London Bomb Blasts

[Edge]

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4659093.stm

I don't know what to say... except that I'm angered and saddened beyond words.

Hoping and praying all London-based Watchers are safe.

[Avatar]

Beat me to it Edge. I'll just add my hopes to your prayers.

--A

[Cail]

I watched a bit of this developing on the news this morning. It looks to be quite bad. Hopefully there's not a great loss of life.

[hierachy]

No, not many people have died.

[Queeaqueg]

It is a shame that something like this happens to London just after they got the 2012 olympic bid. I thought that some attacks would happen since G8 meeting but I would of thought it would be closer to where it was being held.

[Alynna Lis Eachann]

I was half-asleep the first time my radio came on this morning, and I thought I'd dreamed this. What a sad shock to realize it's true. I hope all our London area Watchers and their families are safe.

[aTOMiC]

Just terrible. A grim day to be sure. I pray for everyone affected by this horrible event.

[Avatar]

Only two fatalities confirmed so far.

--A

[Revan]

I've been hearing this on the radio. it's a shame. Terrorists are vile; that they did this at the time of the G8 meeting cannot be coincidence. And I think it's appalling. I'm sorry to all those hurt by this.

[I'm Murrin]

Only two fatalities confirmed so far.

--A

Two confirmed in just one of the blasts - with all the other bombings, estimates are more than 40 killed.

[ChoChiyo]

This is another sad day in history.

(((((ENGLAND)))))


My heart and love goes out to everyone affected. I pray that none of our friends or their families were hurt. I hope they will be able to let us know they are okay when they have a moment.

[duchess of malfi]

I have no words in the face of such a barbaric crime.

I hope and pray that all of our friends from England and their families are well this morning.

[safetyjedi]

My best wishes and prayers to all of you in the UK.

[Myste]

Strength and courage to all affected by this cowardly attack. I have no doubt that Londoners will carry on as they have always done--with unflappable dignity and grace. Four bombs cause distraction and temporary chaos, and my heart goes out to those injured and the families of those killed, but it takes more than four bombs to demoralize Londoners--a group of people who survived almost a year of daily air raids, and 30 years of domestic terrorism.

In the face of terror, courage is victory. And Londoners have that in abundance. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

[matrixman]

Just want to join in wishing that all our fellow Watchers in the U.K. are well and safe!

(The latest report is 33 dead and more than 350 wounded.)

[CovenantJr]

At first it was thought to be a power surge, and I heard on the radio (pfft, radio!) that there were twenty explosions and very high casualties. Fortunately that appears to be inaccurate.

it takes more than four bombs to demoralize Londoners--a group of people who survived almost a year of daily air raids, and 30 years of domestic terrorism

Damn straight. This kind of stuff was sadly pretty commonplace while I was growing up. Despite the claims, I don't think it's al-Qaeda; I'm inclined to think it's yet another cheesed off IRA splinter faction. It usually is.

[Usivius]

Actually a sect of Al-Queda has claimed responsibility... Not that it matters to those affected. So let me lend my emotional and spiritual support for all those in London and UK...

[Nav]

I think the contrast to yesterday's high makes todays events somehow seem even more shocking. The activities of Irish Republican groups in the 80s and 90s are a living memory for most of the British population, but they somehow seem less visceral than todays attacks. Perhaps this is because the IRA's targets were political and civilian casualties were usually bystanders, whereas today was an attack on a way of life and civilians were the target.

I feel fortunate that none of my friends and relatives in the city were caught up in any of the explosions, although one former colleague had debarked a train in Kings Cross only a few minutes beforehand.

Though I'm not always his biggest fan, I think Ken Livingstone's message today's perpetrators sums up the feelings of many:

"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 you will see that people from around the world will arrive in London to fulfil their dreams and achieve their potential.
"They choose to come to London to live the life they choose. They flee you because you tell them how they should live. Nothing you do, however many of us you kill, will stop that flight to our cities where freedom is strong and where people can live in harmony with one another. Whatever you do, however many you kill, you will fail."

[CovenantJr]

Actually a sect of Al-Queda has claimed responsibility... Not that it matters to those affected.

I'm aware of this. But various active groups always claim responsibility for these things; it doesn't mean a thing. It's usually either an IRA offshoot or a bunch of random nutters.

Either way, as you say, it doesn't matter to those affected.

"They choose to come to London to live the life they choose. They flee you because you tell them how they should live. Nothing you do, however many of us you kill, will stop that flight to our cities where freedom is strong and where people can live in harmony with one another. Whatever you do, however many you kill, you will fail."

Excellently said.

[Myste]

The activities of Irish Republican groups in the 80s and 90s are a living memory for most of the British population, but they somehow seem less visceral than todays attacks. Perhaps this is because the IRA's targets were political and civilian casualties were usually bystanders...

I lived in London during the '96 IRA outburst (Canary Wharf, a double-decker on The Strand , Old Brompton Road, ec.), and all those were claimed almost immediately by the IRA. I don't discount the splinter group theory at all--I think it's quite possible. But the fact that no credible group has claimed responsibility yet--and the fact that the targets were purely civilian--makes me tend towards foreign terrorism.

But in the end, the responsibility is less important than the reaction, which I think has been nothing less than sterling. Brits rock!