MI5 Plan to detect terrorists

[measl at mfn.org]

Right out of a Monty Python piece...

http://www.portal.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2001/06/30/ngerb30.xml 

MI5's secret plan to recruit gerbils as spycatchers
By Michael Smith, Defence Correspondent
(Filed: 30/06/2001)
MI5 considered using a team of highly-trained gerbils to detect spies and
terrorists flying into Britain during the 1970s, Sir Stephen Lander, the
service's director-general, revealed yesterday.
The plan was based on the ability of gerbils to detect a rise in adrenalin
from changes in the scent of human sweat. Sir Stephen said the Israelis
had put the idea into practice, placing gerbil cages to the side of
security checks for travellers at Tel Aviv airport. A suitably placed fan
wafted the scent of the suspect's sweat into the cage.
The gerbils were trained by Pavlovian response to press a lever if they
detected increased adrenalin, receiving food as a reward. The system was
never put into practice by MI5 because the Israelis were forced to abandon
it after they found that the gerbil could not tell the difference between
terrorists and passengers who were scared of flying.
Speaking at a conference at the Public Record Office in Kew, Sir Stephen
said MI5 archives contained a complete volume on the idea - which was
based on Canadian research for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police - written
in the 1970s.
Although Dame Stella Rimington made a practice of speaking publicly in an
attempt to change MI5, yesterday's Missing Dimension conference was only
the second occasion that Sir Stephen has done so.
The conference marks a new PRO exhibition on espionage, Shaken Not
Stirred, starting today, which includes exhibits on a number of spies
including Mata Hari and a spy paid the equivalent of 6.5 million by King
George I to spy on the Stuarts.
The Missing Dimension refers to the fact that most histories are written
before intelligence files have been released and so omit a crucial element
of what occurred and why. Sir Stephen admitted that it would be a long
time before MI5 would be able to release details of its Cold War
activities.

-- 
Yours, 
J.A. Terranson
sysadmin at mfn.org

If Governments really want us to behave like civilized human beings, they
should give serious consideration towards setting a better example:
Ruling by force, rather than consensus; the unrestrained application of
unjust laws (which the victim-populations were never allowed input on in
the first place); the State policy of justice only for the rich and 
elected; the intentional abuse and occassionally destruction of entire
populations merely to distract an already apathetic and numb electorate...
This type of demogoguery must surely wipe out the fascist United States
as surely as it wiped out the fascist Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

The views expressed here are mine, and NOT those of my employers,
associates, or others.  Besides, if it *were* the opinion of all of
those people, I doubt there would be a problem to bitch about in the
first place...
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