Explosions On London Underground...

[Stavros]

I think that seeing the pictures on the television and recognising the streets and the places that this has happened, just brings it that little bit closer.

 

It was only about two weeks ago that I was travelling around London and some of these places are very fresh in my mind.

 

What a pointless and devastating thing to happen to anyone in any country.

 

One of the first things that I did this morning was to call all the people that I know in London and fortunately, all of them were alright.

 

I can't say the same for some of the people that I know over here that were desperately trying to find their friends or someone that knew that their family and friends were safe. It was an agonising thing to be a witness to, watching someone frantically phone everyone that they knew and trying to find out information about their children and spouses.

 

Stav.

[Blixo]

"while it's probably true almost 100% or the uk's currently active terrorists are likely to be muslim"

 

 

Personally I don't agree with your generalisation. It would seem however that when nasty things happen on our shores it tends to bring into sharp (& painfull) focus the full magnitude of the situation we find ourselves embroiled in. If this were a perfect world we might question our leaders actions & wether they are on the right track . my personal feelings are that we cannot bring about peace by using war.

[french]

Something Jonathan Crainer wrote this morning (he does horoscopes, but often has useful insights into current events).

Anger begets anger. When Jesus said, 'Love thine enemy', that's precisely what he meant. If we want to stop a cycle of violence and evil, we have to step outside it, no matter how shocked we may feel or how much harm it has done to us. We have to be guided by hope and inspiration, not fear or fury. We don't have to forget. We don't even have to forgive. But we do have to keep walking away from the darkness of hatred and towards the light of love.

Pity the chances of this ever happening are so remote.

[Amadeus]

The thing that struck me most during the TV coverage was the expression on Blair's face when he held his speech - I've never seen him so scared/worried/shaking - it was as if he finally realized what his commitment towards supporting the US really means, and it was so totally different to the way Bush acted in front of the cameras after 9/11...

 

My heart goes out to everyone affected by this terrible event but I also have to admire the immediate attitude displayed by the media and the people of London: We survived the Blitz and the IRA, so you're not gonna get us down with this!

 

I truly hope they can uphold this attitude to rob the sick subjects that carry out such attacks of their moral rewards and twisted motivation..

[Survivor]

Today has not been a great day. One of my colleagues (Rachelle Yuen) in London is still missing - we think she was on the tube headed for Kings Cross. I personally haven't met her, but it does still hit you when its one of your own. The offices in the IOM and London have a very close relationship and I know many of them personally and have daily contact with them. I pray that Rachelle is found safe and well, but in reality, I think she may very well be one of the un-recovered bodies at Kings Cross. My heart goes to her family, friends and colleagues. As if the bombing wasnt bad enough, they have to endure this heartache. We were only told today of her absence, as I think it was too much news for everyone to take yesterday

 

Rachelle Missing

 

If anyone does have news - no matter how small, it would be grately appreciated.

[zephyr]

I thought we had seen an end to bombings in Britain after the IRA peace agreement. How wrong could we be.

This is an atrocity against innocent people going about their everyday lives.

Once again we can only wonder at the depths of depravity that human beings can stoop to.

On our insular Island we feel safe, we always feel safe. It won't (can't happen here) We need to stop being isolated and put our voice, strongly against indescriminate acts of violence.

War is one thing, a group of like dressed people fight against another group of like dressed people.

 

WHERE IN TERRORISM ARE THE UNIFORMS? WHERE, WHO IS THE ENEMY?

[Lonan3]

I know Speckled Frost put part of Ken Livingstone's speech on this threaad earlier, but I think it's worth reading in full because, whatever you may think of the man and his politics, it was exceptional.

 

"This was a cowardly attack, which has resulted in injury and loss of life. Our thoughts are with everyone who has been injured, or lost loved ones. I want to thank the emergency services for the way they have responded.

