Attempted bombings in London

[Phlegm]

From CNN:

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Evidence left in Thursday's attempted bombings of three London Tube stations and a bus has given police what they say is a "significant breakthough" in their investigation.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Ian Blair told reporters the intention of the terrorists "must have been to kill" and that some of the devices failed to explode. Police said no one was needed hospital treatment after the attacks.

Blair said while the near-simultaneous attacks had echoes of ones two weeks ago that killed 52 people and the four bombers -- also on three Tube trains and a bus -- it was too early to say whether they bore the hallmarks of al Qaeda.

He confirmed confirmed there were four scenes -- at Oval, Warren Street and Shepherd's Bush Underground stations and on a bus in east London -- where "attempts have been made to set off explosive devices."

He told a news conference in central London: "Clearly the intention must have been to kill. You do not do this with another intention.

"I think the important thing is that the intentions of the terrorists have not been successful."

All three Tube stations were evacuated and the three affected lines -- Hammersmith & City, Victoria, and Northern -- were closed along with the Bakerloo and Piccadilly lines.

Police also said they deployed armed officers to investigate an "incident" at University College Hospital, near Warren Street, where an explosive device went off aboard a train.

The central London hospital confirmed the situation there was over, although it is not clear what prompted the alert.

Witnesses reported policemen with flak jackets entered the hospital along with dogs, and said police searched a man with a red backpack and took him away, without handcuffs.

People in buildings near the hospital were not allowed to leave their offices during the incident.

A Scotland Yard spokesperson also said two arrests were made in the Westminster area but said they were not necessarily linked to the attacks.

At a news conference, Prime Minister Tony Blair praised the police operation and urged Londoners to remain calm.

"We know why these things are done. They're done to scare people and to frighten them, to make them anxious and worried," he said.

Blair, who referred questions on operations to police and emergency services, told reporters: "Police and security services are pretty clear about what's happened.

"The police have done their very best and the security services, too, in this situation. And I think we just have got to react calmly and continue with our business as much as possible as normal."

Blair appeared with visiting Australian Prime Minister John Howard, who praised the resolve and bravery of the British people.

Amid the massive security alert across the British capital, armed police were seen on television drawing their guns near Blair's official Downing Street residence as they detained a man. There was no indication the man was linked to the blasts.

In the United States, the White House said President George W. Bush was informed of the incidents.

Bus 'bang'
News of the incidents first came at 12:38 p.m. (7:38 a.m. ET). At 12:45 p.m., a call came in from Warren Street.

All three stations affected Thursday were evacuated, and four Tube lines -- Hammersmith & City, Victoria, Northern and Bakerloo -- were closed, according to London transport officials.

The area around Warren Street station was sealed off while the bomb squad checked for further explosive devices.

ITN reported authorities were pushing people further back from the station, and witnesses reported seeing men in chemical suits going down into the station.

Police later said after initial checks that no trace of chemical agents was found at any of the stations.

Meanwhile in east London, a bus driver reported a "bang" from the top of his double-decker in Hackney, according to the bus company's spokesman.

The spokesman said the windows of the bus were blown out, although this was denied by a police officer at the scene.

"I have seen the bus. There were no windows blown out," the officer told Reuters.

At Oval station there were reports of a man dumping a rucksack in a carriage then fleeing as the doors closed.

A witness told Sky News he heard a sound "like champagne popping" then passengers erupting in panic.

"As far as I know from what a lady at the top of the escalator was saying, someone came into the carriage, dumped the bag and ran out. Some people tried to stop him but he ran out."

He said: "I was in the carriage next to the one where the bag was. All of a sudden there was a popping, it sounded like champagne popping. I didn't think anything of it at the time but then I heard a lot of shouting from the next door carriage.

"People started saying, 'Smoke, smoke.' One of the train guys came through and said 'Get off the train, we're evacuating, everyone out'.

