Why would the location of such missile installations be publicised anyway?

Why would the location of such missile installations be publicised anyway?

To discourage potential suicide bombers.

Nimbyism is quite alright when it come to having surface-to-air missiles installed on your roof, I should think.

Those won't be the real missiles, they'll be someone else. This'll just be a bunch of squaddies drinking tea around some some khaki painted drainpipes and a "radar station" made of old Sky dishes and old scaffolding. It's all a clever misinformation campaign, you see!

Because bits of aeroplane falling over a wide area is preferable to one bit hitting wembley. Or Something.

They leaflet dropped the building saying "we are going to put missiles on your roof, is that ok?"
Unsurprisingly, someone posted a pic of the leaflet on twitter, and so the media circus started.

Intentional? Cock-up? Not thinking things through? Don't care?
Who knows, but it seems it was never intended to be a secret.

In other news, Dwayne Chambers has been cleared to run. Thoughts?

Why Wembley?

Why don't they just test everyone? Considering the amount of people and organisation the Olympics takes, I'm not quite sure why they don't just take samples from every competitor.

It was the first sporting arena in London I thought of.

There's about 10500 athletes taking part according to Wikipedia. That's a lot of people to test.

There's about 10500 athletes taking part according to Wikipedia. That's a lot of people to test.

They should just abandon all testing and see how quick people can really go.

it's nowhere near the main Olympic village and where most of the events will be, and well out of the 5km range of where those missiles are stationed.

My grasp of London's geography is loose, at best. So much so, mrsA sent grim.. a message explaining how that if I don't turn up at his gaff, I've probably gotten myself in a pickle on the underground, or have gone to Hamemrsmith as I've ehard of that. Much to the room's amusement on my tardy arrival.

They should just abandon all testing and see how quick people can really go.

Who are the Official Missile Suppliers to the London 2012 Olympics anyway?

yes, it is... But it's also a lot of people to provide accommodation, translators, transport, food, (etc, etc, etc) for. They can organise all of those things for 10,000 people, they can also collect little bottles of wee from them.

They could easily test everyone, but then there wouldn't be much of a games left. The 100m final would be between the cleaner and a cameraman.

Test every person, ban them, next year: no cheats.

Test every person, ban them, next year: better cheats.

In other news, Dwayne Chambers has been cleared to run. Thoughts?

Was he not handed a lifetime ban?

Was he not handed a lifetime ban?

it's a methodology that has served the TdF well.

Test every person, ban them, next year: better cheats.

Intended as a deterrent, I reckon. I'm not even 100% convinced that the ammunition will be live.

I was thinking, how many Olympic games have had surface to air missle installed in the past? And how many have had a call to use them?

That's fine, except who does it deter? If there was a terrorist attack on Da 'Lympics, it would mostly be one of the usual suicide/car/some-other-type-of bomb or West Bank Style mortar attack, with the outside chance of crazed gunman or some sort of gas attack. Surface-to-air missiles, or indeed military jets overhead, would be pretty much useless.

Presumably to protect against hijacked aircraft used as weapons. An airliner blown apart over the city would be catastrophic but not as bad if it was crashed into a packed stadium. It seems an entirely sensible and inevitable precaution to me and I don't see what the fuss is about. It's like people are hearing the word MISSILES and then running around screaming with their hands on their heads.

Well, a couple of things. Firstly, you could cause a catastrophic incident with a hijacked airliner over London at pretty much any time. I'm not entirely convinced an olympic stadium represents a better target than eg the Houses of Parliament.

Secondly, it's missiles being placed on the roof of a block of flats. That would sure as hell make me nervous if I lived there.

Thirdly, it's that old thing again of "you always fight the last war". Hijacked airliners was a one-shot deal that was horrifyingly effective. It wouldn't be again.

Secondly, if that's the best place for them to be then that's where they should go. And if I lived there I don't think it would make me nervous. What is there to be nervous about?

That's fine, except who does it deter?

Firstly I'm not sure I agree, purely in terms of loss of life then there has to be no better target than the Olympic stadium.

Missile sites announced! We could make a goole maps "mash-up" with a "Do you live within range of an Olympic missile?" type thing!