Terrorist Attack hits London, City on Alert

[Pengwuino]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000102&sid=azJATdGfpPRU&refer=uk

This is a confirmed terrorist attack on London, multiple bombs have gone off targeting the infrastructure in London.

 

[brewnog]

Aye, shocking news.

Just heard a few eyewitness accounts on the radio, apparently it's a bit chaotic in London at the moment, but no signs of panic.

 

[darkar]

Could this because of London will become the host of Olympic 2012?

 

[Pengwuino]

There speculating. Its only possible if bombs were also planted in France too for an attack on the winner.

 

[brewnog]

Bush is here. How long before we declare war on someone?

 

[Pengwuino]

Could it be the IRA? Someone was sayen the tactics are familiar to the IRA.

They probably already got President Bush airborne.

 

[PerennialII]

... someone finally got through the "radar" and wanted to time it "right" ? Oh hell .

 

[marlon]

is this really a terrorist attack ?

how do we know for sure

marlon

 

[Pengwuino]

7 bombs have gone off so far, pretty much has to be a terrorist attack

 

[marlon]

this does not look good !
i keep following it in the CNN website

marlon

 

[brewnog]

Reports say that there's been an explosion on the Metropolitan Line between Liverpool Street and Aldgate, and further explosions have been reported at Aldgate East, Edgware Road, King's Cross, Russell Square and Moorgate. Two Underground trains have collided near King's Cross.

The entire tube network, and central buses have been closed, and hospitals have stopped accepting non-emergency casualties. No official reports of fatalities yet, but there have been several eyewitness accounts suggesting that there are several dead. It's not looking good.

 

[Pengwuino]

A possible 8th explosion has been heard

 

[brewnog]

Just spoken to one of my friends who's working on Edgware Road. She's ok, but heard the bomb and said it's utter chaos there.

 

[Pengwuino]

This reminds me of that movie Dirty War

 

[brewnog]

The BBC's Arab sources believe that these events have almost certainly been carried out by Al Qaeda, although no official speculation to the origins of the attacks has been made.

 

[Pengwuino]

the AP just confirmed that Scotland Yard told Israeli intelligence that a terrorist attack was imminent minutes before the explosions happened.

 

[marlon]

indeed

marlon

 

[marlon]

the police have found indications for explosives

marlon

 

[marlon]

British Prime Minister Tony Blairs says there has been a series of "barbaric" terrorist attacks in London. Details soon

 

[El Hombre Invisible]

The official announcements (thus far) are SIX explosions: five on the underground, one on a bus. Haven't heard about the tube trains colliding - is there a source for this? Blair HAS announced that this is a terrorist attack, but he's prone to 'mistakes' so I'd wait for some (one with) intelligence. An Al-Qaeda splinter group is supposed to have claimed responsibility, but again such groups have previously claimed responsibility for other attacks they had nothing to do with, so that's not a trustworthy claim.

Such a shame: the city that teemed with over 2 million people protesting against the war in Iraq is now a target for other people most probably protesting against the same war.

 

[Clausius2]

My condolences to London and english people. I want to express my solidarity with them. Always there are poor and innocent people who is the target of these damn terrorists.

Although it is going to be shown with asteriscs:

These terrorists are all son's of a *****, **** them. They don't worth keep on living!.

 

[Clausius2]

Such a shame: the city that teemed with over 2 million people protesting against the war in Iraq is now a target for other people most probably protesting against the same war.

I do not think the same. I think the cause is the election of hosting the Olympic Games. The terrorists might want to show London is not a secure city if they want, and so ridiculizing Blair. If the cause would be the war, these bombings would have happened a lot of time ago.

 

[El Hombre Invisible]

As Madrid have been targetted in the past, your sentiments are no doubt sincerely appreciated. Just checked - it seems all my London-based friends are okay, though one friend was on the bus before the one that was bombed on the same route. Really makes you think.

 

[marlon]

These terrorists are all son's of a *****, **** them. They don't worth keep on living!.

SECONDED

my condolences to London too

marlon

 

[El Hombre Invisible]

I do not think the same. I think the cause is the election of hosting the Olympic Games. The terrorists might want to show London is not a secure city if they want, and so ridiculizing Blair. If the cause would be the war, these bombings would have happened a lot of time ago.

