|
|
|
|
Londoners take it in
their stride
By J Sean Curtin
LONDON - London has suffered its worst
ever terrorist attack which has left a shocking
death toll of 37 killed and 700 injured, many of
whom are in critical condition. The city may also
be the first in Western Europe to experience a
suicide bombing. Yet, despite the loss of life and
massive disruption, by late Thursday evening an
air of calm and semi-normality had almost
miraculously returned to the city.
Extensive training since September 11 by
the emergency services allowed them to quickly and
efficiently deal with the crisis. There was no
sense of panic in the city, despite the chaos and
confusion created by the transport network
grinding to a halt. It almost feels as if a terror
attack can now be handled in the same efficient
manner as any other major emergency.
Since
September 11 and the Madrid bombings, Londoners
have been expecting a terror attack, knowing that
their city was on Osama bin-Laden's hit list. Last
year, London's police commissioner even said a
terror attack was "inevitable".
Three
explosions on the capital's subway trains and a
later, possible suicide bombing, on a bus
completely paralyzed the entire transport system,
stranding millions of people. The outrage, being
dubbed 7/7 (July 7), bore all the hallmarks of
al-Qaeda-inspired terrorism: ruthlessly
coordinated multiple explosions with no apparent
warning and executed during the morning rush hour
to maximize casualties and media coverage.
The first explosion occurred on a subway
train near the city's financial center at 08:51,
trapping passengers on a Circle Line train between
Aldgate and Liverpool Street Station. Adrian
Tindale, a taxi driver who passed the station a
few minutes after the explosion, told Asia Times
Online, "It was unbelievable. Huge plumes of black
smoke poured out of the station and there were
dozens of dazed-looking people wandering around."
At least seven people are confirmed killed in this
attack.
Five minutes later, a second
subway explosion occurred on the Piccadilly Line,
between Russell Square and King's Cross stations
in one of the city's deepest subway tunnels. At
least 21 people died in this attack, which
emergency services found difficult to cope with
because of the depth.
Mick James, a
station supervisor on the Piccadilly Line, told
Asia Times Online, "The massive explosion blew a
hole in the tunnel wall and the tracks have been
damaged. It will take quite some time to repair
this kind of damage."
At 09:17, a third
subway blast occurred in the central area, this
time on a Circle Line train leaving Edgware Road
Station. An unidentified eyewitness at the scene
told BBC News, "It was just so terrible. There
were people running around on the tracks screaming
and shouting for us to help. Some had terrible
injuries. It was just so awful." At least seven
people are known to have died in this incident.
The fourth and final explosion was set off
on a bus at 09:47, killing at least two and
perhaps many more. The vehicle was traveling near
Tavistock Square in the heart of London and not
far from the site of the second explosion at
Russell Square.
Caroline Naluwemba, a
driver who was near the bus which exploded, said,
"I saw the bus in front of me and the whole roof
just suddenly came off." She added, "The bus must
have been full, because it was a very busy time of
day."
Suicide bomber suspected on
bus
Some reports say a suicide bomber may
have been responsible for the bus blast, but the
authorities have not been able to confirm this. If
it was a suicide bombing, it would be the first
time such an attack has occurred on British and
Western European soil.
A police source,
who did not wish to be identified, told Asia Times
Online, "We believe that the preliminary evidence
indicates that the person, or persons, responsible
for transporting this explosive device was killed
when it was detonated. It is not yet possible to
determine whether this was or was not a deliberate
or accidental act." He added, "This was a
substantial, well-coordinated attack, and probably
involved a fairly large number of individuals."
Other experts think that a single, small terror
cell might be responsible.
Police are also
apparently examining the possibility of whether
suicide bombers could have been responsible for
any of the subway attacks, which all occurred
between stations. At this stage the media are
emphasizing that this is just speculation.
An Islamist website posted a statement,
purportedly from al-Qaeda, claiming
responsibility. While British experts questioned
the valid of this particular claim, there is
general agreement that an al-Qaeda-inspired group
was behind the attack. The British government has
already indicated that it believes al-Qaeda is the
culprit.
London Mayor Ken Livingston,
reaching out to all the capital's citizens, said
in an emotional speech, "The attack was aimed at
ordinary working class Londoners, black and white,
Muslim and Christians, Hindu and Jew, young and
old. It was an indiscriminate attempt at
slaughter, irrespective of any consideration for
age, class or religion or whatever."
City returns to normal
In the
initial hours after the explosions, a strange calm
descended on the normally noisy city that for once
was devoid of cars because police had cordoned off
large blocks of the capital near the bombing
sites. Tens of thousands of stranded commuters and
bewildered tourist crammed the pavements as
walking became the primary means of transportation
for most people.
The transport system
normally ferries about 3 million people around the
city every day, so its sudden absence created an
endless stream of marching people flooding down
every street.
As the overcast morning
turned to afternoon, the city steadily fought to
regain some measure of normality. As the
cordoned-off areas were gradually opened up, tens
of thousands of workers were released from
temporary confinement in their buildings and given
permission to evacuate. Many shops and business
closed early to give their staff a fighting chance
of getting home. Many had to walk for three to
four hours as the subway system remained suspended
the entire day and no buses were running in the
central area. People took all this in their stride
and somehow everyone seemed to get home or find a
hotel.
As the clock crept towards
midnight, roads in Central London near the blast
sites were all reopened. Bus services were
restored to normal. In the late evening, it was
announced that a limited subway service would be
operating in the morning, although some stations
would remain closed. Defying the odds, the city
had almost clawed its way back to normality.
As if to confirm that normality was
regaining the upper hand, politicians began
debating why the attack had occurred. George
Galloway, the controversial independent anti-Iraq
war lawmaker, told parliament that "the hatred and
bitterness of Iraq" was partially responsible for
"feeding the terrorism of bin-Laden".
Jack
Straw, the British Foreign Minister, utterly
rejected this line of reasoning in a BBC
interview, saying, "The world itself has become
more dangerous in this millennium since the terror
attacks of September 11, 2001."
J
Sean Curtin is a GLOCOM fellow at the
Tokyo-based Japanese Institute of Global
Communications.
(Copyright 2005 Asia
Times Online Ltd. All rights reserved. Please
contact us for information on sales, syndication and republishing.) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
All material on this
website is copyright and may not be republished in any form without written
permission.
© Copyright 1999 - 2005 Asia Times
Online Ltd.
|
|
Head
Office: Rm 202, Hau Fook Mansion, No. 8 Hau Fook St., Kowloon, Hong
Kong
Thailand Bureau:
11/13 Petchkasem Road, Hua Hin, Prachuab Kirikhan, Thailand 77110
|
|
|
|
