London Bombs Seen as Crude

[gilliam]

LONDON, July 8 - Investigators have concluded that the bombs that ripped through three subway trains and a bus on Thursday were relatively crude devices containing less than 10 pounds of explosives each. That finding supports a theory gaining momentum among the authorities that the plot was carried out by a sleeper cell of homegrown extremists rather than highly trained terrorists exported to Britain.

Crucial facts remained unknown in the case Friday evening. But senior British and American investigators said the morning rush-hour attacks in central London appeared to have been a low-tech operation, less expertly conceived than the cellphone-detonated train bombings in Madrid on March 11, 2004, which killed 191 people and wounded more than 1,800.

Officials said at least 49 people had been killed and 700 wounded in the London bombings.

But they said the death toll might have been much higher had the attack been carried out by experts - given the large numbers of commuters crowded into the transit system.

A senior British investigator said Friday that the authorities initially feared “hundreds of people” might have died, and he said they were both surprised and relieved by the relatively low death toll. There may be other signs that an inexperienced sleeper cell was at work, investigators said. The bombings have so far produced very few leads or possible suspects among the known extremist groups and cells in Britain and the rest of Europe. That could mean, the investigators said, that the bombers never crossed paths with the authorities and might not have been associated with known extremist groups in the past.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com …

 

[Holly3278]

It’s probably a good thing that they weren’t experts.

 

[Cockney_Clive]

gilliam, you really ought to get out more instead of posting **** like this.

As someone living and working in London today, what happened on Thursday is a part of my reality and not some cyber-space ‘virtual’ reality.

I don’t think that the grieving and the maimed really care if the device was ‘crude’ or ‘sophisticated’ and neither do I. Do you?

The reality outside of cyber space; i.e. in the real world is that an explosive device of whatever ‘size’, when detonated in a confined space kills and maims many innocent people.

Pray for the Souls of the departed, for healing of the wounded, and for all us Londoners coming to terms with what occurred and trying to go about our normal, daily lives. Geddit gilliam?

 

[Ani_Ibi]

Cockney Clive:

As someone living and working in London today, what happened on Thursday is a part of my reality and not some cyber-space ‘virtual’ reality.

Hi Clive. Yes, you are quite right that whatever the kind of bomb people still end up dead from it. I think what is useful about this article, however, is that the evidence seems to be pointing to a homegrown group of perpetrators as opposed to imports. That is very very worrisome.

Now, how are you holding up? I gather that people were mainly in shock the first day but, as time is passing, some are having quite a difficult time. I was listening to a rehash of 9/11 yesterday. It seems that about a quarter of a million people have been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

We will keep praying for you. Ani.

PS: no matter how ‘crude’ the devices may have been, opinion is unanimous that ‘high’ explosives were used as opposed to ‘homemade’ explosives. The question then becomes how did a homegrown group of terrorists who have hitherto flown under the radar of the authorities – how did they get military-grade or commercial-grade explosives? This is very very worrisome also, Clive.

 

[Ani_Ibi]

Authorities confirm that the three underground bombs were detonated at the same time: 8:50 am. The bus bomb was detonated almost an hour later. This indicates that the underground bombs were on timers or remotely detonated. It counterindicates suicide bombers, although the authorities are not ruling that out. Cell phone detonation is very unlikely due to the poor reception in the tunnels. There is no theory as to why the bus bomb was detonated an hour after the others.