[Infowarrior] - UK: Citizen Counter-Terrorists

[Richard Forno]

Citizen Counter-Terrorists

http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/03/citizen_counter.html

The greater Manchester police want everyone to help them find terrorists:

    In a new anti-terror drive, a tip-off hotline is being relaunched and an
advertising campaign will urge people to report any suspicious behaviour. It
asks:

    * Do you know anyone who travels but is vague on where they're going?

    * Do you know someone with documents in different names for no obvious
reason?

    * Do you know someone buying large or unusual quantities of chemicals
for no obvious reason?

    * Handling chemicals is dangerous, maybe you've seen goggles or masks
dumped somewhere?

    * If you work in commercial vehicle hire or sales, has a sale or rental
made you suspicious?

    * Have you seen someone with large quantities of mobiles?

    * Have you seen anyone taking pictures of security arrangements?

    * Do you know someone who visits terrorist-related websites?

    * Have you seen any suspicious cheque or credit card transactions?

    * Is someone is asking for a short-term let on a house or flat on a cash
basis for no apparent reason?

This reminds me of TIPS, the ill-conceived U.S. program to have meter
readers and the like -- people who regularly enter people's homes -- report
suspicious activity to the police. It's just dumb; people will report each
other because their food smells wrong, or they talk in a funny language. The
system will be swamped with false alarms, which police will have to waste
their time following up on. This sort of state-sponsored snitchery is
something you'd expec