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London faces new bomb incidents

-21/07/05

In a series of low-impact bomb blasts already described as ìa very serious incidentî by police chief Sir Ian Blair, London was this afternoon put on a new alert over terrorist attacks (writes Simon Barrow for Ekklesia from the capital) ñ just two weeks after four blasts killed 56 people and injured many hundreds.

Small explosions have taken place at the Warren Street, Shepherdís Bush, and Oval underground train stations. One person is said to have been slightly injured at Warren Street, and according to some sources he was carrying a backpack with a detonator. But eyewitness accounts are varied.

A route 26 bus in Hackney Road in Bethnal Green has also had its windows blown out by a blast. There were no casualties, according to police.

Security analysts are suggesting that the incidents may have involved detonator-only devices designed to intimidate and disrupt. The pattern appears to have distinct parallels with 7 July ñ with three stations and one bus involved on both occasions.

Police and emergency services reacted very quickly to events, and for a period Whitehall (which includes Number 10 Downing Street) was closed off, with a man being handcuffed and taken away by armed police from outside the Ministry of Defence nearby.

Londoners have been advised to stay where they are and not to use public transport at the moment. Significant parts of the underground system have been closed down.

Two police officers at Shepherdís Bush told an on-the-spot reporter that the incident involved ìsomebody threatening to blow himself up, but then running offî. At University College Hospital, near Warren Street, a search has been taking place for someone who seems to have fled from the underground incident.

Security expert Paul Beaver told BBC News 24 at 15:15 hours that ìthe indications are that these were incidents which did not quite go the terroristsí wayî.

A priority for the police, he said, was to determine that they had not involved chemical or biological agents. (British Transport Police are saying that nothing of this kind has been found at Warren Street or Oval.)

ìIt may have been that these people were after publicity, rather than trying to cause any actual mayhemî, Mr Beaver added.

The Prime Minister, Tony Blair, had today been meeting with police and intelligence chiefs to establish further emergency powers in the wake of last fortnightís London bombing.

When news of the incidents emerged Mr Blair went straight into a Cabinet Office consultation with ministers, cancelling a scheduled media appearance with Australian Prime Minister John Howard and a visit to a school in East London.

At a public press briefing at 15.45 this afteroon, Mr Blair commented that the situation was being handled effectively by the emergency services. “We know why these things are done, they are done to scare people… and we just have to carry on normally”, he said.

Yesterday the Bishop of Edmonton led a multi-faith service for 800 people gathered at the headquarters of the British Medical Association in Tavistock Square, where a number 30 bus was blown up on 7 July. Doctors and other BMA staff helped with medical treatment of those injured.

The Rt Rev Peter Wheatley was joined in Tavistock Square by senior figures from other faith communities. Messages of support from doctors around the world were also read out.

Ekklesia’s response to the London bombings, Beyond the Politics of Fear, was published two days after the 7 July blasts.


Find books now:

London faces new bomb incidents

-21/07/05

In a series of low-impact bomb blasts already described as ‘a very serious incident’ by police chief Sir Ian Blair, London was this afternoon put on a new alert over terrorist attacks (writes Simon Barrow for Ekklesia from the capital) – just two weeks after four blasts killed 56 people and injured many hundreds.

Small explosions have taken place at the Warren Street, Shepherd’s Bush, and Oval underground train stations. One person is said to have been slightly injured at Warren Street, and according to some sources he was carrying a backpack with a detonator. But eyewitness accounts are varied.

A route 26 bus in Hackney Road in Bethnal Green has also had its windows blown out by a blast. There were no casualties, according to police.

Security analysts are suggesting that the incidents may have involved detonator-only devices designed to intimidate and disrupt. The pattern appears to have distinct parallels with 7 July – with three stations and one bus involved on both occasions.

Police and emergency services reacted very quickly to events, and for a period Whitehall (which includes Number 10 Downing Street) was closed off, with a man being handcuffed and taken away by armed police from outside the Ministry of Defence nearby.

Londoners have been advised to stay where they are and not to use public transport at the moment. Significant parts of the underground system have been closed down.

Two police officers at Shepherd’s Bush told an on-the-spot reporter that the incident involved ‘somebody threatening to blow himself up, but then running off’. At University College Hospital, near Warren Street, a search has been taking place for someone who seems to have fled from the underground incident.

Security expert Paul Beaver told BBC News 24 at 15:15 hours that ‘the indications are that these were incidents which did not quite go the terrorists’ way’.

A priority for the police, he said, was to determine that they had not involved chemical or biological agents. (British Transport Police are saying that nothing of this kind has been found at Warren Street or Oval.)

‘It may have been that these people were after publicity, rather than trying to cause any actual mayhem’, Mr Beaver added.

The Prime Minister, Tony Blair, had today been meeting with police and intelligence chiefs to establish further emergency powers in the wake of last fortnight’s London bombing.

When news of the incidents emerged Mr Blair went straight into a Cabinet Office consultation with ministers, cancelling a scheduled media appearance with Australian Prime Minister John Howard and a visit to a school in East London.

At a public press briefing at 15.45 this afteroon, Mr Blair commented that the situation was being handled effectively by the emergency services. “We know why these things are done, they are done to scare people… and we just have to carry on normally”, he said.

Yesterday the Bishop of Edmonton led a multi-faith service for 800 people gathered at the headquarters of the British Medical Association in Tavistock Square, where a number 30 bus was blown up on 7 July. Doctors and other BMA staff helped with medical treatment of those injured.

The Rt Rev Peter Wheatley was joined in Tavistock Square by senior figures from other faith communities. Messages of support from doctors around the world were also read out.

Ekklesia’s response to the London bombings, Beyond the Politics of Fear, was published two days after the 7 July blasts.