Even if 2012 was the reason for timing the attack, the motive for an attack at all is not going to be what amounts to an international sports day. The motive, most likely, will be Iraq. Personally I'd go with G8 as the reason for the timing, not the Olympics. The G8 summit has been known about for some time - the 2012 Olympics is too recent an announcement for an attack to be planned.

 

[hypatia]

I am so sorry your country has had to endure this barbaric, cowardly form of attack. There is no excuse for harming your citizens.

 

[brewnog]

Even if 2012 was the reason for timing the attack, the motive for an attack at all is not going to be what amounts to an international sports day. The motive, most likely, will be Iraq. Personally I'd go with G8 as the reason for the timing, not the Olympics. The G8 summit has been known about for some time - the 2012 Olympics is too recent an announcement for an attack to be planned.

Indeed, Blair seemed to have been sure that these attacks were intended to coincide with the opening of the G8 Summit. I doubt anybody would have gone to these extremes because of the Olympics decision.

 

[Clausius2]

Even if 2012 was the reason for timing the attack, the motive for an attack at all is not going to be what amounts to an international sports day. The motive, most likely, will be Iraq. Personally I'd go with G8 as the reason for the timing, not the Olympics. The G8 summit has been known about for some time - the 2012 Olympics is too recent an announcement for an attack to be planned.

I don't know. Maybe you're right. Let's wait a bit and see what say the english government. A terrible day. Now I heard the deaths could be near 50 persons (it has been said by the italian Internal affairs Minister) . In Madrid it was the same: every people said many less deaths just after the bombing than it really was when some hours passed. This number could be increased.

 

[darkar]

Even if 2012 was the reason for timing the attack, the motive for an attack at all is not going to be what amounts to an international sports day. The motive, most likely, will be Iraq. Personally I'd go with G8 as the reason for the timing, not the Olympics. The G8 summit has been known about for some time - the 2012 Olympics is too recent an announcement for an attack to be planned.

You have made a good point there. The result of who will host the Olympic 2012 is just roughly a day. Such few bombs attack in such a short time should have needed more time.

 

[darkar]

Oh, as for the caualities, here is what i just found.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4659093.stm

 

[Nylex]

Really sick people . I'm not leaving the house today.

 

[Pengwuino]

They say it had to have been planned for days so there's no way it was for the olympic decision unless they planted bombs in paris and london and maybe NYC which is just highly unlikely.

 

[darkar]

well, but we can also say that the news of Olympics 2012 made the bomb planning earlier than scheduled.

 

[Monique]

Personally I'd go with G8 as the reason for the timing, not the Olympics.

And there were 7 explosions, did the 8th not go off? makes you wonder..

 

[BicycleTree]

Wow, 2 people dead. Why is this even making the news? Do you have any idea how frequently 2 people die just of natural causes in London? Every ten minutes.

 

[Monique]

Wow, 2 people dead. Why is this even making the news? Do you have any idea how frequently 2 people die just of natural causes in London? Every ten minutes.

Are you serious? How often do people die due to a bombing in London, sure there is news value. And do expect for that number to go up.

 

[brewnog]

Wow, 2 people dead. Why is this even making the news? Do you have any idea how frequently 2 people die just of natural causes in London? Every ten minutes.

Get a grip.

2 people confirmed dead. There are still people in ambulances, casualty, operating theatres, and even stuck in tunnels. There have been four confirmed explosions, do you not see this as even a minor event?

 

[El Hombre Invisible]

According to BBC on TV and on their website, there were 6, not 7, explosions.

 

[brewnog]

The actual number of explosions has been confused by wounded people emerging from different underground stations, where the explosions did not happen at stations themselves but in the tunnels between them.

 

[BicycleTree]

To go up? To what? Five dead? Wow, it would shock me if five people died in London. Although it happens every twenty-five minutes. I guess I get shocked easily.

Yeah, I'm not literally surprised that this is making the news. I am asking why people think stuff like this is important. Two people dead is not even remotely statistically significant. Move on to issues like obesity--now that is significant. Terrorism has a lot less chance of hurting the Western world than big macs do.

 

[brewnog]

To go up? To what? Five dead? Wow, it would shock me if five people died in London. Although it happens every twenty-five minutes. I guess I get shocked easily.

Yeah, I'm not literally surprised that this is making the news. I am asking why people think stuff like this is important. Two people dead is not even remotely statistically significant. Move on to issues like obesity--now that is significant. Terrorism has a lot less chance of hurting the Western world than big macs do.

I don't think this is the right time to belittle the horrible events which happened this morning.

