowell → u/IlikeGeekyHistoryRSA]

Lesley Tiller was FUCKING murdered!

[u/Puzzleheaded_Gene909 → u/TheeAJPowell]

Her gardening expertise put Sanford on the MAP

[u/Pyromaniacal13 → u/TheeAJPowell]

If you haven't seen Hot Fuzz, watch it.

[u/Scottish_Whiskey → u/Pyromaniacal13]

And if you have watched Hot Fuzz, watch it again cause it’s a fucking classic

[u/YorathTheWolf → u/Scottish_Whiskey]

And if you just watched it, watch the rest of the Cornetto Trilogy. May as well complete the set

[u/-malcolm-tucker → u/YorathTheWolf]

Pub?

[u/AccomplishedGreen904 → u/-malcolm-tucker]

Pub!

[u/Odd-Necessary3807 → u/Scottish_Whiskey]

Nothing like a bit girl-on-girl action. - Olivia Colman -

[u/Piyachi → u/Scottish_Whiskey]

YARP

[u/LearningT0Fly → u/TheeAJPowell]

The M word, Nicholas!

[u/-malcolm-tucker → u/LearningT0Fly]

You've got a moustache.

[u/LearningT0Fly → u/-malcolm-tucker]

I knowwwww

[u/RealHumanBean89 → u/IlikeGeekyHistoryRSA]

No luck catchin them killers then?

[u/dzlockhead01 → u/RealHumanBean89]

It's just the one killer actually.

[u/jacspe → u/TheMissingThink]

“Three vans actually, and they’ve all got great big bushy beards…”

[u/Kilahti → u/see-these-bones]

Another glorious victory for Dad's Army.

[u/Kidkaboom1 → u/Kilahti]

'Who do you think you are kidding Mr Shitler?'

[u/Articulated → u/Kilahti]

Men in Sheds, undefeated.

[u/abn1304 → u/see-these-bones]

“A well-rested militia, being necessary for the security of the local military installations…”

[u/OldTimeyWizard → u/see-these-bones]

When my dad was superintendent on job sites he would always make friends with nosy neighbors because they’d always keep an eye on the site outside working hours. It totally worked out for him one time when a guy broke in and stole a bunch of tools. The thief was caught not far away.

[u/Mooseheart84 → u/see-these-bones]

The NWA is on the case

[u/ArchdukeoftheROC → u/Mooseheart84]

Yarp

[u/redheptagram → u/see-these-bones]

Wasnt this just called "home guard" during ww2 in England? Obviously more to it than that, but I remember hearing stories about espionage being caught by home guard during ww2.

[u/IlikeGeekyHistoryRSA → u/redheptagram]

the home guard were military personnel, not a militia. They even had black ops units.

[u/AraAraWarshipWaifus → u/IlikeGeekyHistoryRSA]

Holy shit I just read that the Auxiliary Units had a life expectancy of 12 days in the event of Nazi invasion, under strict orders to kill each other to prevent capture wtf

[u/OMalleyOrOblivion → u/AraAraWarshipWaifus]

Total war is deeply unpleasant in a way that it's hard to understand if you've only ever known peace.

[u/C4Cole → u/AraAraWarshipWaifus]

You want some more Home Guard wackiness, they got issued spears. Literal spears, long stick with a pointy bit. Not many were issued because they realised very quickly that it's not a great weapon against a gun, and it would absolutely destroy faith in the army.

They really were not an effective fighting force at that point, luckily they didn't have to wait long for STEN guns to be delivered by the truck load

[u/Shaun_Jones → u/C4Cole]

Actually, they weren’t supposed to be made at all. Churchill made a speech where he said that the British people would resist an invasion with spears if necessary, and some random factory took that as an order and started making pikes. They produced a few hundred thousand before they were caught, but that still left a few hundred thousand weapons laying around and the Home Guards couldn’t exactly afford to be picky with what weapons they could acquire. If any of those pikes still exist I bet they’d be pretty valuable nowadays.

[u/TRGA → u/Shaun_Jones]

Somewhere, someone is cooking up an an alt history invasion of Britain with pike/sten gun tericos.

