London >> terrorist attack

[kkk 7]

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It's written all over his face.

What is written all over his face is anger and shock at what has happened in London.

[base40 0]

Seen this?

 

July 7, 2005

 

Israel Warned United Kingdom About Possible Attacks

Summary

 

There has been massive confusion over a denial made by the Israelis that the Scotland Yard had warned the Israeli Embassy in London of possible terrorist attacks “minutes before” the first bomb went off July 7. Israel warned London of the attacks a “couple of days ago,” but British authorities failed to respond accordingly to deter the attacks, according to an unconfirmed rumor circulating in intelligence circles. While Israel is keeping quiet for the time-being, British Prime Minister Tony Blair soon will be facing the heat for his failure to take action.

 

Analysis

 

The Associated Press reported July 7 that an anonymous source in the Israeli Foreign Ministry said Scotland Yard had warned the Israeli Embassy in London of possible terrorist attacks in the U.K. capital. The information reportedly was passed to the embassy minutes before the first bomb struck at 0851 London time. The Israeli Embassy promptly ordered Israeli Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to remain in his hotel on the morning of July 7. Netanyahu was scheduled to participate in an Israeli Investment Forum Conference at the Grand Eastern Hotel, located next to the Liverpool Street Tube station -- the first target in the series of bombings that hit London on July 7.

 

Several hours later, Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom officially denied reports that Scotland Yard passed any information to Israel regarding the bombings, and British police denied they had any advanced warning of the attacks. The British authorities similarly denied that any information exchange had occurred.

 

Contrary to original claims that Israel was warned “minutes before” the first attack, unconfirmed rumors in intelligence circles indicate that the Israeli government actually warned London of the attacks “a couple of days” previous. Israel has apparently given other warnings about possible attacks that turned out to be aborted operations. The British government did not want to disrupt the G-8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, or call off visits by foreign dignitaries to London, hoping this would be another false alarm.

 

The British government sat on this information for days and failed to respond. Though the Israeli government is playing along publicly, it may not stay quiet for long. This is sure to apply pressure on Blair very soon for his failure to deter this major terrorist attack.

[indosnm 0]

 Quote:

Originally posted by me jane:
One of my J-friends arrived in London yesterday afternoon for the REM concert on Saturday. I had to call her and tell her that it has been postponed a week so she'll have to come back to Japan without seeing it. It's a very small thing compared to the people who have lost their lives. We hear on the news about the tens killed and hundreds injured but there must be tens of thousands affected in smaller ways like this.
Thinking of you all in London. Take care.

thats a bummer.Especially to go that far and for it to be put off.

I read this report last night and kind of felt that the people in question in the article were really complaining about such small selfish things if you put the days happenings into perspective.

[Ocean11 0]

> What is written all over his face is anger and shock at what has happened in London.

 

When honest people suffer a grievous and unprovoked loss, they don't twitch like that and grasp for cliches. Poor lying Tony! He's all upset that his do-gooding at the G8 has been harshly commented on by the tougher element of the opposition.

 

This time, people need to think twice before they sanction the next atrocity from our side.

[kkk 7]

The vast majority of people do not need to go in front of cameras and do a press conference that the entire planet will be watching...

[Siren 0]

But why didn’t he apologise for the failure to protect his country.

[r45 4]

What do you suggest he does?

Have bomb detectors on every single bus?

[Siren 0]

At the risk of stating the obvious, if you wage war against a counterparty such as this you would expect retaliation. No?

There wasn’t any compelling reason for Britain to be part of the Texas cowboy’s plan but he chose to be part of the gamble (with our money). By doing that he was telling the people he ‘represents’ he had the ability to protect them. No?

[r45 4]

By the way, which counterparty are you referring to?

 

And do you really believe that if Britain was not part of the "Texas cowboy’s plan", this would not have happened?

[Ocean11 0]

Siren, you have to state the obvious because people are just too dumb to see it for themselves.

