Talk:BIKINI state

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The Alert States are (in increasing level of seriousness): .... then the table list Red, Amber, Black ... Does it means Amber state is more serious that Red state? -- Kowloonese

um ... I was trying to show it graphically as increasing by being higher in the table, but maybe it isn't as clear as I'd thought. Red is highest state of alert, white lowest. ps. It is usual to 'sign' your contributions to talk pages by writing "--~~~~" at the end (a couple of hypens followed by four tildes: this puts your name and the date/time) --[[User:VampWillow|VampWillow]] 23:28, 2 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Hey, what's ALL IN CAPITALS, dude? Wetman 08:26, 5 Oct 2004 (UTC)

They're codewords. All-caps is the common convention for codewords: see, for example, their use at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmselect/cmdfence/518-ii/2013002.htm -- Karada 08:34, 5 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Why is it called BIKINI state? Is it named after underwear styles? Are there a BOXER PANTS state and a THONG state to go along? Kowloonese 21:52, 23 Nov 2004 (UTC)

I believe it is named BIKINI after the Bikini Atoll used in one of the first atomic bomb tests in 1946. 134.219.148.43 16:58, 22 March 2005 (this signature added by *Ulla* 21:58, 9 August 2006 (UTC), collected from the page history)
Why would the British use this word for that reason? The atomic tests there were made by the Americans. I figure, since it is a code word, it is just a word picked randomly. -*Ulla* 21:58, 9 August 2006 (UTC)
Still wondering. And "I figure" doesn't count as a valid cite. :-) -- Writtenonsand 18:28, 27 April 2007 (UTC)
The MoD say it was randomly selected by a computer [1] so I've added this to the article. Hut 8.5 17:11, 1 July 2007 (UTC)

The page says that Amber and Red were only supposed to be used for a short time, but living on an RAF station for most of the eighties I remember the sign on the guardroom *always* saying "Bikini Amber" - so much so that I thought it was a single phrase. PeteVerdon 16:07, 13 March 2006 (UTC)

Could that have been because the cold war was on at that time? -*Ulla* 21:58, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Threat levels

I feel that it would be informative to list each of the specific times at which the threat level has been elevated to the maximum, and the probable reasons for this e.g. the 2007 Glasgow International Airport attack. Can anyone get this information? Ygoloxelfer

This is the first time under the new system - before that it went upto Amber a few times (during the IRA campaign and after the London bombings) - but it never has been at "Red" under the old system was more related to the cold war. I suppose you could do a FoI request to the MOD requesting the BIKINI status for x years, however personally I don't think it is worth it.

Actually, it has been at RED once, when Bobby Sands MP died. There's a ref to that in some Select Committee on Defence Minutes of Evidence (line 255) - this also has data on the costs of changes to the alert state, in terms of increased policing etc. I might add this info to the article... m3tainfo 00:20, 9 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Why is this information on an international forum?

It's supposed to be "Restricted". PiP (talk) 19:35, 25 January 2008 (UTC)

Circular logic I guess, but the fact that it's here would mean that it isn't?Johnmc (talk) 13:02, 20 February 2008 (UTC)
Trouble is the alert states are Restricted, they shouldn't be here. Can an article be removed from Wikipedia? PiP (talk) 23:05, 7 March 2008 (UTC)
It's only of casual interest to me, but the main reference for this article (link on main page) seems to be an article in the "New Statesman" that lists all the alert codes. The article mentions that it's "not used for the general public." Whether that's the same as "restricted", i'm not sure. There is another link mentioned which links to a MoD memorandum, at the House of Commons records site. That memorandum lists 3 (Black Special, Amber and Red) of the alert states. It looks as if information regarding the alert states is well and truly in the public domain. Johnmc (talk) 12:32, 8 March 2008 (UTC)