News & Politics - British police defuse bomb in London

Lexis · 06-29-2007, 04:21 AM

Quote:

British police defused a bomb found in a parked car in central London on Friday, and the new government called an emergency meeting of senior security chiefs to investigate what many feared could have been a planned terror attack.
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A British security official told The Associated Press that the car was packed with explosives, gas canisters and nuts and bolts and would have caused "significant damage."

He said there were similarities between the device and vehicle bombs used by insurgents in Iraq.

"Forensic staff are still examining the device, but once we know more about it, we'll know more about what type of individuals are behind this," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the security details.

The incident comes a week before the second anniversary of the July 7 London bombings, when four British Muslim suicide bombers killed themselves and 52 bus and subway passengers.

The official said Britain's domestic spy agency MI5 also would examine possible connections between Friday's incident and at least two similar foiled plots — including a planned attack on a West End nightclub in 2004 and a thwarted attempt to use limousines packed with gas canisters to attack targets in London and New York.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who took office on Wednesday, said the incident was a reminder that Britain faces "a serious and continuous threat" and the "need to be alert."

"I will stress to the Cabinet that the vigilance must be maintained over the next few days," Brown said.

Officers were called to The Haymarket shortly before 2 a.m., a police statement said.

The Haymarket is the site of restaurants, bars, a cinema complex and, most famously, theaters. On a Thursday night, the area would have been buzzing with crowds of people. The broad street links Piccadilly Circus in the north to the Pall Mall at its southern end.

Forensic officers in white suits were examining a silver sedan and had placed a blue tent-like cover over the rear of the vehicle, which was parked outside an American Express foreign exchange office.

The area around the vehicle was cordoned off as a precaution on Friday morning. London transport officials said the Piccadilly Circus underground train station was closed.

Vehicle in London packed with explosives - Yahoo! News

Perhaps someone trying to make a point - just because Blair's gone, doesn't mean we still don't hate your guts and want to kill as many of you as possible maybe? Maybe I'm assuming too much but it seems to bear so many hallmarks of Islamic extremism.

All terrorist attempts/attack get me wild with anger but this is my freakin' city! Haymarket is such a entertainment area and gets so busy - I just dread to think what might have happened had this gone off.

welshgirlyUK · 06-29-2007, 04:36 AM

I've been watching this on the news all morning. This could have been horrifying, always horrifying of course but in central London the mayhem would have been on quite a scale. I have to praise the police though for there swift action and for Londoners being alert and not causing hysteria.

I know a few people poked fun at the terrorism drills that the govt carried out but i think those people have had to eat there words after 7/7 with how well the emergency services and British Public conduct themselves in these cases.

Like you said Lexis i think it was a case of showing us despite a change of leader there are still vendettas against us.

Lexis · 06-29-2007, 02:06 PM

They found a second car that had been towed from a street near the first car to a lot in Park Lane. It too was packed with gas canisters, fuel and nails. Scary.

Explosives-packed cars found in London - Yahoo! News

It smacks of the kind of tactics we have seen in Iraq - set one bomb off, people scatter and try and get away from the scene, then a second bomb explodes, hurting those who got through the initial blast and anyone who rushes to their aid.

Papri · 06-29-2007, 02:11 PM

This is awful. I know exactly what you mean, Lexis - it totally ****s me off - this is my country, we should feel safe.

-Kelly- · 06-29-2007, 11:26 PM

Freaky

welshgirlyUK · 06-30-2007, 04:32 AM

I'm just gonna post some extracts from an article because its very long and i'll post a link to the article if you want to read the whole thing.

Quote:

Two Mercedes loaded with gasoline, gas canisters and nails were found abandoned Friday in what police believe was an attempt to kill scores or even hundreds of people. Detectives said they were keeping an open mind about the perpetrators, but terrorism experts said the signs pointed to an al-Qaida-linked or inspired cell.

Forensics experts were searching the two cars for clues. One was abandoned outside a nightclub in Haymarket, a busy street of shops, clubs and restaurants just yards from Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus.

The other was towed after being parked illegally in nearby Cockspur Street and was discovered in an impound lot about a mile away in Park Lane, near Hyde Park.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke, the Metropolitan Police anti-terrorism chief, said the two devices could have caused "significant injury or loss of life."

"The discovery of what appears to be a second bomb is obviously troubling, and reinforces the need for the public to be alert," he said.

Brown urged people to be alert, saying Britain faced "a serious and continuous security threat."

The Times newspaper reported that police had distributed a document to nightclubs two weeks ago warning of the threat from "vehicle-borne explosive devices" — car bombs. The document, prepared by the National Counterterrorism Security Office, took the form of general counterterrorism advice for British clubs.

Tens of thousands of people were expected to march through central London later Saturday in the city's annual Gay Pride parade, which ends at Trafalgar Square.

Intelligence officials were examining a post on an Islamist Web site hours before the cars were found suggesting Britain would be attacked for awarding a knighthood to novelist Salman Rushdie and for intervening in Muslim countries.

The U.S.-based SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors extremist Web sites, said a post on the al-Hesbah forum asked, "Is London craving explosions from al-Qaida?" and added: "I say the good news, by Allah, London will be hit."

The first bomb was discovered after ambulance crews were called to Haymarket to treat a man injured in a fall at 1:30 a.m. Friday. When crews arrived, they noticed smoke coming from a green Mercedes parked in front of a club, Clarke said.

Sky News television reported that a police officer seized a telephone from the first car — believed to have been a potential detonator. Police would not comment on the claim.

A British security official said the domestic spy agency MI5 would examine possible connections between the bomb attempt and at least two similar foiled plots — to attack a London nightclub in 2004, and to pack limousines with gas canisters and shrapnel.

In the 2004 plot, accused members of an al-Qaida-linked terror cell were convicted of plotting to blow up the Ministry of Sound nightclub, one of London's biggest music venues.

Source.

Lexis · 06-30-2007, 05:09 AM

It appears it was an ambulance crew that spotted smoke inside one of the cars and alerted police.

It does appear to be a bit of an amateur job - people on the news are saying that it appears the bombs were pretty low tech and not well put together. I mean, one of them didn't go off after being dragged through the streets of London on a tow truck. I only hope any other freaks out there don't know how to build a bomb right.

welshgirlyUK · 06-30-2007, 05:17 AM

I just edited my post to include an article i just read on it. The article suggests both were discovered by the public but does say there was an investigation after an american islamic site posted a message saying London would be hit.

I know London can handle these threats because that city has been through so much and its strong and so is this country but it saddens me that people are so intent on killing innocent people. I dislike how they say its in the name of Allah, as if there god would want the destruction of a city and loss of innocent lives. I have a muslim friend and they anger her so much that they taint her religion and use her god as an excuse.


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