British teenager arrested for possessing the "Anarchists' Cookbook"

BBC News

You can buy a copy here

 

How freaking stupid is that? It's a book....you can't arrest somebody for owning a book. I mean c'mon...who here hasn't read the Anarchists' Cookbook?

 

Oh FFS! The Bellingham Public Library has two copies in general circulation! I'm sre any number of libraries in the UK do as well. What next, are they going to arrest every chemistry student in the country for having information which could be used for terrorist purposes?

If indeed he was planning to use the information for comitting violent acts, then he should have been prosecuted for that. After all, process does matter, otherwise this is just stupid.

 

I haven't read it, but hearing this, I'm going to. Information is not crime.

And why stop at every chemistry student? I've never taken a chem course in my life, and I know how to get a way bigger bang out of a homemade device than the usual ammonium nitrite/fuel oil mix.

 

What next? Burning all hard copies of it? coughHitlercough

 

Nice job!!!

What next, are they going to sue everyone with a internet connection because they can look up how to make a bomb?

 

Oh geez, I remember everyone in school passing around textfile copies of this over 10 years ago. There's a big difference between reading a book and actually building a bomb. I didn't even know The Anarchist Cookbook was now illegal.

What's next? Banning Mein Kampf just in case we try to take over the world and exterminate the Jews?

 

Well, I think its fair to say that we now living in a time of real threat and terrorist activities is happening.

Of course these types of books are available, but surely the cops had some reason to approach this 17-year old teenager.
We simply do not have all the facts yet.

I think that the police are in a very difficult position – if they try to do something about it, then people go up-in-arms.
if they do nothing about it, and the unfortunate happens and then people learn that the cops knew of something, but did nothing, then people would still go up-in-arms.

It’s a no win-win situation for the cops and very frustrating I imagine.

 

*burns copy of Communist Manifesto*.
Just to be safe.

<A88>

 

Bloody hell. The guys just a stupid emo kid. I have a copy of this book which I got when I was about 15, along with other hacking and emo-bombing books like Steal this book and Anarchists Manifesto etc. The information in them is often crap, frequently unreliable and utterly pointless.

If they don't want people reading it then they should ban the book and raise the kids properly ffs

 

/burns all my lecture notes that contain information on how to synthesise explosives, detect for them (and thus, get away with it) and drugs like heroin, cocaine, morphene....

I'm a one man army

 

You're taking one item out of context.

It's up to a jury to decide if, having assembled the materials and got the recipe, he intended shenanigans. And on the basis of all the evidence, which I'm sure goes beyond what's been disclosed so far.

Why not take another fact out of context?

 

Anyone owning hair dye, nair varnish remover and drain cleaning fluids has everything they need to make a primary explosive. Wonder how many mums are going to be arrested?

 

It's not out of context at all; he wasn't charged with some sort of suspicion of intent, but for possession of information (a book).

 

and...yet another step/sign (amongst many) towards a police state!

 

And in most American states, by your reading, you can be charged with burglary for possessing an oxy-acetylene cutting kit.

Pans narrans rules.

 

Dynamite – LOL

I don’t think you will be burglaring a place with dynamite.

 

I'm not quite following you. In Britain we have similar laws regarding burglary tools, but must be taken in context; roaming the streets with bolt cutters and a balaclava could get you arrested, simply owning those items would not.

The Terrorism Act of 2006 makes no accommodations for context, simply possessing the information is a crime, regardless of other circumstances. In this case the charge was tacked onto his initial possession of materials charge, but would be capable of standing on its own.

 

Since this is a UK site, i'll assume you're from the UK and say this...how is the real threat of terrorism changed now from 15-20 years ago? The only change for England is Middle-eastern extremists have supplanted the IRA.

Yeah he probably was raising some alarm bells somewhere to warrant an arrest..

 

I don't really know/understand what you asking me, but the UK is a more dangerous place now, than it was 15~20 years ago.

15~20 years ago, this would never have happened.