Following the al-Qaeda attacks on September 11th in America we conducted a series of exercises in London in order to be prepared for just such an attack. One of the exercises undertaken by the government, my office and the emergency and security services was based on the possibility of multiple explosions on the transport system during the Friday rush hour. The plan that came out of that exercise is being executed today, with remarkable efficiency and courage, and I praise those staff who are involved.

I'd like to thank Londoners for the calm way in which they have responded to this cowardly attack and echo the advice of the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair – do everything possible to assist the police and take the advice of the police about getting home today.

I have no doubt whatsoever that this is a terrorist attack. We did hope in the first few minutes after hearing about the events on the Underground that it might simply be a maintenance tragedy. That was not the case. I have been able to stay in touch through the very excellent communications that were established for the eventuality that I might be out of the city at the time of a terrorist attack and they have worked with remarkable effectiveness. I will be in continual contact until I am back in London.

I want to say one thing specifically to the world today. This was not a terrorist attack against the mighty and the powerful. It was not aimed at Presidents or Prime Ministers. It was aimed at ordinary, working-class Londoners, black and white, Muslim and Christian, Hindu and Jew, young and old. It was an indiscriminate attempt to slaughter, irrespective of any considerations for age, for class, for religion, or whatever.

That isn't an ideology, it isn't even a perverted faith – it is just an indiscriminate attempt at mass murder and we know what the objective is. They seek to divide Londoners. They seek to turn Londoners against each other. I said yesterday to the International Olympic Committee, that the city of London is the greatest in the world, because everybody lives side by side in harmony. Londoners will not be divided by this cowardly attack. They will stand together in solidarity alongside those who have been injured and those who have been bereaved and that is why I'm proud to be the mayor of that city.

 

Finally, I wish to speak directly to those who came to London today to take life.

 

I know that you personally do not fear giving up your own life in order to take others – that is why you are so dangerous. But I know you fear that you may fail in your long-term objective to destroy our free society and I can show you why you will fail.

 

In the days that follow look at our airports, look at our sea ports and look at our railway stations and, even after your cowardly attack, you will see that people from the rest of Britain, people from around the world will arrive in London to become Londoners and to fulfil their dreams and achieve their potential.

They choose to come to London, as so many have come before because they come to be free, they come to live the life they choose, they come to be able to be themselves. They flee you because you tell them how they should live. They don’t want that and nothing you do, however many of us you kill, will stop that flight to our city where freedom is strong and where people can live in harmony with one another. Whatever you do, however many you kill, you will fail.

[Survivor]

after reading that - the man should've been given a standing ovation. what a speech! I'm not a ken livingston fan myself (i did live in london for 3 years), but that speech was strong, patriotic, and passionate - he did London and Britian proud.

[alriteyessir]

well worth seeing in full thank you lonan

[simon]

The thing that struck me most during the TV coverage was the expression on Blair's face when he held his speech - I've never seen him so scared/worried/shaking - it was as if he finally realized what his commitment towards supporting the US really means, and it was so totally different to the way Bush acted in front of the cameras after 9/11...

 

The thing that struck me most was the calm professionalism of the emergency workers. And who isn't impressed at the way in which people always come together in a crisis? A few nights ago on TV there were pictures of (a very few) protestors in Scotland throwing stones at the police. As if that does any useful good. Those same Police who you might depend on in a crisis.

 

More than that I'm impressed with the measured response of the official and governmental and opposition spokes. It's good to see a consensus that this isn't about Islam; that Britain is grown up enough to not blame religions only people. With government, opposition and the professionals all taking care to stress that this was essentially an act of random violence. The only thing which has been said officially is that this seems like an Al Quaeda styled attack.

 

Everybody just seems so measured and grown up. Sad and upset but resigned and serious and measured.

