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Meghan Markle Faced 'Disgusting and Very Real' Threats in the U.K., Former Counterterrorism Head Says

(470 Posts)
GagaJo Tue 29-Nov-22 20:02:25

So possibly NOT figments of fevered imaginations.

In a new interview with Channel 4 News, the former head of counterterrorism for the Metropolitan Police said that there were genuine threats to the Duchess of Sussex's life while she lived in the U.K.

Neil Basu opened up about the alarming allegations amid his resignation as Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations for the Met Police in an interview released Tuesday. Basu, 54, is leaving the force after 30 years, during which he earned the Queen's Police Medal for distinguished service and served as the senior-most officer for the counterterrorism unit of the Met Police starting in March 2018 — two months before Meghan and Prince Harry's royal wedding.

"You were in charge of royal protection. How would you characterize the threats that Meghan and Harry received?" journalist Cathy Newman asked in a quick clip shared on Twitter.

"Well, disgusting and very real," Basu replied, calling extreme right-wing terrorism the "fast-growing threat" to the country.

uk.news.yahoo.com/meghan-markle-faced-disgusting-very-194441457.html

GagaJo Wed 30-Nov-22 11:47:20

volver

^She as a person is history now^

That's a bit threatening, isn't? To say that about a living person? Like maybe someone is going to send the boys round...

Or in this case 'the grannies'. Much more frightening.

icanhandthemback Wed 30-Nov-22 11:53:44

MerylStreep

I wonder how the thousands of women who live with threats to their lives every day feel about the protection she received.
After all, according to Meghan, we are all equal.

I wonder how many of those women get suspected Anthrax through the post. Not many, I suspect!

Blossoming Wed 30-Nov-22 11:56:35

It's appalling that anyone would have death threats against them and surprising to me, that this was never mentioned at the time they made their decision to leave the UK

Probably to avoid compromising any ongoing investigations.

Esspee Wed 30-Nov-22 12:13:36

I have spent considerable periods in California and other states and I can assure you that you have to be constantly aware of the dangers posed by seemingly ordinary people.
In Chicago we were picked up by the police, our sin? we were walking back from a restaurant to our hotel (visible in the distance). The police car had automatic weapons lying on the seat and we were given a kindly lecture about what not to do in the States.
Our grandchildren have active shooter drills at school and the perimeter is patrolled by armed guards in a very quiet, upmarket area where house prices start at $1mil.
In Texas the first question the police ask is “are you carrying guns?”
It is difficult for those of us in the U.K. to understand quite how safe our country is.

nanna8 Wed 30-Nov-22 12:20:58

That’s scary, Esspee. Our police have guns but every time one uses a gun there is a huge enquiry, even if they are faced with another person with a gun or lurching at them with a knife. Wouldn’t be a cop for quids.

allsortsofbags Wed 30-Nov-22 12:34:06

Am I right in thinking it was on Mr Basu watch that intruders got into the Queen's personal space ?

Was it while he was part of the security force that we had London Bridge Bombing , Manchester Arena and other threats to life and limb that were carried out?

Call me cynical but I do wonder if he's trying to "up" his profile by bring the focus on to M&H and race.

No one should be subjected to threats and M&H are not alone in this awful behaviour be that from individuals or organisations.

It is a know fact that there are those who threaten and those who would carry out their threats given an opportunity to do so.

So why is Mr Basu making his interview about M&H and race? This isn't M&H's doing, it's Mr Basu's and M&H don't seem to have had a choice about being dragged into his agenda.

volver Wed 30-Nov-22 12:42:43

I don't believe that the Met has responsibility for Manchester. hmm

It's quite sinister this, isn't it? Some public person says something some people don't like so they try to discredit his reputation and motives.

Features in Mr Putin's playbook, probably.

Lucca Wed 30-Nov-22 12:44:43

Joseanne

She as a person is history now and no longer worth discussing. Of no importance really.

I really don’t get that comment . She is history ? So all people in the past who have received death threats are also history ?

Personally whoever it is who sis targeted bybterrorists/extremists is of interest.

volver Wed 30-Nov-22 12:49:44

Oh, I googled. Mr Basu in post since 2018.

London Bridge bombing, 2017.

Manchester Arena Bombing (remembering that Manchester isn't in London) 2017.