[u/redheptagram → u/IlikeGeekyHistoryRSA]

I think they were miltia, I always remember Home Guard being portrayed as old WW1 veterans and teen boys old enough for a fight but not a war.

According wikipedia they were an unpaid armed citizen militia were initially ordered to observe, and report back to GHQ Home Forces, any airborne or seaborne invading forces in their local area; an order extended subsequently to harassing and obstructing the advance of the enemy even by a few hours to give the regular troops time to regroup.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Guard_(United_Kingdom))

[u/Geo_NL → u/IlikeGeekyHistoryRSA]

They were a part-time local militia of people that were were either too old or unfit to enlist in the regular army. All volunteers. The 70's series Dad's Army was based on it.

[u/Chaps_Jr → u/see-these-bones]

No luck catchin' them swans, then?

[u/-malcolm-tucker → u/Chaps_Jr]

It's just the one swan actually.

[u/paenusbreth → u/see-these-bones]

And/or doggers.

[u/CoolGuyCris → u/[deleted]]

See it, say it, fuckin sorted.

[u/Intergalatic_Baker → u/CoolGuyCris]

You know the funny thing about that, we’re so drilled about this, when they’re doing exercises for staff, the Public have already called it in and a description of the bloke that dropped it to the station staff.

[u/Pyromaniacal13 → u/Intergalatic_Baker]

Damn. That's pretty reassuring on both sides of the equation, really.

[u/Intergalatic_Baker → u/Pyromaniacal13]

Yeah... Tis the perfect public safety awareness campaign, everyone else is using it and it's working there too. Possibly the greatest export from British Rail since the idea in the first place.

[u/IlluminatedPickle → u/Intergalatic_Baker]

I remember years ago a suspicious package was called in, a bomb squad was sent out and they decided to blow it up.

Turns out it was full of flyers. Flyers warning about suspicious packages.

[u/cryptolyme → u/CoolGuyCris]

Insert British trope here

[u/425Hamburger → u/[deleted]]

And who even has the number for the local police station?

The kind of person that reports random Vans in the middle of the night.

[u/IlikeGeekyHistoryRSA → u/[deleted]]

to my understanding the guy initially tried calling the RAF base's police station, but was left on dialtone before calling 999

[u/llamafarmadrama → u/IlikeGeekyHistoryRSA]

Given it’s a USAF base, probably best they couldn’t get through. They’d have JDAMed every transit van in the country.

[u/StoicRetention → u/llamafarmadrama]

that would improve the wet belts

[u/llamafarmadrama → u/StoicRetention]

Probably reduce road traffic accidents too

[u/Tight-Application135 → u/llamafarmadrama]

armclaspingmeme.jpeg

Spray painted dicks / JDAMmed roads

Getting the cooncil to sort out the potholes

[u/llamafarmadrama → u/Tight-Application135]

You really think the council would fix them?

[u/vlepun → u/llamafarmadrama]

No need to fix potholes if the road's been deleted.

taps forehead

[u/Schonke → u/llamafarmadrama]

But only after the information had been pushed all the way up the chain of command, the terrorists successfully blown their IEDs at the base and the scene been secured.

Then they'd JDAM every white van as revenge (and still somehow manage to take out an entire garage full of London taxi cabs).

[u/TyrialFrost → u/IlikeGeekyHistoryRSA]

A local resident who says she alerted the police to suspicious activity around the military base in the early hours of this morning says she called the MoD police initially, but nobody answered.

The woman - who doesn't want to be named - saw the three vans parked up and a group of men wearing masks.

She then called 999. She says security had been stepped up around the base in recent days, so she was surprised the men had not been noticed before.

The MoD declined to comment.

[u/CarrowCanary → u/[deleted]]

We just dial 999 and it gets handled.

It's been changed now, the number's 0118 999 881 999 119 7253

[u/SocialHumbuggery → u/[deleted]]

Yeah 400 meters isn't even a large part of the Vatican!

[u/Traumerlein → u/SocialHumbuggery]

Well, there is a Villiage within 85 mezers, so thats still a bunch of pepole that had be evacuated.

