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Britain
Experts: Latest London Blasts Amateurish
2005-07-22
Picked right up on that, didn't they?
The explosions that struck London subway trains and a bus Thursday appeared less sophisticated than the deadly attacks that hit the British capital two weeks ago, terrorism experts said.
I'd guess the Brit cops have so many people either under surveillance or rounded up that the Bad Guyz had to bring up some minor leaguers.
Explosions forced the evacuations of three Underground train stations and hit a double-decker bus early Thursday afternoon, authorities said. They reported one person injured. In the July 7 attacks, four suicide bombers killed 52 other people on three Underground trains and a bus. Jeremy Binnie, an analyst with the London-based Jane's Terrorism and Insurgency Center, said there were key differences between Thursday's explosions and the previous blasts.
Not much gets by old Jeremy...
The latest ones did not take place at rush hour, they targeted more outlying stations, and "if there were bombs, they seem to have been duds," Binnie said. "It seems much more amateurish in many ways," he told The Associated Press. That could suggest they were a copycat operation, but Binnie cautioned that it was too early to tell. He noted that investigations into the July 7 blasts showed signs there could be a second cell in existence.
Yeah, but I'm guessing it's Islamic copycats...
Posted by:Fred

#10  The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again.....Yeehaw
Posted by: SCPatriot   2005-07-22 19:32  

#9  Agree with Phil_b and LoTR. From press acounts, it seems that the blasting caps went off but not the explosive (muffled bang, clouds of white dust). I couldn't find anything on the web, but from the Richard Reid case, I remember that the sweat from his feet rendered the acetone peroxide harmless. It summer, its humid and its been two weeks and a day (minimum) since the mother of satan was brewed. The second wave of bombers were probably hiding out in safehouse with no airconditioning. Thus pop instead of boom.

I also don't see this as a sign of amatuerism. Explosives were made, packaged and staged. Two different bomber cells were recruited, trained (sent to Pakistan?), given their orders, rehearsed and echeloned. Probably at least one mid level operative in overall control of the in country effort with one controller and/or imam for each of the cells. Probably a high level operative (on a Khalid Sheikh Mohamed or Ramzi Binsalabh level) in Pakistan with direct connections to the AQ command structure. That's the command chain. We can speculate that like there is a money chain too using hawala banks in Dar al Islam to set up more legitimate accounts in "friendly" Arab countries like Bahrain or UAE that would provide operational funds. You don't want to taint the locals too much. While the local imams and sheikhs might support you by looking the other way, you don't want to tie them in too closely or they go to jail and you lose much of your recruiting and support network.
Posted by: 11A5S   2005-07-22 14:33  

#8  I know its easy to make fun of these guys, but if weren't for the fact that bombs were duds this could have been very deadly. Just two weeks after the 7/7 attacks this group got four bombs into position exactly the same way the previous group did.

It's a miracle that the bombs didn't work. That's the only reason the hospitals weren't filled up again.
Posted by: Laurence of the Rats   2005-07-22 13:03  

#7  A group linked to al Qaeda has claimed responsibility for the latest London bombings, as forensic teams examine the rucksack bombs found on a bus and in Tube trains. The group, Abu Hafs al Masri Brigade, also claimed responsibility for the explosions on July 7.
Posted by: 2b   2005-07-22 08:06  

#6  Who do your think the suspects will end up being? Hmmmm.
Posted by: MunkarKat   2005-07-22 08:01  

#5  Al-Qaeda Lite at work.
Posted by: Vlad the Muslim Impaler   2005-07-22 03:04  

#4  As far as I can see it was almost identical, probably including using explosives and detonators from the same (homemade) batch. The only difference was 2 weeks had elapsed and the explosives had deteriorated.

This is little more than wishful thinking by people who are in denial that AQ has for the first time in the West achieved repeatable coordinated bomb attacks. Its just they got a minor detail wrong. A mistake they won't repeat.
Posted by: phil_b   2005-07-22 01:29  

#3   "..appeared less sophisticated.."

it's sad that any and all bombs no matter how sophisticated they are can be deadly.

Must be practice runs....
Posted by: Jan   2005-07-22 01:17  

#2  Probably hired a bunch of small time thugs for the job.
Posted by: Pappy   2005-07-22 00:38  

#1  I am guessing this will turn out to be the gang who could not bomb straight and they will all be in custody shortly, found floating in the Thames, cut into small peices or ,to have left on a quick vacation to France then on to Pakistan from there.
Posted by: Sock Puppet 0’ Doom   2005-07-22 00:09  

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