Terror in London

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Fri Jul 08, 2005 5:28 am

Evil is dumb.

PlaythingOrPet · Post by **PlaythingOrPet** » Fri Jul 08, 2005 9:11 am

A lot of people have taken the day off expecting trouble getting into work, but I got there and back this morning with the minimum of hassle.

Gilli's right - lots of tourists around there staying in posh B+Bs. Evil is dumb when it blows up a packed bus on the doorstep of a building full of doctors. Amateurs.

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Fri Jul 08, 2005 9:41 am

Hi all

Thanks for your concerns - it is very much appreciated.

I am fine. As Solack said, I've been away for a couple of days. I was driving to Yorkshire (about 225 miles away in the opposite direction) when I heard the news of the bombings. At first they were just saying that there had been a power surge on the tube (the underground) and they were shutting it down. Then later on they said about bombings and, worst of all for me, one of them was the tube around Liverpool Street which is very close to where Mrs VG works. Naturally enough I was worried sick and kept having these horrible thoughts of what might have happened (which is not nice when you're driving. I pulled over and tried to phone but only got through to her voicemail at work. A couple of people called me on my mobile to ask if I'd heard from her which only made me more worried.

When I got to Yorkshire I phoned again and got to speak to Mrs VG so I
was mightily relieved. She said she had tried to phone my mobile but
the network was incredibly busy. She got back into work today without any trouble and said it's eerily quiet.

Thanks again for your concerns.

VG

ReadyToHearTheWorst · Post by **ReadyToHearTheWorst** » Fri Jul 08, 2005 9:53 am

Tim(e) wrote:... what is located at Russell Square that could make that area a target (or was it purely by chance that the bus was blown up there)?

It seems that the bus bombing may have been an 'accident'. The theory is that the bomb went off prematurely, while the bomber was on his way perhaps to another tube station.

I'll never understand what terrorists hope to achieve, they get no publicity or sympathy for their cause - just more enemies.

bobster · Post by **bobster** » Fri Jul 08, 2005 10:24 am

ReadyToHearTheWorst wrote:I'll never understand what terrorists hope to achieve, they get no publicity or sympathy for their cause - just more enemies.

Actually, assuming this is Al Quaida, enemies is exactly what they want. It's really not about us but about their utopian (actually dystopian) aim for an utterly and totally theocratic middle east where Taliban-like rule prevails with UBL acting as the modern day Saladin (though Mr. Salidin probably wouldn't take that as a compliment, I gather from what little I know/remember about him). To do that, they need to rally the Arab world against an external enemy, prerferably an implacable, unintelligent and ineptly violent enemy.

I actually think Al Quaida is more frightening than prior terrorists because that really wasn't the case with groups like, say, the various terrorist groups within the PLO, both of whose cause really would have been a million times better served by more of a African National Congress like approach. At least other terrorist groups, I think, really believed that they could use bombings to get attention and rally support, though I'm sure they all have their own UBLs who basically want to make things as violent as possible to bring things to a head at which point they'll either win (a near impossibility most of the time) or die gloriously (preferably taking everyone else with them).

This is probably already way too long...I'll leave my prescriptions, for that blog some of my friends keep bugging me to do at some point....

Again, I'm so happy, now that we've heard from everyone, that all our board members and their loved ones are safe.

Mr. Average · Post by **Mr. Average** » Fri Jul 08, 2005 11:07 am

The fact that dozens, maybe hundreds are dead and dismembered in London, and that hundreds were killed in Madrid, and thousands died in the United States is a collateral 'benefit' to the mission of these radical Islamic factions. The primary mission is the induction of fear and distrust in the system of government and its ability to protect its people. Related to that primary cause is the disruption of the economic stability of the city/country. And make no mistake...while the cost of human life cannot be measured, the events of 07/07/05 are simply analogous to a pebble hitting a placid pond in the serenity of the early morning. The ripples that emanate from that event represent the desired outcome...a fractured system of trust in government, a sense of fear that limits the use of mass transit and other public utilities, and the overall impact on the economic system of the region or country. These sinusoidal ripples roll on indefinitely, and if the winds are just right, they augment and fuel the momentum of the ripple in some direction, while abating its effect in the opposite direction.

To the degree that Londoners and the great people of the UK can stop the ripples and return to the serenity of the placid pond, smooth as glass in the early morning hours, is the real testament to the ability of a people to overcome these events. After the dead are long mourned, and buried, these ripples are still resonating across the pond. It is not government per se, but the fiber and strength of the individuals that will galvanize the effort to stop these radical Islamic groups.

That, and one more thing. Because of the large, mostly peaceful Islamic element living in the London metropolitan area, the Mayor and others have been gentle with some of the radical clerics and mullahs within. This, in spite of the fact that some of these who are endeared to the government have direct links to funding these radicals, must be stopped, and the British people should insist of it. In point of fact, a major Islamic fundamentalist leader who has inextricable and incontrovertible ties to financially subsidizing a number of Jihadist elements was detained a bit ago and jury selection began yesterday forhis trial. I do not doubt that these events are linked.