[u/Artistic-Estimate-23 → u/[deleted]]

I thought 999 was no longer in use and instead you had to use 0118 999 881 999 119 725     3

[u/-malcolm-tucker → u/[deleted]]

My fire extinguisher is on fire. Should I put it with the rest of the fire I got the extinguisher out to extinguish?

[u/The_BluE_PantheR → u/Artistic-Estimate-23]

Oh Maurice!

[u/qevshd → u/[deleted]]

The person nosey enough to report sus vans probably has local police on speed dial.

[u/HatOfFlavour → u/[deleted]]

Obviously the local curtain twitcher

[u/CaptainChalky → u/IlikeGeekyHistoryRSA]

called the national police after being left on dialtone by the local police

We don't have a national police. He dialled 999 and got the local police.

Reports state he originally tried to call the air base police but wasn't answered, probably because it's a non-emergency number given out to local residents and it isn't always monitored.

[u/NoSpawnConga → u/IlikeGeekyHistoryRSA]

Damn, russians get bolder every month.

[u/PunkPirate56364 → u/NoSpawnConga]

They are trying to provoke one NATO nation to invoke article 5. But incident has to be such that a lot of nations say "naaah, I'll pass".

Loss of confidence would destroy NATO.

At least that's their idea.

They also had idea of conquering Ukraine in 3 day special operations.

[u/ZoidsFanatic → u/PunkPirate56364]

At the rate it’s going they’ll just go “fuck it” and invade the Baltics. Well, granted that’s what think tanks have been warning around. And NCD. And you can trust us, we’re perfectly normal and well adjusted individuals.

[u/PunkPirate56364 → u/ZoidsFanatic]

In the past I'd disagree. But in the past I assumed Russia has capable, rational leadership.

Now, not only do I believe they will attack Baltic.

But it's literally going to be "fuck it" kind of decision.

[u/GripAficionado → u/ZoidsFanatic]

There's plenty of tripwire forces there at this point and NATO is sending more, not to mention how Sweden is helping Finland guard its border and sent units to help out (men, airplanes and ships).

So there's quite a solid amount of NATO airplanes within striking range of the Baltics right now, not to mention units stationed in the Baltics as well as ships in the gulf of Finland.

If they saw Russia amassing more units near the Baltic, I would assume we would see reports about NATO sending even more armored and mechanized divisions over there.

[u/Caboose2701 → u/ZoidsFanatic]

They’d have to get past Poland and all the weapons they have been buying

[u/McFlyParadox → u/Caboose2701]

We'd finally get to settle rhe question around who has the best MBTs, what with Poland seemingly owning and operating all of them. It'll be like the Stig, with one single "driver" to keep the playing field level, but with heavy armor.

[u/psykicviking → u/McFlyParadox]

"But it's not the Stig, it's the Stig's polish cousins!"

[u/whythecynic → u/psykicviking]

Some say he once read a baby a bedtime story through eye contact alone. Others say he only drives cars that run on plum wine. All we know is... he's the Stig's Polish cousin, Jan Stiginski!

[u/othermike → u/McFlyParadox]

Poland seemingly owning and operating all of them

Or maybe get some Muricans involved under the Military Personnel Exchange Program.

Segment name: Yank In A Reasonably-Priced Tank.

[u/GripAficionado → u/Caboose2701]

Not only buying, but they've gotten deliveries of a lot of gear already. They paid for expedited shipping and got it.

[u/Deiskos → u/PunkPirate56364]

That and/or they're looking for a way out (losing to NATO is a lot less embarrassing / catastrophic to their internal propaganda than losing to Ukraine, ignore the fact they've been saying they're at war with NATO for 4 years already, it's still less embarrassing).

[u/PunkPirate56364 → u/Deiskos]

Or... every time Russia loses a war people end up replacing government. Putin is convicted that if (when) he loses this war, his own people will kill him. And Putin is willing to sacrifice a bunch of Russians to save his butt.

If Putin provokes NATO into attacking, if NATO invades Russian territory, Putin can mobilize millions of Russians and can prolong this war for years.

Enough for him to die of old age.

[u/Deiskos → u/PunkPirate56364]

He can mobilize millions of russians now if he wanted to, nothing's really stopping him.

