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Gold9472
07-07-2005, 08:34 AM
Multiple blasts hit London transport system
Explosions shut down subway, buses, paralyzing capital; 8 deaths confirmed

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8492258/

LONDON - Near simultaneous explosions rocked the London subway and tore open a double-decker bus during the morning rush hour Thursday, causing at least two deaths and dozens of injuries in what Prime Minister Tony Blair said was a "barbaric" terrorist attack timed to disrupt the Group of Eight summit.

The explosions came a day after London was awarded the 2012 Olympics and as the G-8 summit was getting under way in Scotland.

"We are concerned that this is a coordinated attack. We are aware that one of the sites does contain indications of explosives," London police chief Sir Ian Blair said on Sky News.

He said authorities had not received any warning. "We have been at a very high state of alert. Of course if there had been any kind of specific warnings we would have dealt with it," he said.

Police confirmed two deaths and said there were at least six explosions.

Prime Minister Blair said he was leaving the G-8 summit for the day to return to London, while the other leaders continued the meeting.

Buses destroyed
Police confirmed an explosion destroyed a double-decker bus at Russell Square in central London, and Dow Jones Newswires said police reported explosions on at least two other buses.

“I was on the bus,” said a dazed passenger on one of the buses that was hit. “I looked round and the seats behind me were gone.”

A witness at the Russell Square blast said the entire top deck of that bus was destroyed.

"I was on the bus in front and heard an incredible bang, I turned round and half the double decker bus was in the air," Belinda Seabrook told Press Association, the British news agency.

She said the bus was packed with people. "It was a massive explosion and there were papers and half a bus flying through the air," she said.

'Walking wounded'
Police said explosions were also reported at the Aldgate subway station near the Liverpool Street railway terminal; Edgware Road and King's Cross station in north London; and Old Street station in the financial district.

Police sealed off large areas around other underground and mainline rail stations. Firemen donned chemical protection suits before rushing into stations.

A doctor at Aldgate said at least 90 people were wounded at that location alone. At least two people were confirmed killed at that station.

"There are some walking wounded at Aldgate," said a spokesman for City of London police, speaking on condition of anonymity. "We are not sure of the scale of the incident. Reports are still coming in."

Bradley Anderson, a subway passenger, told Sky News that "there was some kind of explosion" as his train reached the Edgware Road station in northeast London. "Everything went black and we collided into some kind of oncoming train," Anderson said.

Simon Corvett, who was on an eastbound train from Edgware Road station, said that "all of sudden there was this massive huge bang."

"It was absolutely deafening and all the windows shattered," he said. "There were just loads of people screaming and the carriages filled with smoke. You could see the carriage opposite was completely gutted. There were some people in real trouble."

A Web site posting said the blasts were the work of a group calling itself the "Secret Organization of al-Qaida in Europe."

No such group had previously been reported and the claim could not be verified. The claim did not appear on any of the Web sites normally used by al-Qaida.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

PillowTalkPrincess
07-07-2005, 08:48 AM
How many people think they (meaning the British and American Goverments) knew about this?

Gold9472
07-07-2005, 11:35 AM
The only rumor going around about foreknowledge, has to do with the Israelis... However, this "attack" is very convenient... considering it took place during the G8 Summit. Considering it took place during the Karl Rove treason. Considering it's an entirely NEW group of "Al-Qaeda" that we've never heard of. Considering the fact that Britain just told the U.S. about plans of withdrawing all troops over the next year and a half. Now, of course, they will be more prone to SEND more troops as opposed to withdrawing them.

Gold9472
07-07-2005, 12:53 PM
Plans for major British troop pull-out from Iraq

http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_service/middle_east_full_story.asp?service_id=8792

(Gold9472: Not anymore...)

7/5/2005 6:00:00 PM GMT

A report states Britain is to significantly redice its number of troops in Iraq.

The Financial Times reports that Britain's Ministry of Defence has drafted plans for a significant withdrawal of British troops from Iraq over the next 18 months and a big deployment to Afghanistan.

In what would represent the biggest operational shake-up involving Britain's armed forces since the Iraq war, the first stage of a run-down in military operations is likely to take place later this year with a handover of security to Iraqis in at least two southern provinces.

But officials in the Department of Defence emphasised that all plans for Iraqi deployments were contingent on the ability of domestic security forces to assume peacekeeping duties from UK troops. Iraqi forces have so far proven unable to take over such roles in areas where the insurgency is most intense, and progress has disappointed coalition officials.