 

Have any of you "bomb detectors on every single bus??" people read what the attackers said? "...massacres in Afghanistan and Iraq". Straightforward, and richly deserved, revenge.

 

Blair wants us to believe they're attacking us for drinking tea and eating scones, and we must be resolute in continuing this exemplary behaviour...

[Siren 0]

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And do you really believe that if Britain was not part of the "Texas cowboy’s plan", this would not have happened?

So far France has not been the target, has it?

[r45 4]

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...what the attackers said?

Well has it been comfirmed 100% who the attackers actually where yet? You seem to have utter faith in the people who are claiming to have done this.... that says a lot.

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So far France has not been the target, has it?

Until Wednesday, London had not been. Was there a deadline of yesterday for these things to happen?

[guzzlers-baps 0]

Got a few friends working in the City, not heard from any of them. Very frustrating times.

[Ocean11 0]

> You seem to have utter faith in the people who are claiming to have done this.... that says a lot.

 

Bliar and Bush said they were going into Iraq to get WMD, and they weren't going to kill any innocents. They say the attacks on the US and UK are attacks against the whole civilized world.

 

The attackers say simply that they are getting revenge.

 

In terms of factual accuracy, which side is more credible? (OK, the attackers get it wrong when they say we're crapping ourselves - I hope - but still...)

 

BTW, the deadlines for France, Germany, and the Vatican City are August 10, September 18, and November 3 respectively.

[sunrise 0]

Hope you find them guzzlers-b

[Siren 0]

What have France, Germany and Vatican City got to do with it?! Where did you read that?

 

What about Tokyo?

[farquah 0]

Recieved a worrying email form friends and family back home this morning and a couple were in the Kings Cross Tube, one in hospital at the moment and another don`t know details of....really really worried about it all.

 

Really frustrating not being able to find out the details here, but juts hgave to sit and wait I guess.

[sunrise 0]

Oh dear, that's tough. I hope you get news soon. I emailed a friend of mine in London. Haven't heard back, but actually I think he might be out of the country at the moment.

[Karnidge 2]

Very sad. (But I can't help thinking it sure could easily have been much worse. Wait till they have some biological/nuclear device and set that thing off somewhere...)

[brit-gob 9]

I'm in the same boat. Know 2 people that work in the city, they'd have been on trains round that time too going to work. Not heard from them yet.

[cheeseman 1]

I wish all the very best to all those cheesefans in London.

[Noriko-sensei 0]

My sister is in London for sightseeing now and we did not yet hear from her.

[spook 0]

Without knowing what info Israel supposedly passed onto Britain it is hard to know how they should have reacted. But surely there must be constant bomb threats made against the tube, and the credibility of each would have to be assessed and many of them turn out to be false. Not every one can be acted upon.

 

As to how to prevent something like this occurring (on a local policing/enforcement level), it is nearly impossible to stop – with the amount of people using public transport daily, I cannot see how everyone could be checked for weapons or bombs.

 

Yesterdays events were very sad, and I hope the friends and family of all forum members are safe and well. When something like this happens it brings home the horrors of war and destruction that occur daily in other countries but never get the same media attention. Statistics quoted in another thread were that almost 100, 000 Iraqi civilians have died since the US and its allies invaded. Even with increasing evidence that the justification for invading Iraq was false, there seems to be very little mainstream media coverage of the death of all these innocents. By contrast, when there is a terrorist attack in the Western world there is total media saturation.

Not all news sells the same I guess.

Also interesting at the newsagent this morning - all papers had full front page coverage of the bombings, except the Daily Sport, which had its usual scantily clad girl on the cover and a small image strip of yesterdays events along the bottom

[Honest John 0]

 Quote:

except the Daily Sport, which had its usual scantily clad girl on the cover and a small image strip of yesterdays events along the bottom

Yes, that bottom strip really got in the way, didn't it.

[giggsy 0]

Officially called a "high state of alert" here in Manchester and other UK cities today. Very busy times for you local friendly policeman.