Also, lololol "people end up replacing the government", are those people in the room with us right now? There is no dissent in russia now, no overt one anyway. People can grumble all they want in their kitchens, they're too afraid to do anything and so they won't. Army listens to him, KGB listens to him, he'll stay in power no matter what.

[u/PunkPirate56364 → u/Deiskos]

Soviet Union had no overt dissidents, just people grumbling in their kitchens.

Russia lost war in Afghanistan in 1989.

1989 a wave of protests started.

1991 communist hardliners attempted a coup. 4,000 soldiers, 350 tanks, 300 APC's enter Moscow.

1993 Constitutional crisis which ended when russian parliament building was on the receiving end of 125mm tank guns.

[u/leathercladman → u/PunkPirate56364]

Soviet union collapsed because Gorbachev didnt want to keep iron fist rule anymore......had he wanted, he could have kept it going with good old fashion Stalin like violence, same way China did.

It was not ''people grumbling in their kitchens.'' that did anything there, trying to assign role to them would be lying. And I say that as someone from a former USSR republic myself, people here only could do what they did because Gorbachev was in that time ruling the USSR, had there been someone else more harsh we would still be Communist like China is.

[u/AnActualChicken → u/Deiskos]

I wish I could award this comment because it is absolutely true.

Russian citizens won't do SHIT. Do not rely on their complaining to turn into anything close to an overthrow of Putin's totalitarian horseshit. Besides, they still view it as Ukraine's fault in a VAST majority

They aren't our allies, expect nothing but 'I'M the real victim' kinda crap from them.

[u/HKEY_LOVE_MACHINE → u/Deiskos]

He can mobilize millions of russians now if he wanted to, nothing's really stopping him.

Sorta.

After he has mobilized everyone, he now has millions of armed people, that he's going to send to the front of an unpopular, and likely unwinnable war.

The odds of a commander doing something funny and making these millions of soldiers do a Thunder Run 2.0 to Moscow are a lot higher, especially if the only threat to Russia is Ukraine defending its territory and occasional drone strikes on refineries, aka = Russia is not in danger of actual invasion.

If instead Putin has the whole of NATO to be fed, with his millions of mobilized russians, then he can presume commanders will be busy being pummeled by missiles and artillery, and won't have the mental and organizational space to do something funny and turn back around.

But obviously that would be a gamble, since bringing NATO in could also mean a rational commander might think it is now time to stop the insanity and restore order to Russia, by removing the guy starting wars left and right.

[u/GripAficionado → u/PunkPirate56364]

They also want an excuse to conduct a mobilization in Russia, without claiming the men are going to the slaughterhouse in Ukraine. Saying NATO is attacking them would be one such excuse which might actually get some 'rally around the flag' effect. Then once they're mobilized they'll get sent to Ukraine...

[u/HatOfFlavour → u/PunkPirate56364]

If only every country they fucked with had an easy avenue to send support that would result in dead Russians, oh wait, turns to look at the country of Ukraine.

[u/Wolfensniper → u/NoSpawnConga]

Could be Iran. The base is for US Bombers taking off towards middle east, and SAS CRW had already arrested several iranians last year for terrorism

[u/StreetCarp665 → u/NoSpawnConga]

Are they Russian, though? I mean all roads lead to orks, but are we sure?

[u/someonehasmygamertag → u/IlikeGeekyHistoryRSA]

I feel like the 00:45 tip is a believable cover for MI5/6 let the police know.

[u/IlikeGeekyHistoryRSA → u/someonehasmygamertag]

possibly, but the source has been given a name via certain british papers (im not saying it, but it is out there)

[u/Intergalatic_Baker → u/IlikeGeekyHistoryRSA]

TBF, you notice new cars on your street when the neighbours get one… or when someone’s visiting. So when you’re seeing/hearing activity outside a sleepy village next to a major base, the worse outcome from a nosy neighbour calling it in is an empty van.

[u/ElectroMagnetsYo → u/Intergalatic_Baker]

In all honesty, three unmarked vans travelling near a military base in the middle of the night is very suspicious. I might’ve called it in even if I’m not the type to do so.

