Terrorist swoop – Ireland is not immune from danger

YESTERDAY’S dramatic swoop on terrorist suspects in Britain heightens the urgency of increased garda vigilance against the threat of al-Qaida attacks in Ireland.

Despite Justice Minister Michael McDowell’s naive dismissal of this danger, there is no denying the risks inherent in the impending visit of US President George W Bush to this country during Ireland’s EU presidency.

Fears of a Madrid-style attack against Britain have escalated after the seizure of over half a ton of ammonium nitrate fertiliser, the same type of explosive used in the Bali bombings. If the explosives had been used, they would have killed a large number of people. Used in several IRA bombings and favoured by al-Qaida, the explosive also featured in the US Embassy attack in Nairobi five years ago.