One person scaled the fence of Buckingham Palace and was apprehended in 4 minutes. 2019

Michael Fagin, 1982

eazybee Wed 30-Nov-22 12:53:34

Neil Basu was Head of counter-terrorism policing between 2018-21, but was passed over for the position of Metropolitan Police Commissioner and head of the National Crime Agency. He claimed to have been blocked because he had been outspoken on issues of race and diversity.

Mamie Wed 30-Nov-22 12:56:43

Am I the only person who watched the actual interview?
Probably helpful to do so before commenting on it?

Katie59 Wed 30-Nov-22 13:01:19

I’m sure there were credible threats to Meghan it comes as no surprise to me, celebrities and other in the public eye are at risk from lunatics.
Thankfully guns are not as available as the US so the risk is less, Meghan has not exactly endeared herself in the UK so I guess that has made her a hate figure to some so security has to be taken seriously.

Smileless2012 Wed 30-Nov-22 13:02:54

Possible I suppose Blossoming, but I don't see why a reference to these threats, with no specific details would have compromised any ongoing investigations.

Those who made the threats will have known that those threats would have been investigated.

Zoejory Wed 30-Nov-22 13:08:14

Jaswant Singh Chail was found wandering around the grounds with a cross bow threatening to kill the Queen.

And of course Princess Anne saw off a kidnap attempt which had hand gins drawn. Couple of policemen were shot but not fatally.

Anne gave Parky a brilliant interview about the whole thing.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXoyjpeEH_o

Nothing to do with Basu. But it just got me thinking. Charles twiddling his cufflinks as his bodyguard slammed him out of the way when a chap came along shooting wildly.

Sorry for diverting thread.

I' am appalled that MM received vile threats but not hugely surprised. Social Media has turned many of us into vile creatures. Just watching the Vardy/Rooney and Heard/Depp trials we were shown Tweets that had been sent that were horrendous. Threats to babies. Awful, awful stuff.

We have a man in our village who has police involved with Twitter threats.

Young children being bullied online. Dreadful case where one girl was being harassed on FB, she killed herself and it was discovered that the mother of a friend of the child's was writing the comments!

We say Be Kind so often but I think we might have been a tad kinder before we had the Internet.

Zoejory Wed 30-Nov-22 13:09:22

which had hand gins drawn. Hand guns of course. Hand gins sounds much more pleasant. Good old predictive text

volver Wed 30-Nov-22 13:20:00

And of course Princess Anne saw off a kidnap attempt which had hand gins drawn. Couple of policemen were shot but not fatally.

Interesting. How rumours start.

Four people were shot, none of them fatally, only one was a policeman. Anne saw off nothing, only the people who were trying to save her "saw anything off". Including a passer by who is quoted as saying "I still believe that the life of a member of the Royal Family is much more important than mine." She did stay calm though. Charles wasn't there. (Not sure if you meant that he was.)

Other than that you are completely correct.

Purplepixie Wed 30-Nov-22 13:21:20

I think Megan and Harry wanted to stay out of the public eye.

Zoejory Wed 30-Nov-22 13:26:19

When i say saw them off I was referring to the fact Anne would not go with this gun toting chap. She refused. So I my eyes saw them off is an OK casual expression

Zoejory Wed 30-Nov-22 13:27:00

No Charles wasn't there it was her husband. First husband. Can't remember his name.

VioletSky Wed 30-Nov-22 13:27:27

I believed this was happening all along but maybe now some will gain some perspective.

If any member of my family were subject to this and I had the money to protect them, I would. Especially where minors are involved.

So it makes for an uncomfortable truth about how much support they were really given and why they spoke out

volver Wed 30-Nov-22 13:28:53

Zoejory

No Charles wasn't there it was her husband. First husband. Can't remember his name.

Mark Phillips.

Oreo Wed 30-Nov-22 13:30:49

It is an ok casual expression unless a poster wants to show off what they have just googled, as Volver does.😂

Oreo Wed 30-Nov-22 13:32:47

eazybee

Neil Basu was Head of counter-terrorism policing between 2018-21, but was passed over for the position of Metropolitan Police Commissioner and head of the National Crime Agency. He claimed to have been blocked because he had been outspoken on issues of race and diversity.

So he has an agenda then.

Oreo Wed 30-Nov-22 13:34:14

Purplepixie

I think Megan and Harry wanted to stay out of the public eye.

I think that’s the opposite of what they wanted, unless you’re joking.

volver Wed 30-Nov-22 13:35:28

I like facts rather than speculation, what can I say?

The policeman lived along the road from my friend, near my hometown. We didn't have google in 1974.