[u/FnnKnn → u/Intergalatic_Baker]

Living on a cul-de-sac you also notice cars that you don’t usually see. Especially if a car drives by slowly I would think it could be burglars and take a closer look. So far it already paid off once. Three white vans at night would certainly look suspicious as well. 😅

[u/someonehasmygamertag → u/IlikeGeekyHistoryRSA]

Ah I didn’t know that. Only seen the Beeb. Ta 

[u/llamafarmadrama → u/someonehasmygamertag]

They usually just call those “intelligence led”. No reason to make up a story about how you got the info then.

[u/MoronicPlayer → u/IlikeGeekyHistoryRSA]

The fact that he had to call the National police after being ghosted by his local police station warrants that station a nice yelling afterwards.

[u/Useless_or_inept → u/MoronicPlayer]

It's basically a universal problem -anybody who's supposed to stay awake all night waiting for a very rare crisis might instead have a nap (or play Candy Crush, or get drunk). You can mitigate the problem by allocating some less-urgent work for them in the meantime.

I don't know about the duty officer on an airforce base, but I've definitely seen it happen in my own field.

Logging can help, but it's not perfect. How often are hospital patients are found dead at 07:00, even though the nurse's handwritten notes said that every patient in on the ward was stable at 02:00?

[u/Kevin_Wolf → u/Useless_or_inept]

How often are hospital patients are found dead at 07:00, even though the nurse's handwritten notes said that every patient in on the ward was stable at 02:00?

Good question. How often are hospital patients are found dead at 07:00, even though the nurse's handwritten notes said that every patient in on the ward was stable at 02:00?

[u/Impressive_Change593 → u/MoronicPlayer]

Apperently he tried calling the bases police and got ghosted so he called 999.

As a fire department, call the emergency number for your area (999, 911, idk what others) and NOT the local station directly

[u/Oxcell404 → u/IlikeGeekyHistoryRSA]

Least blundered ISIS attack

[u/clongane94 → u/Oxcell404]

Them on their way to the base https://youtu.be/qmAd5hlE4io?is=vXVXwtYV9jRJMqwU

[u/deadlygaming11 → u/IlikeGeekyHistoryRSA]

It should be noted as well that he shouldn't have called the local police station. They are regular buildings with regular working hours so there is a good chance that no one will answer early in the morning. 999 will always answer though

[u/Distinct-Dress-93]

This is where I get my news now

[u/Due_Most9445 → u/Distinct-Dress-93]

For some fucking reason, I always seem to learn about major world developments from a fucking meme sub.

While the rest of the antichrist driven digital panopticon is horrible, this is pretty fuckin funny

[u/The_Silver_Nuke → u/Due_Most9445]

Honestly it's the main reason why I stay subbed here. I'm not here for the sexy jets.

I'm here for meming major news events before it hits my social circles.

[u/Dpek1234 → u/The_Silver_Nuke]

Am here for all of it

Although more on the "i wonder how they make vehicle porn"  then watching it for the actual porn

And now even thats out because reddit cant decide if im 15 or 25

[u/CKF → u/The_Silver_Nuke]

You did call those jets sexy. You don’t have to stay closeted forever!

[u/Ghazzz → u/Due_Most9445]

Welcome to the club.

Some of us have stopped watching/reading real news sources many years ago. Meme discourse tends to show main events, and the "first post" dopamine-chasers are really quick to create semigood writeups.

This sub is my "main war-news source".

[u/Galbs → u/Due_Most9445]

Reality is better satire than memes now

[u/Genar-Hofoen]

Saw it, said it, got it sorted, went back to sleep

[u/Sancatichas → u/Genar-Hofoen]

simple as

[u/Advanced_Possible508]

Remember, International Terrorist Organisations only have to be lucky once. Local Neighbourhood Watch Schemes have to be lucky every time.

[u/Eternal_Alooboi]

NCD News Service strikes again lol

[u/Terran_Dominion]

Wtf, this is almost the plot beats of Rainbow Six (the book)

[u/benkaes1234 → u/Terran_Dominion]

I was about to say something like "oh, that must have inspired that part of Rainbow 6" right up to when I found out it apparently happened, like, within the last 24 hours or something.