Gillibeanz · Post by **Gillibeanz** » Fri Jul 08, 2005 11:15 am

I just hope and pray that it doesnt start up vigilante groups and mob rule taking it out on anyone that doesnt have a white skin.....

Mr. Average · Post by **Mr. Average** » Fri Jul 08, 2005 11:41 am

It won't. The great majority of people are reasonable and peaceloving, and want to find ways to get along...to embrace their neighbor who is of a different culture and find a way to make peace. Sure, there will be a few fringe episodes of stupidity, but most will choose not to lower themselves to the level of the terrorists by terrorizing innocent people based on their nationality, faith, or the color of their skin.

Especially in the UK.

bobster · Post by **bobster** » Fri Jul 08, 2005 11:42 am

From what I've been hearing, the Londoners have been handling this with remarkable equanimity and calm. I think we yanks could learn something from the example -- of course, London has had a lot more practice, unfortunately, with this sort of thing than any American city.

legman open to offers · Fri Jul 08, 2005 1:25 pm

My thoughts and prayers go out to all Londoners, and especially board friends and their families.

Tim(e) · Post by **Tim(e)** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 5:33 pm

Jut a thought (and defintiely not meant to belittle what has happened in London), but it has been occurring to me that we are all expressing our horror over an event that is now virtually a daily occurrence in places like Baghdad - I cannot even begin to imagine what life there must be like

anjabro · Post by **anjabro** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 3:57 am

A similar thought crossed my mind about the "Every 3 seconds..(click) " statistic that they kept mentioning at Live8...

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 7:31 am

I had a grieving ritual today for this sort of thing and I won't let it get me down.

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 4:33 pm

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 2:48 pm

Incredible eyewitness account on the BBC news site. Brings it home what suffering people go through who are involved in such tragic events. And yes, think of life in Baghdad. What a mess. Looks like they're making a breakthrough with the perpetrators, though. I wonder how many residents of this country would be prepared to do this in the name of their faith.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4670099.stm

Poppet · Post by **Poppet** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 3:43 pm

that was an amazing and sobering read. thank you for linking it.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 4:11 pm

It was in my mind today as I went to King's Cross and into the tube. Such sadness. Only one of the 7 or so lines that run through that station are operating from there right now. I was sure that at 8.20 there would be hoards of people queuing for it, and yet it was the emptiest I've ever seen it at that time. More like a Sunday. I guess people are staying off the tube. People do seem to have sad, reflective faces there. I couldn't read on it, just think and feel desperate. Espcially because I'd just arrived at King's Cross at almost exactly the same time as the murderers did last Thursday. Incredible that they identified them so quickly, and more incredible still to find they are British citizens, and that at last the familiar hideousness of the suicide bomber is not only on our shores, but home-grown, involving seemingly regular lads who love cricket, etc. awful prospects in terms of the British National Party and likeminded animals using it to their own sick ends.

Gillibeanz · Post by **Gillibeanz** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 5:25 am

I will be thanking God in the 2 minutes silence at 12 today that he spared my daughter. God bless them all and their families.

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 9:42 am

so lacklustre wrote:huh?

Feeling foolish?

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 12:52 pm

bambooneedle wrote:
so lacklustre wrote:huh?
Feeling foolish?

What?

Poppet · Post by **Poppet** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 3:08 pm

- oh, and the reason why this is here? because i met bronxelf thru our appreciation of elvis costello - this is the person who put me up for about a week for elvis' series of concerts at Lincoln Center. we had never met before, however i had a great time, and i gained a brilliant friend (even though she doesn't post here!).

(stolen from a friend pimping this elsewhere:)

We're Not Afraid

Set up as an aside to capture the sentiment of the people after the London bombings, it has caught the attention of the world, with the popularity spreading like wildfire.

I can't begin to do it justice in my description, so I offer two solutions for you.

1- Go to the site and check it out for yourself, and form your own opinion. You can also see the american moderator's posts at bronxelfdotcom for site information. The post at 12 Jul 2005|03:05am is especially telling.

2- If you are in the U.S., or get ABC News, watch World News Tonight with Peter Jennings this evening. bronxelf_ag001, one of the moderators of the site who happens to live in THE city, is being interviewed by Mr. Jennings today in regards to the site, for airing tonight. I am sure she will give an articulate explanation of the aims of the site.

I just hope they have managed to solve the bandwidth issues, because so far, with media attention mostly in Europe, they have been saturated. I can only imagine the load on their servers after this airs tonight.

miss buenos aires · Post by **miss buenos aires** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 4:37 pm

Poppet, the site was also mentioned in the NY Times.

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 4:43 pm

so lacklustre wrote:
bambooneedle wrote:
so lacklustre wrote:huh?
Feeling foolish?
What?

...I thought so.

Post by **spooky girlfriend** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 8:13 am

Damn the terrorists - it looks as though they're at it again. You guys near London take care.

invisible Pole · Post by **invisible Pole** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 8:23 am

I just heard the news.
Those despicable murderers do want us to be afraid.

Hope there won't be any deaths this time.

Elvis Costello Fan Forum

Terror in London

werenotafraid.com