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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Blair 'confident' about Menezes | Blair 'confident' about Menezes |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair has said he is "confident" of being cleared in the inquiry into the killing by police of an innocent man. | Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair has said he is "confident" of being cleared in the inquiry into the killing by police of an innocent man. |
| Speaking on the BBC's Today programme, he stressed his belief an inquiry will clear him of any misconduct. | Speaking on the BBC's Today programme, he stressed his belief an inquiry will clear him of any misconduct. |
| He also defended an anti-terror raid in Forest Gate, east London, claiming the shooting of a man during the operation was an accident. | He also defended an anti-terror raid in Forest Gate, east London, claiming the shooting of a man during the operation was an accident. |
| Subsequent terror plots justified the decision to launch the raid, he said. | Subsequent terror plots justified the decision to launch the raid, he said. |
| 'Quite confident' | 'Quite confident' |
| On 22 July, 2005, 27-year-old Mr de Menezes was shot inside a train at Stockwell Tube station by police who mistook him for a suicide bomber. | On 22 July, 2005, 27-year-old Mr de Menezes was shot inside a train at Stockwell Tube station by police who mistook him for a suicide bomber. |
| The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) are conducting an inquiry into Mr de Menezes' death, which came soon after 7 July Tube bombings. | The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) are conducting an inquiry into Mr de Menezes' death, which came soon after 7 July Tube bombings. |
| Mr Menezes was on a Tube train in Stockwell when he was shot | Mr Menezes was on a Tube train in Stockwell when he was shot |
| Sir Ian said: "I'd say this: I, for my own part, I am quite confident that I will not face any kind of misconduct... in relation to Stockwell." | Sir Ian said: "I'd say this: I, for my own part, I am quite confident that I will not face any kind of misconduct... in relation to Stockwell." |
| When questioned about his confidence, he added: "I'll just say that I'm confident, shall we leave it at that?" | When questioned about his confidence, he added: "I'll just say that I'm confident, shall we leave it at that?" |
| The commissioner criticised the length of the inquiry, adding: "It's difficult to understand how an organisation can take 13 months to investigate what I did or did not say on one particular day." | The commissioner criticised the length of the inquiry, adding: "It's difficult to understand how an organisation can take 13 months to investigate what I did or did not say on one particular day." |
| Sir Ian also defended the high security levels which have been maintained in London. | |
| 'Cliff-edge choice' | |
| He said although there was no specific intelligence about a terrorist attack during the Christmas period, the country faced a "level of unparalleled threat". | He said although there was no specific intelligence about a terrorist attack during the Christmas period, the country faced a "level of unparalleled threat". |
| He added: "I think the threat of another terrorist attempt is ever-present. | He added: "I think the threat of another terrorist attempt is ever-present. |
| Mohammed Abdul Kahar (right) was shot during the Forest Gate raid | |
| "We have no specific intelligence but listeners may remember that there was a terrorist plot in Germany against one of their Christmas markets in 2002, so it's a possibility." | "We have no specific intelligence but listeners may remember that there was a terrorist plot in Germany against one of their Christmas markets in 2002, so it's a possibility." |
| Defending the Forest Gate raid, which cost police £2m, Sir Ian said police have to take with tough decisions. | |
| "I describe that as a cliff-edge choice, if you fall one way you knock your head on the rock and the other way you fall 200ft into the sea. | |
| "We have learnt a lot from Forest Gate and you saw that in the way we handled the airline plot." | |
| Sir Ian also said that nowadays officers are so overwhelmed in paperwork that their work is suffering. | |
| "When I was a young officer I could carry out three straightforward arrests in eight hours. No officer could do that now... now its one (arrest)." |