Why do we take off our shoes in airports? Because years ago, a jihadi hid explosives in his shoes and tried to set off an explosion on an airplane. And now it will be much harder to rent a car or van in the UK, because a jihadi used a van in Barcelona to commit jihad mass murder. The next weapon of jihad mass murder will lead to more curtailment of our freedoms, and more inconveniences in our daily life. Governing authorities are always ready to confront the means of jihad attacks, but never the reasons why the jihad attacks happen in the first place, and are never willing to take lawful steps that would actually be effective in preventing the next jihad attack.
“Government orders crackdown on car and van hire rentals after Barcelona terror attack,” by Jonathan Mitchell, Evening Standard, August 20, 2017 (thanks to Bert):
British drivers will face extra checks when renting cars and vans to ensure they are not extremists in the wake of string of a deadly terror attacks using vehicles.
Ministers are ordering the crackdown amid growing concern over how easily extremists are renting vehicles and using them to mow down pedestrians in attacks.
It comes after 14 people were killed when terrorists ploughed into passersby in Barcelona and seaside town of Cambrils on Thursday.
This year in the UK, vehicles have been at the centre of deadly attacks on Westminster, London Bridge and Finsbury Park.
The incidents sparked suggestions van rental could be subject to more stringent checks, while officers appealed for vehicle hire and haulage firms with suspicions about rental attempts to come forward.
Ministers are proposing rental companies share drivers’ data with the Government so it could be checked against a terror watch list before a vehicle is released for hire.
Toby Poston, director of external relations at the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA), told the Sunday Telegraph: “The industry is looking at ways to share data with the authorities in as real time as possible so it can be cross-referenced with counter-terrorism watch lists.”
A Government spokeswoman confirmed that the Department for Transport is working with the police and the vehicle rental industry to look at tightening up regulations.
“The threat from terrorism is changing and so must our response,” she said.
“That is why we are reviewing our counter-terrorism strategy and powers and why we have ploughed extra resources into counter-terrorism.
“The Department for Transport is also working with the police and the vehicle rental industry to explore what more can be done to prevent the malicious use of hire vehicles.
“This includes looking at what more rental companies could do before an individual can hire a vehicle.”…