BBC: Massive hunt for London bombers

[maddezmom]

A massive intelligence investigation is under way to find those responsible for the bomb attacks in London which killed at least 38 and left 700 injured.

~snip~

Home Secretary Charles Clarke is urging people to go about their business as normally as possible on Friday.

Anyone worried about relatives or friends they have not heard from is advised to contact a special police hotline on 0870 156 6344.

~snip~

No intelligence had been received of any further attacks being threatened, he added.

But the Metropolitan Police advised people to consider whether they needed to come to work.

The force said in a statement: "There will be disruption on the transport system on Friday.

more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4662395.stm

[whistle]

1. Sounds like the bombers then are still at large, were there no....

...suicide bombers?

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. It's not sure, but one (or 2?) may have died on the bus

This is what BBC Newsnight said a couple of hours ago:

"Newsnight understands that the person or people carrying this bomb are believed to have died in this detonation. It was police attempts to gather key forensic evidence at the bus scene that prevented the number of dead from being counted at the site until late in the day. however, the investigator's initial efforts lead them to believe that the perpetrators were home grown Islamist radicals, rather than al Qaeda operatives coming from overseas."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/4661479...

They are a reasonbly good investigative programme.

[maddezmom]

5. simlar sentiments from Peter Bergman today on CNN

BERGEN: Well, I want to preface my statements by saying remember the Oklahoma City bombing attack. There was some speculation it was Arab terrorists. It turned out to be domestic. Timothy McVeigh. So, we have to be careful.

However, there are several factors that lead us in the direction of jihadist terrorists. Britain is a close ally of the United States. They have a large number of troops in Iraq. It's a symbolic attack in the sense it was an attack during the G8 summit.

There is a large pool of like-minded militants in London. Just last year, a group of people were arrested with half a ton of ammonium nitrate in London near Heathrow Airport. They were storing it.

Ammonium nitrate was used in Oklahoma City. It was used in the Bali blast. It's not the sort of thing that you store in your locker to do gardening with, half a ton of it.

So you've got previous arrests in London indicating a strong support structure

more: http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/07/07/bergen.alqaeda/i...

[slackmaster]

3. Maybe they're getting smart

But they're still assholes.

[Historic NY]

4. If they are still there, the Brits will find them........

they have thousands of cameras that had to capture something. Remember they have dealt with terrorist bombings before.

[lebkuchen]

12. Do they have cameras at the top level of the double decker buses?

I'm assuming that is why the device was placed at the top--less surveillance.

[Stella_Artois]

13. Yes we do.

On most double deckers there is a camera on both decks. Certainly in my city. I have no reason to believe London would be different. Its there to catch vandals and the like though, not to record evidence of a bomb. I don't know what condition it would be in after being subjected to those forces.

[Puzzler]

16. Not necessarily...

... from what I've heard, this bus was some kind of a tourist bus, and not part of the regular commuter bus network.

-P

[muriel_volestrangler]

20. No, it was a regular passenger bus

They've given out the number and route it takes (though, apparently, it was on a diversion on the road it exploded on, due to the extra people who couldn't get on the Tube - interview with the driver/

[Puzzler]

21. I stand corrected...

... but I heard at least two news reports that morning stating that it was not a regular bus (one was NPR).

-P

[muriel_volestrangler]

22. Yes - I heard a tourist saying it was a tour bus that morning

but the normal buses don't always look identical - perhaps it was a type she didn't recognise, so she thought it was a special one. There's also the diversion - that might have been misunderstood as 'not a regular bus'.

[Maple]

6. The bombs were on timers

They still have no idea who did it.

[LiberallyInclined]

7. and 3 pretty much along one rail line-

one or two people could have pulled this off- and they could very well already be on the continent, headed home.

[Chicago Democrat]

11. Could have been as few as 2 bombers

Or 1?

[Logansquare]

15. I thought they used cell phones as detonating devices

That's why authorities shut down wireless communication in the London metro area right after the explosions.

[muriel_volestrangler]

18. I think that was a precaution

they did use phones in Madrid; and once they realised it was a bombing in London, they'd have done it just in case. Until they had fully examined the area, they wouldn't know for sure.

[0rganism]

8. "There will be disruption on the transport system on Friday."

Masterpiece of understatement.

[bemildred]

9. No clues, I guess. nt

[Chicago Democrat]

10. Oh PLEASE! Show us how it SHOULD BE DONE!

The Brits are better at everything.

[slackmaster]

19. Not exactly everything but they are better at major police work

IMO.

[Cocoa]

23. they have more experience with this

decades of terror experience.

[Zorra]

14. I'd start with Negroponte and Goss.

Would'nt that be the most obvious starting point?

The "Butcher" of Honduras?

I mean, c'mon, let's get real here.

[seemslikeadream]

17. Take a look down here