Senior officers believe the four south-east provinces under Britain's command, which are largely Shiia and have not seen the same level of violence may be ready for a handover earlier than those under U.S. command.

By next April, a best-case scenario would see current UK troops levels of 8,500 reduced to about 4,000-5,000, with a further cut in the period leading to the first quarter of 2007, when the British military presence is expected to fall to about 1,000 advisers and training personnel.

The reduction in the number of British troops in Iraq will coincide with the development of plans to deploy a total of up to 3,000 troops to Afghanistan before the end of next year. This deployment would take the lead in a NATO force to take over from U.S. troops in southern Afghanistan.

The latest report comes at a time when John Reid, the Defence Minister, said that Iraqi forces could begin to take charge of security in their country within a year.

In an interview with the BBC, Reid suggested that plans were consistent with the recent prediction of Donald Rumsfeld, U.S. defence secretary, that it could take up to 12 years to defeat the Iraqi rebellion.

He said that while the violence in Iraq may go on for "some considerable time", there remained a second question.

"Who will lead the security efforts against (the rebellion)? And I think in a relatively short period of time we can start the process of that being led by the Iraqi security forces themselves," he said.

Reid went onto say that "…although Donald Rumsfeld may have said, correctly, that this may take years before it is finally completed, that did not imply that all that period will have to be led by the multi-national forces or the British forces.

"I personally think that within a year we could begin that transition to the Iraqi forces leading the effort themselves."

The Defence Minister's view has been reiterated by military commanders. Air Chief Marshall Jock Stirrup, the current Royal Air Force commander and soon to be chief of the general staff next year, said more stable Iraqi provinces were likely to be handed over to local security forces more quickly than first thought.

Simply_sexy
07-07-2005, 01:47 PM
It is a horrible tragedy!!

dz
07-07-2005, 02:24 PM
should it be considered at all as to how this type of story is all over the world, but yet this happens almost daily in iraq and people could care less?

is it because those in london are prodominantly white, or because we couldnt care less about innocent iraqis being bombed daily?

just wondering.

Gold9472
07-07-2005, 02:28 PM
Because the Iraqis count in the "Them" category. The Brits count in the "Us" category. We don't care what happens to "Them", only what happens to "Us".

Good Doctor HST
07-07-2005, 03:15 PM
The only rumor going around about foreknowledge, has to do with the Israelis... However, this "attack" is very convenient... considering it took place during the G8 Summit. Considering it took place during the Karl Rove treason. Considering it's an entirely NEW group of "Al-Qaeda" that we've never heard of. Considering the fact that Britain just told the U.S. about plans of withdrawing all troops over the next year and a half. Now, of course, they will be more prone to SEND more troops as opposed to withdrawing them.

....Considering London was just selected the site of the 2012 Olympics the day before.....

That strikes me as the most peculiar item. Whoever planned this may have had prior knowledge of London winning the bid. I assume it takes time to set up a coordinated attack like London just experienced. Is it just an extraordinary coincidence that London was the target? Good question.

Gold9472
07-07-2005, 07:30 PM
Someone from the U.K. is reading this thread right now... If you see this... I'm very sorry for your loss.

princesskittypoo
07-07-2005, 07:34 PM
The only rumor going around about foreknowledge, has to do with the Israelis... However, this "attack" is very convenient... considering it took place during the G8 Summit. Considering it took place during the Karl Rove treason. Considering it's an entirely NEW group of "Al-Qaeda" that we've never heard of. Considering the fact that Britain just told the U.S. about plans of withdrawing all troops over the next year and a half. Now, of course, they will be more prone to SEND more troops as opposed to withdrawing them.
i heard somewhere (and i have no source eigther) that the "groups" change their names often so they won't be found out. but that sounds silly to me now that i'm typing it.
i have a friend that lives in london. he's in a hospitol though.

erose001
07-08-2005, 01:47 PM
Plans for major British troop pull-out from Iraq

Thanks for posting this article. Note that it was published just two days before the London attacks and one day before the Olympic announcement. Also timed with G-8, almost as if al-Jazeera is ensuring that the public in the UK were aware before Bush arrived, to ensure British anti-war sentiment continues in spite of the G-8. I just hope it doesn't backfire as a result of the attacks. (Which of course I believe was the purpose of the attacks.)