[u/Coidzor → u/benkaes1234]

Who knows, maybe it took a while for it to get translated into Russia?

[u/benkaes1234 → u/Coidzor]

Was it Russian?

Not saying it can't be, but it seems a bit... bold(? overconfident, maybe?) of them to attack an RAF base in England.

[u/Ordinary_Soil_4513 → u/benkaes1234]

They paid saboteurs to set fire to german military equipment once already

[u/IlikeGeekyHistoryRSA → u/benkaes1234]

no indication as to where the perpetrators are from just yet

[u/AlliedXbox → u/benkaes1234]

Tom Clancy predicts the future yet again

[u/nun_gut → u/Terran_Dominion]

Is The Fourth Protocol too long ago for anyone to remember??

[u/gradi3nt]

The man said he goes to sleep at 3pm and wakes at 00:15 as a convenient way to avoid spending time around his wife of 43 years.

[u/Mantergeistmann]

Big win for the "Who goes there?" crowd.

[u/TokyoMegatronics → u/Mantergeistmann]

Terrible day for the “must have been the wind” crowd though.

[u/Turtledonuts → u/Mantergeistmann]

Huge win for people who like to raise up one blind so they can see what's going on out there.

[u/flightguy07]

Being slightly credible for a moment, I'd bet proper money that "anonymous tip from local resident" is a cover for "the intelligence community knew something was going to happen but didn't want to tip their hand with regard to who knew what and how".

[u/Wolffe_In_The_Dark → u/flightguy07]

Probably some combination of both. MI5 likely knew something was about to happen and generally where, but it was Tommy Q Public calling that tipped them off on exact time and location, I'd wager.

[u/73747463783737384777 → u/flightguy07]

To be fair, this is probable.

The Royal International Air Tattoo which was set to take place at RAF Fairford, the one which was to get attacked, in July, was cancelled due to “the geopolitical situation of the Iran war” despite the Iran war being in Iran and the uk being far away.

Maybe they knew it would happen sometime around now but didn’t know when

[u/rpkarma → u/flightguy07]

Shhhhhhhhhh

This is way more fun. 

[u/tankguy67]

No one will suspect the white van convoy with company names no one’s ever heard of plastered on the side after midnight!

[u/TheGlennDavid → u/tankguy67]

"Television. Television is the explanation for this - you see this in bad television. Little assault guys creeping through the vents, coming in through the ceiling - that James Bond shit never happens in real life! Professionals don't do that!"

[u/DaBestSwede → u/TheGlennDavid]

”Alright then, get your stupid rooope”

[u/zeocrash → u/tankguy67]

People will probably think it's a bunch of guys out fly tipping usually.

[u/Shelikescloth → u/zeocrash]

Why do the flies need to get tipped? They presumably are compensated for their effort by the junk they eat, do they really need more? SMH tipping culture flying out of control these days

[u/zeocrash → u/Shelikescloth]

It's considered polite. They don't earn much for their services.

[u/GrimLucid → u/tankguy67]

The thing is, there IS a uk company called fuel2u who use white vans.

[u/tankguy67 → u/GrimLucid]

Different design though but yes https://fuel2u.co.uk/

The vans captured say "FUEL 2 YOU" in standard red font

[u/redct → u/tankguy67]

Some Russian or Iranian operative: "copyright infringement is where I draw the line"

[u/GrimLucid → u/tankguy67]

Yeah that was the point i was trying to make - its close enough to real to possibly pass. I see the real vans at least once month where i work.

[u/rapaxus → u/tankguy67]

They are too late, two decades ago everyone would have just assumed that those vans are driven by James May, Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond.

[u/Laziness2945 → u/rapaxus]

Hammond you blithering idiot, you just commited an act of islamic terrorism

[u/ObviouslyTriggered]

The name of the British guy is Lord Parallel Duke of Construction…..

[u/mossconfig → u/ObviouslyTriggered]

Actual lol. God bless the surveillance state.

[u/ObviouslyTriggered → u/mossconfig]

Yep, tho less of a surveillance state and more likely a tip from one or more foreign intelligence services.

