London Bombing

[jaguar]

It now seems beyond question that my home town has been targetted by most likely islamic extremeists with a series of bombs on the underground and busses. The same ones I take nearly every day. I was lucky enough not to be in london at the time and thankfully I've managed to get in contact with most of my friends and everyone has so far, been ok.

I hope they hunt down and punish the dirty sons of bitches that did this without sacrificing the liberties that they hate so deeply, I hope the G8 summit still goes ahead and achieves something towards tackling the real problems in the world today and I hope that everyone you know in London is ok.

also - everyone I've spoken to says the emergency services have done an amazing job getting the situation under control quickly and cleanly.

edit - added emphasis, i can't quite express the anger or the sense of helplessness.

[Undertoad]

I was going to ask you to check in man.

I hate this I hate this I hate this I hate this I hate this

[Undertoad]

"Our desire to protect our way of life is stronger than their determination to destroy it."

Probably paraphrased, a visibly shaken Tony Blair.

[jaguar]

I'm hearing about a second wave of bombings including leister square & something at canary warf, if you are in or know anyone inside the square mile get inside or get the fuck out.

[Undertoad]

Belmont Club:

These coordinated attacks are, technically speaking, at far higher level of sophistication than the Madrid attacks of 3/11 which involved a single train. The attack on London was a "time on target" attack which required simultaneity so that one incident did not compromise the subsequent. By implication the personnel involved received some degree of training and planned the operation in sufficient secrecy to prevent British security services from getting wind of it. The six attacks probably mean that a minimum of forty persons were involved, if those in support roles are included. The attackers must have an egress plan or access to safe houses where they can weather the inevitable crackdown.

But the good side of it:

Additional reports from the BBC suggest that the number of casualties will be comparatively small. From the amount of damage caused, the explosive devices used appear to have been in the tens, rather than the hundreds of pounds. This is good news. It also means that the enemy has not grown in overall capability since the days of 9/11 and 3/11.

[Undertoad]

Blair's full statement:

It is important that those who engage in terrorism realize that our determination to defend our values and our way of life is greater than their determination to cause death and destruction and impose extremism on the world. They will never succeed in destroying what we hold dear.

[glatt]

Glad you are alright Jaguar. I was thinking of you as I heard this on the radio this AM. Hope everyone close to you is OK too.

I know exactly what you mean about the feelings of anger and helplessness.

In the DC metrorail system this morning, they are running more announcements than usual asking passengers to keep an eye out for suspicious activity and abandonded packages, etc. No hightened police presence though.

[plthijinx]

ditto here jag, now i do have a question...where is the lake district? today is the 6th and NBN is there......

[Queen of the Ryche]

Glad you're okay Jag - just read that Blair left the G-8 conference and is on his way home.

[Hobbs]

London bombing...islamic (lower case on purpose) group claims responsibility...hmmm, what a shock. Every hot spot, every bit of mass violence seems to involve our "friends" the muslims. I'm am sick to death of it, not that it matters. I can not comprehend a religion that advicates death and distruction when dealing with intollerance. Encourages the systematic destruction of Gods one greatest gift, human life by strapping on a bomb and blowing themselves up killing inocent men, women, and childern. This is not a religion, it is a cult. They claim allah, god is telling them, directing them to kill all those who don't agree with their way of thinking, I can not wrap my mind around that concept at all. My God, directs kindness, mercy, grace. True, my God once told Saul to kill all the Amalikites, every man woman and child, but that was old testiment, that was the old God. I have no repect for the muslim faith at all. There are those who claim that islam is not violence and hate, BS. Prove it! Those who make those claims (who out number the ones who don't) refuse to do anything to stop this mentality for... well for fear that they too will become targets.

Today London, Iraq, Spain. Tomarrow, New York, Seattle, Phoenix. It's only a matter of time folks. 300 dead mostly childern, in coordinated theme park attacks. muslim extremeist claim responisbility. I can see as plain as day.

The bottom line is this...those nations who embrace islam are about 1000 years behind the times. Because of this mentality, they are impoverished, jobless, opressed, and miserable. The young who are angry are looking to blame someone. The easiest target? Anyone but them. This war against terroristism will never be won the way we are going right now. The only way it will stop is from within the islamic religion itself. The muslim pople themselves have to stop it, they have to want to stop it. It's like the war on drugs, it will never be won with conventional means. But if they don't, there is one other way that will eventually come into play, and that is when the entire world gets tired of the sensless violence and turns completely on the muslim nations to drive them out. I, personally don't advocate this path, so just calm down everyone, however, I see it as enevitible. It's on the horizon...it's only a matter of time. It's human nature.


This concludes our rant session for today.

[vsp]

Originally Posted by Hobbs

There are those who claim that islam is not violence and hate, BS. Prove it! Those who make those claims (who out number the ones who don't) refuse to do anything to stop this mentality for... well for fear that they too will become targets.

<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4660411.stm">Muslim leaders condemn attacks</a> (BBC)
<a href="http://www.mcb.org.uk/home.php">Muslim Council of Britain "utterly condemns today's indiscriminate acts of terror"</a>

If you want additional pounds of flesh, you can collect them yourself.

The problem is not the religion, but the acts carried out and beliefs held by extremists "in its name." The perpetrators of today's actions have as much in common with mainstream Islam as Fred Phelps, Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson have with mainstream Christianity.

[Queen of the Ryche]

I say we throw them all in FootX3's handbasket.............

(Just got a call from my friends in London saying they're okay - wonder if they can catch their plane back to the states tomorrow?)

[melidasaur]

Jaguar... I'm glad you're okay. I thought of you as I read the paper this morning.

I'm shocked, dismayed, horrified, angry and I hope that that whoever did this is caught and receives a severe punishment. Who cares about fair and just punishments right now, I'm so upset by this. Many of these areas where bombings occured are areas where I frequented when I lived there. While my stay was rather short, I do consider London home in some ways.

[warch]

Ferret out the murderers and the wannabe murderers, trap them, hit them. Mafia style.

[smoothmoniker]

BBC is now reporting 30 dead from the explosions.

BBC News