Armed Albanian arrested outside Tony Blair’s house Vs ‘Killing me softly …’ by the British Press

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9th December, 2009

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UPDATE 10th Dec

BBC: A man has been charged with possessing a firearm near the home of the former Prime Minister Tony Blair, the Metropolitan Police has confirmed.

Kutjim Nurka, 56, from Wembley, north-west London, was arrested outside Mr Blair’s home on Connaught Street, Westminster, on Monday. Mr Nurka was remanded in custody and will appear at Southwark Crown Court on 12 February.

Pardon? Is that ALL?! Not charged with “with intent”? Why not?

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Man With Gun Arrested Outside Blair Home (See Sky News)

(Or read it all here, below.)

Had a look?

Right.

But there’s another more insidious threat, and perhaps more dangerous for its ability to persist, regarding this man’s security and that of his family.

My concern for Mr Blair’s safety is not so much from a crazed Albanian possibly upset because Blair saved Muslims from Christians! (See here and Kosovo crisis.)  Or perhaps miffed because the Albanian gunman’s (Mafia) boys didn’t get control of robbing the parking meters in Connaught Square (July 2007 report from Mafia News.) Or that his loaded weapon was fitted with a silencer. (I have a feeling he might have been noticed if he’d succeeded, noisy or not.)

[This crazed Albanian, presumably not a Kosovan Albanian, seemed to think the few seconds it took to drive past Blair’s home late at night, trigger cocked, would be the few seconds per day (on average recently) that the target happened to be in this country!]

Btw, before I move off this point – in which other country, democracy or dictatorship, would a man with a loaded pistol be charged with no more than “holding a prohibited weapon” after driving past the home of a former prime minister and present international statesman, at almost midnight? And a man who is known as a foreign gangster?

Mind boggling.

One doesn’t just drive past Mr Blair’s home on the way to somewhere else. One has to choose to go round the square and its gardens.

But let the police deal with that one as they will.

My ongoing concern is regarding another GANG, based far closer to home.

THE PRESS – ARMED WITH WORDS feeds… THE MOB – ARMED WITH…?

The pen, or its successor the internet, is mightier than the sword.

My fear is that our crazed and irresponsible press have incited so much personal HATRED, not just political disagreements against our former prime minister that the onliners at the Mail, Guardian etc feel it is their duty as a ‘concerned citizen’ to rant on about nooses, ropes, lampposts or standing up against walls. I have alluded to this tendency before here and here when the frightful Stephen Frears thought he was still directing a movie.

A couple of weeks ago I drafted out a post entitled, “I will hold Peter Oborne and his like personally responsible if …”

It was intended to be a warning to the press to STOP their virulent and personal attacks on Mr Blair. They are firing the brain-dead up into some sort of mob mentality while making out that this atmosphere is none of their doing. They are but reflecting, not directing. (A rehearsing flash of Frearsism?)

I decided against publishing the post at that time because I was concerned to add to the atmosphere.

But some time, someone has to speak out about this. It HAS to stop. And now. The articles themselves don’t actually spell it out, or say such as this commenter did at one of Peter Oborne’s articles at the Mail – “‘One can only fear for Tony Blair” ? No fear mate. Nothing too horrible can happen to him.”

But they emphasise the injustice, as they see it, surrounding Mr Blair’s continued high in-demand profile, and the ‘FACT’ that he is “still” a “slippery customer” and what’s more FREE to earn his market value! The papers do NOT generally moderate out vile, inciteful, threatening comments.  I hesitate, a little, to accuse our mainstream press of incitement.  But through their negligence and lack of careful moderation, the green light is given to those who feel that since Mr Blair has, OBVIOUSLY, escaped ‘their’ justice so far and may well escape ‘their’ so-called punishment after the Iraq Inquiry concludes, well … it’s up to me, mate, innit?

The press, surely, must be aware of this. They are not naive.

When I find the day has expanded to 36 hours instead of the usual number I might even publish my draft post with a few additional choice snippets. Believe me, there are thousands. I might even do it tomorrow.

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ADDENDUM

Don’t you just LOVE how the Daily Maul reports this? Their last sentence being the clincher…  and the stayer … “costs the taxpayer”.

Excerpts:

But Scotland Yard sources stressed that there was no evidence that the man planned to target the Blairs. He was initially arrested for several traffic and documentation offences, and later also arrested on suspicion of possessing a prohibited weapon.

Forensic tests including fingerprinting and DNA analysis are under way.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: ‘At about 11.15pm on Monday a 56-year-old man was arrested by uniform officers in Connaught Street, Westminster, for alleged traffic and documentation offences, and taken to a central London police station.

‘At approx 11.40pm a member of the public handed a firearm to a uniform officer on duty in the area.

‘The member of the public told police the firearm had been found in Connaught Street.

‘The man was subsequently arrested on suspicion of possessing a prohibited weapon. The man remains in custody and police inquiries continue.’

Mr Blair bought the four-storey Grade II listed property in 2004 as he prepared to leave Downing Street.

Connaught Street forms one side of Connaught Square, which is a short distance from Marble Arch in the capital’s West End.

The Blairs’ police protection team, which is bigger than the Prime Minister’s, costs the taxpayer at least £2million a year.’

I’m watching you, The Daily Maul … Mail!

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Sky News article follows below

Adam Arnold, Sky News Online

7:11pm UK, Wednesday December 09, 2009

A suspected Albanian gangster carrying a loaded pistol and silencer has been arrested outside the home of former Prime Minister Tony Blair, police have said.

The Blairs’ house is in Connaught Square

Mr Blair was in Washington DC at the time of the incident and his spokesman declined to comment on security issues.

The suspect, 56, was stopped in his car as he drove in Connaught Street, central London, on Monday at 11.15pm.

Officers on patrol became suspicious and arrested him for alleged traffic and documentation offences.

About 25 minutes later, a passer-by approached a uniformed officer on guard outside Mr Blair’s £3.5m Connaught Square townhouse.

He handed the officer a black pistol, loaded with several bullets and fitted with a silencer, saying he found it in the gutter.

The officer raised the alarm and notified members of the Diplomatic Protection Group, who are responsible for Mr Blair’s safety.

Investigators quickly linked the discovery of the gun with the arrest of the Albanian and he was re-arrested on suspicion of holding a prohibited weapon.

Forensic tests including fingerprinting and DNA analysis are under way, and the location of the arrest is believed to be entirely coincidental.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “The man remains in custody and police inquiries continue.”

Mr Blair bought the four-storey Grade II listed property in 2004 as he prepared to leave Downing Street.

Connaught Street forms one side of Connaught Square, which is a short distance from Marble Arch in the capital’s West End.

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Tags: Albanian arrested Blair's home, Albanian gunman, Blair's protection security costs, Daily Mail, danger to Blair, Guardian, Independent, Kutjim Nurka charged, met, possessing a firearm, sky news, the feral beasts, the press irresponsible, Tony Blair