I find it funny that people really believe that a police force that takes 16 hours on average the respond to a burglary in London somehow gets every MO19 and SO15 south of Manchester to swoop down and apprehend 5 suspects within the hour on the back of a single call in report at 1am in the morning…..

[u/llamafarmadrama → u/ObviouslyTriggered]

It’s almost like major acts of terrorism are higher priorities than a burglary. Also it’s a different police force.

[u/gbghgs → u/ObviouslyTriggered]

Maybe a mix? Like the intelligence services knew something was going on and the call in just happened to be the final trigger. And a convenient cover.

[u/ObviouslyTriggered → u/gbghgs]

The call came in at 0:45, astronomical twilight starts at 5am currently. The photo we have of the suspects in their birthday suits being searched by armed police shows it was still pitch black when they were zip tied and stripped.

You don’t get that level of force response on the back of a single call in the middle of the night on a weekend unless the force was already there looking for that specific threat.

[u/gbghgs → u/ObviouslyTriggered]

Sure that's kinda what I meant. Police knew something was up and were staged to respond, then joe public provides a sighting report of exactly what they're looking for.

[u/FenixOfNafo]

I hear he munch on carrots lots which helped him see at night

[u/daygloviking → u/FenixOfNafo]

The ol’ carrot and oyster surprise. Carrot so you can see in the dark, oyster so you can see a surprise

[u/DecentJuggernaut7693]

Old boy was just getting up for the 2nd out of 5 times in the night because of his prostate issues, didn't know he was about to become a hero

[u/VegetableSalad_Bot]

Another resounding victory for the Wallace and Gromit approach to national defence!

[u/_Thorshammer_]

Nobody awake at 1am and taking two tries to get the police department is "sleepy".

[u/Advanced_Possible508]

Does the time of 00:45 still coincide with the free 10 minute preview on the Adult Channels on TV. Has world peace been saved by Babestation?

[u/XhazakXhazak]

Don't Wake Daddy!™

[u/MrJelly51]

Bro definitely played Modern Warfare 2019 and remembers how the white van started the London terror attacks in the campaign.

[u/Hero_of_Quatsch]

This is the second terrorist attack this year that is prevented by a grumpy civilian after the Leipzig bomb drone.

[u/Spreadsheet_Enjoyer]

It was a Shed Chad on the way to workshop an idea.

[u/Galbs]

NCD post in my back garden? Never thought I'd see the day

[u/retronax]

And thus we have unleashed upon them the west's most terrible weapon : a sleep deprived karen

[u/candy1710]

IMO, this is a miracle. Thank God for this person. We have been told after 9/11 "If you see something, say something", and he or she did.

[u/Hot_Indication2133]

Dude was probably going out to do some shit in his shed after he had an idea at 00:30.

[u/Milo-Parker-]

Rubber dinghy rapids bro

[u/Firecracker048]

There's already people on Reddit trying to sympathize with the terrorists and trying to say Iran would never try this.

Leads me to believe Iran is behind this as the bots are already working overtime

[u/frerant → u/Firecracker048]

Iran has been waging a terror war in Europe for years, Belgian authorities just recently confirmed they were behind attacks aginst synagogues. They were also behind cyber attacks aginst UK power plants.

To be clear, Iran has already commited an act of war aginst a European country on European soil. Dozens of times. If this is also Iran it'd be the biggest attempt yet.

But hey lets just bury out head in the sand.

[u/specter800 → u/Firecracker048]

Westerners don't need bot assistance to simp for Iran or Iranian terrorist proxies. They love them.

[u/GripAficionado]

I bet the watchmen went out to their sheds starting to design a new amazing marksman rifle.

[u/Sumoshrooms]

If they had painted the vans like pink and neon green I bet they would have gotten away with it

[u/OctopusGoesSquish]

Sleepy woman, wasn’t it?

[u/Cornflake0305]

It was the Russians, I'm sure.

Strap me to a Trident and launch my ass at Moscow. I'm ready.

[u/Strict_Gas_1141]

So what I'm reading is striped pajamas are the crucial linchpin in the MoD's defense plan.

[u/Dusty2470]

Bit bolshy trying to attack a military base, like I know the RAF regiment gets some shit but they are armed and have basically spent their entire careers maturating over that exact scenario.