A WARNING FROM THE YARD - AT 12:24 P.M. ET:   The British health-care system may be falling apart, choked by its socialist model, but at least British counter-terror operatives are awake.  The warning from Scotland Yard is in contrast to the Obama administration's description of terror attacks as "man-caused disasters."  From The Times of London:

Scotland Yard has warned businesses in London to expect a Mumbai-style attack on the capital.

In a briefing in the City of London 12 days ago, a senior detective from SO15, the Metropolitan police counter-terrorism command, said: “Mumbai is coming to London.”

The detective said companies should anticipate a shooting and hostage-taking raid “involving a small number of gunmen with handguns and improvised explosive devices”.

The warning — the bluntest issued by police — has underlined an assessment that a terrorist cell may be preparing an attack on London early next year.

It was issued by the Met through its network of “security forums," which provide business leaders, local government and the emergency services with counter-terrorism advice.

During a “commando-style” raid by 10 gunmen on hotels and cafes in Mumbai in November 2008, 174 people were killed and more than 300 injured over three days.

Of course, we must not be culturally insensitive enough to ask who might be planning such an attack.  No, no, no, it's all a misunderstanding.

Officials now report an increase in “intelligence chatter” — communications captured by electronic eavesdropping agencies. One senior security adviser said the police warnings had intensified and become much more specific in the past fortnight.

“Before, there has been speculation. Now we are getting what appears to be a definite plot to carry out a firearms attack on London,” he said.

Earlier this year, police, military and intelligence services held an exercise in Kent to see whether they could defeat a commando raid in London by terrorists.

“The exercise brought out to those taking part that the capability doesn’t exist to deal with that situation should it arise,” said a military source.

COMMENT:  Given the number of terror-related incidents on American soil in the last year, including the rampage at Fort Hood, the same warning can probably apply to the United States.  There are so many potential targets.  A hotel, in particular, is one of the softest targets imaginable.  All the terrorists have to do is check in.  That is a particular danger with "homegrown" terrorists, who speak with no accent and appear to be ordinary citizens. 

December 20, 2009