 

[Pengwuino]

We got another a-hole in my home forum saying a few people dead is trivial... what's with people?

 

[El Hombre Invisible]

To go up? To what? Five dead? Wow, it would shock me if five people died in London. Although it happens every twenty-five minutes. I guess I get shocked easily.

Yeah, I'm not literally surprised that this is making the news. I am asking why people think stuff like this is important. Two people dead is not even remotely statistically significant. Move on to issues like obesity--now that is significant. Terrorism has a lot less chance of hurting the Western world than big macs do.

I try to avoid replying to posts like this, but I'll make an exception. The news is that a terrorist attack has occurred in London, not that two people have just died. There are hundreds of people injured in hospital and many more trapped in the Underground. '2' people have been confirmed dead (actually 6 now). That does not mean only two people have died. We'll have to wait to get the final count and I HOPE it is not much more than what we've already heard but I fear otherwise. Anyway, it is a significant story to appear in the news, unless you think deliberate killing of innocent people is particularly boring. Yes, it happens - and it's usually in the news. Now, out of respect for those already bereaved, and those who may soon find out they are bereaved, will you please keep your off-hand and quite frankly appalling remarks in your head.

 

[icvotria]

To go up? To what? Five dead? Wow, it would shock me if five people died in London. Although it happens every twenty-five minutes. I guess I get shocked easily.

Yeah, I'm not literally surprised that this is making the news. I am asking why people think stuff like this is important. Two people dead is not even remotely statistically significant. Move on to issues like obesity--now that is significant. Terrorism has a lot less chance of hurting the Western world than big macs do.

You're being utterly utterly ridiculous and insensitive. If you don't think it's important then don't post about it. Not only have there been loads of casualties, it's also brought London to a complete standstill and has people all over shocked and panicking about people who might've been hurt. Bugger off out of this thread.

 

[BicycleTree]

Even if fifty people died, it would not shock me. I would shake my head at the terrorists' stupidity and aggression. But as far as respect for the bereaved--do you have any idea how frequently fifty people die worldwide? You can calculate it out easily. Do you go around in a constant state of respect for those bereaved? Of course not--you simply go about your life.

 

[BicycleTree]

Fifty people die worldwide in somewhat less than twenty seconds.

 

[BicycleTree]

Well, I got a paper to write now but always keep a sense of perspective. You should be respecting the far greater number of people currently grieving those dead of obesity and related illnesses, not inciting yourself and those around you about a statistically insignificant "threat" that has virtually no chance of hurting you or those you love.

 

[El Hombre Invisible]

Even if fifty people died, it would not shock me. I would shake my head at the terrorists' stupidity and aggression. But as far as respect for the bereaved--do you have any idea how frequently fifty people die worldwide? You can calculate it out easily. Do you go around in a constant state of respect for those bereaved? Of course not--you simply go about your life.

No, but nor do I go around asking those who've just spent the last hour making sure all their friends are still alive why they find this newsworthy. I'm not asking you to feel anything - just get out of people's faces with your flippant disregard for human life and people's feelings. You are disgusting all of us.

 

[DocToxyn]

To go up? To what? Five dead? Wow, it would shock me if five people died in London. Although it happens every twenty-five minutes. I guess I get shocked easily.

Yeah, I'm not literally surprised that this is making the news. I am asking why people think stuff like this is important. Two people dead is not even remotely statistically significant. Move on to issues like obesity--now that is significant. Terrorism has a lot less chance of hurting the Western world than big macs do.

If you really want to talk numbers and statistics you have to compare not the simple (yet horrible) fact that people died, but rather how they died. The day before this happened, did anyone die of bomb attacks - no, the following day, even if only five people, died that's 5X the number that died the previous day. That seems very significant from a numbers standpoint, but tossing around numbers and stats really belittles that fact that innocent people died and that's wrong. I can see your point BT, but it's still in poor taste given the circumstances. My heart goes out to those who have lost in this unfortunate situation.

 

[El Hombre Invisible]

Well, I got a paper to write now but always keep a sense of perspective. You should be respecting the far greater number of people currently grieving those dead of obesity and related illnesses, not inciting yourself and those around you about a statistically insignificant "threat" that has virtually no chance of hurting you or those you love.

Those who die from obesity were not murdered indiscrimantely by people they have no qualm with - they die due to their own inability to look after they're own health! It is you who needs a sense of perspective.