 

I used to live in Bloomsbury just off Russell Square (Guildford Street). In that spirit I very much sense also what Stavros said about how familiarity with a place brings it home. I will still think of it as a great place to sit and drink a beer in the back garden on a sunny evening. Like many others here, I lived through a number of IRA campaigns. Our offices in London were hit in the early 90s. And I was working for a few days in the Commercial Union building just a few days before that was wrecked by the IRA. Also Palestinian and Arab campaigns against Jewish and Israeli targets in North London. But with the IRA there was always that sense that you basically knew what they wanted. Even the Palestinians.

 

And that same sense, as today, that ordinary people would still carry on enjoying life even in the face of random violence. What else can people do?

 

I was opposed to the war in Iraq. And the situation there is certainly awful as a result of the invasion. The war hasn't made us (or the world) any safer IMO. And just how bad it is there isn't being reported now since only embedded journalists dare go outside of the compounds now. And embedded journalists must report the US pov. It's being reported from the compounds.

 

But I don't believe that Britain would also be any safer from terrorism if Britain wasn't involved in that war. It doesn't take many people to explode bombs and there will always be some small gathering which is prepared to justify nihilism from an arrogant politics.

 

The nihilists have learned their tactics from previous nihilists. And any of us could cause havoc and destruction if we decided to. The fact is that it's impossible to protect any open society from people who will do anything.

 

I was also struck by the sincerity of what Mr Blair said today at the G8. About how they had been attempting to reach consensus towards tackling the most important issues. But that reaching consensus isn't easy and involves compromises.

[kellyiom]

Blixo: get real mate. Who do you actually suggest are terrorist groups active in the UK today? The Provos have reined in renegade Republicans, UVF/LVF are divided and focussed on turf wars and organised crime. There may well be active Kurdish separatists, Sikh extremists, Animal Rights terror groups, perhaps at a push some Basque and Iranian emigres but I stand by the close to 100% figure being Muslim. And Sunni in particular. Trying to hide behind some PC vagueness won't help us acknowledge that this community has a serious problem. That's not to say in any way that they are not repulsed by the actions of a small minority.

[Loki]

while it's probably true almost 100% or the uk's currently active terrorists are likely to be muslim,

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Without facts, figures or real evidence the above is a very broad statement. I very much doubt that even the best intelligence services would be aware of all the possible terrorists in their own countries or the terrorists religion or nationality.

[kellyiom]

quite: it's obviously impossible to prove and define to a precise degree but I'd recommend you try and extrapolate the figure from various other data; where are the security budgets being spent, what sort of people are the agencies recruiting, what are the leading academics on the subject writing about and so on. It all points back to my point; close to 100% of the security efforts at any one time in anti-terrorism is devoted to sunni muslim extremism.

[Loki]

Hmmmm...

 

I understand the point you are getting at, but it also seems to suggest that the service and agencies have turned a blind eye to other potential threats.

 

I see it more as them allocating new resources to a potential threat whilst leaving the other resources in place against already identified threats.

 

The media aren't helping the situation at the moment in the sense that they are focused as you say on Muslims and the Middle East, however this does not mean that other threats are less active or have dissappeared or aren't being watched as closely.

 

To be a complete cynic the other threats might not be on the same scale and perhaps would not create as much money for the media, so are not deemed to be as news worthy under recent circumstances/history?

[kellyiom]

I agree with you to an extent; it wouldn't be the first time that intelligence had been looking the wrong way, even argue that this is why al-qaeda are (is?) here; the US was still obsessed with cold war hangovers and right-wing extremism while ignoring the fundamentalist, non-palestinian threat. Likewise with the Brits who had the Irish problem to contend with. I would still stand by what I said though; you can prove it yourself; look at the most recent attacks in UK and europe/US/elsewhere and see who was behind them..now the natural argument there is to say these are the ones who go through..there could be a big group who have been stopped and you can't use that as evidence. So again, look for the prosecutions of terror groups worldwide. For my statement not to be true, there would have to be a major group or groups who have eluded detection but have not managed to succeed in their plans nor have they left enough evidence to prosecute. That doesn't add up for me.