"As we were walking past the carriage we could see the bag sitting on the chair. It was a big, black rucksack, like the backpack-type ones that you get.

"When they got upstairs, people were really distressed, one lady was crying."

The ambulance service had no details on the Shepherd's Bush station incident.

Bryce Elder, a witness near the Shepherd's Bush station, said there was a heavy police presence but "no real sense of panic."

Police helicopters flew overhead, and areas near Shepherd's Bush station were evacuated. Elder said the station was not very busy.

CNN London producer Katie Turner reported a heavy police presence near the Oval station, including about 30 police vehicles. Roads about 500 meters from the station were blocked off to vehicular traffic, she said.

A woman who was on the train at Oval when the incident happened said she did not hear a bang but saw people pushing themselves into her carriage.

She said there was a general mood of panic. The train, which was moving when the incident happened, was not packed with people, she said.

One explosives expert told CNN the "sour smell" reported by people coming out of the Underground would likely have come from two sources: a rucksack catching fire; and explosives themselves catching fire after a detonator failed to explode them. The explosives could actually burn and give a toxic smell.

[mofish]

If the muslim religion doesnt come up with a Ghandi or MLK jr soon, Im afraid it may never end up being compatible with the modern world. This shit keeps up and youll start seeing mass deportations eventually.

[Harrison]

I'd prefer mass slaying. Better safe than sorry

[mofish]

Yes, the Final Solution. We are gonna need lots of Zyklon-B. Sig heil, mein Fuhrer.

[Harrison]

*shrug*

Instantaneously the world would be much safer.

[Gidan]

*shrug*

Instantaneously the world would be much safer.

hmm so to make the world safer, we need to kill millions. Thats some great logic there.

[Harrison]

I didn't say it was logical.

It isn't even MY logic per se.

[mappatazee]

The more Muslims you kill, the more terrorists you make.

[Lyion]

The more Muslims you kill, the more terrorists you make.

That may be your most spot on post here ever.

[Gidan]

The more Muslims you kill, the more terrorists you make.

That may be your most spot on post here ever.

I will completely agree with you on this. Of course as far as they are concerned, even if we kill somone who attacked us, it still pushes their cause.

[dammuzis]

many years ago pre ww2 they had muslim issues in the phillipines so they shot them with pig fat dipped bullets and buried them with pigs blood

the attacks stopped

[Harrison]

I guess we need to start producing pig farms.

[xaoshaen]

The more Muslims you kill, the more terrorists you make.

That may be your most spot on post here ever.

It's a ridiculously oversimplified view, right up there with "violence only begets violence".

[xaoshaen]

*shrug*

Instantaneously the world would be much safer.

hmm so to make the world safer, we need to kill millions. Thats some great logic there.

I don't agree with Harrison on this issue, but the logic isn't necessarily faulty.

[Zanchief]

*shrug*

Instantaneously the world would be much safer.

hmm so to make the world safer, we need to kill millions. Thats some great logic there.

I don't agree with Harrison on this issue, but the logic isn't necessarily faulty.

We could kill everyone outside the US. Would make things safer.

[xaoshaen]

We could kill everyone outside the US. Would make things safer.

Violence is not always the correct, or even a feasible response. This does not negate it as a valid tactic in some situations.

[Zanchief]

We could kill everyone outside the US. Would make things safer.

Violence is not always the correct, or even a feasible response. This does not negate it as a valid tactic in some situations.

Your first statement holds more weight with me than your second.

[Rust]

many years ago pre ww2 they had muslim issues in the phillipines so they shot them with pig fat dipped bullets and buried them with pigs blood

the attacks stopped

Yeah, there are no Muslim rebels in the Philippines at all now.

--R.

[Arlos]

That story about Persching in the Philipines is most likely apocryphal. Heard something about it on the news the other day, there's actually no evidence whatsoever that it ever occurred. Most likely case is that it's completely fabricated.

-Arlos