Car bomb found in central London

[Panudate]

Police have disabled a car bomb containing gas cylinders in the heart of central London.

Officers carried out a controlled explosion after reports of a suspicious vehicle parked in Haymarket shortly before 0200 BST (0100 GMT).

 

The area was cordoned off while police examined what they described as a "potentially viable explosive device".

 

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Britain faces "a serious and continuous threat".

 

He added the public "need to be alert" at all times.

 

 

The prime minister's comments were echoed by the new Home Secretary Jacqui Smith who is to chair a meeting of the government's emergency unit Cobra.

 

The BBC's Andy Tighe said the timing was significant coming a day after Gordon Brown became prime minister, and with the second anniversary of the 7 July bombings approaching.

 

A witness reported seeing gas canisters being removed from the car, a silver Mercedes, at around 0400 BST (0300 GMT).

 

Bouncers from a nearby nightclub said they saw the car being driven erratically before it crashed into a bin. They said the driver then got out and ran off.

 

Police sources have confirmed that gas canisters were involved in the incident, close to Piccadilly Circus.

 

But Scotland Yard has refused to comment on reports that a large number of nails were found in the car.

 

TRAVEL DISRUPTIONS

Piccadilly Circus tube station closed

Haymarket closed between Pall Mall and Piccadilly Circus

Buses diversions in the area with delays of more than 45 minutes

Heavy traffic around Trafalgar Square and Charing Cross Rd

Coventry St, Whitcomb St, Shaftesbury Ave and Cambridge Circus closed

One police source said the bomb was a "big device" and posed a real and substantial threat to the area around Haymarket, which is in London's theatreland.

 

But a Westminster source said it was a "relatively small" device.

 

Dozens of forensic officers examined the scene and the car was removed for further examination.

 

Scotland Yard said detectives from Counter Terrorism Command were investigating the potential bomb plot and will be checking the CCTV in the area.

 

Police are believed to have also carried out a search of other key areas in the capital shortly after the discovery of the car.

 

 

Surrounding streets were closed

A spokesman said: "Police were called to reports of a suspicious vehicle parked in Haymarket, shortly before 2am this morning.

 

"As a precautionary measure the immediate area was cordoned off while the vehicle was examined by explosives officers.

 

"They discovered what appeared to be a potentially viable explosive device. This was made safe."

 

Police say Haymarket is likely to remain closed for some time and severe travel disruption is predicted.

 

Piccadilly Circus Tube station is closed and trains are not stopping, while local bus services are being diverted.

 

The BBC's Daniela Relph, at the scene, said the heart of London was completely closed off and police officers were concentrating on keeping people away.

 

'No intelligence'

 

Professor Paul Wilkinson, a terrorism expert, said a passer-by had tipped off the police and officers would be concerned they did not have prior intelligence.

 

The current terrorism threat level has been classed as severe - meaning an attack is highly likely - since 14 August 2006.

 

Intelligence sources said they were keeping an open mind on who was responsible for the car bomb.

 

 

The car was later removed

 

John O'Connor, former commander of Scotland Yard's Flying Squad, told BBC News the incident bore all the "hallmarks" of a failed suicide bomb attempt. And it was "lucky" the police had received the tip-off .

 

Defence Secretary Des Browne said: "It does appear to be a very serious incident.

 

"My first reaction to this is, thank God that we have police and explosives experts who can make these devices safe, and the arrangements they appear to have done, and that nobody has been injured."

 

Extra security measures have been put in place at Westminster, MPs and peers have been told.

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Police hunting London car bombers

 

The two cars have been taken away for forensic examination

Anti-terrorism police have launched a huge manhunt for the people who planted two car bombs in central London.

Police, who have described events as "troubling", are studying hours of CCTV footage in the search for suspects.

 

The cars - both Mercedes - were packed with nails, petrol and gas cylinders, but the devices were not detonated.

 

One car was found outside a nightclub near Piccadilly Circus early on Friday, while the second was towed to a Park Lane pound before its device was found.

 

Security reviewed

 

Good progress is said to have already been made in the search of CCTV, with unconfirmed reports suggesting police may have an image of a suspect leaving the vehicle left outside the Tiger Tiger club in Haymarket.

 

 

 

See map of where devices were found

Meanwhile, police have increased their patrols of the capital and are reviewing security for a number of public events taking place in the city this weekend.

 

They said the safety of the public was their top priority and urged everyone to remain vigilant.

 

Simultaneous, co-ordinated bombs have historically been a distinguishing feature of [al-Qaeda's] anti-Western attacks

 

Frank Gardner

BBC security correspondent

 

 

Car bomb leads

In pictures: Car bomb

Eyewitness accounts

 

News that the second Mercedes also contained explosive materials came on Friday evening, several hours after details of the car abandoned outside Tiger Tiger had emerged.

 

Both contained bombs which were similar, potentially viable and clearly linked, police said.

 

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke, head of Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism command, said the discovery of the second device was "obviously troubling" and "reinforces the need for the public to be alert".

 

"There was a considerable amount of fuel and gas canisters, as in the first vehicle. There was also a substantial quantity of nails," he said.

 

Speaking earlier about the first bomb, DAC Clarke said: "It is obvious that if the device had detonated there could have been serious injury or loss of life."

 

 

Police have increased their patrols of London

 

The government's emergencies committee, known as Cobra, will be meeting on Saturday morning to discuss the attempted bombings.

 

The meeting could be chaired by either Prime Minister Gordon Brown or Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.

 

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said the discovery of the second car was prompting investigators to suspect the involvement of al-Qaeda sympathisers.

 

"Simultaneous, co-ordinated bombs have historically been a distinguishing feature of [al-Qaeda's] anti-Western attacks," he said.

 

Petrol smell

 

Our correspondent said Western intelligence agencies had detected recent discussion about targeting Britain among jihadis in the UK and abroad.

 

But Whitehall sources said there had not been any specific intelligence and no-one has yet claimed to have been behind the attempted bombings.

 

INVESTIGATION TIMELINE

0125 Ambulance crew called to Tiger Tiger club to treat sick person. Crew notice smoke from metallic green Mercedes outside

0200 Police cordon off area while explosives officers examine vehicle

0230 Blue Mercedes parked illegally in Cockspur Street, near Haymarket

0330 Blue Mercedes taken to car pound in Park Lane

Police disable device in green Mercedes.

0400 Witness sees police removing gas canisters from green Mercedes

1000 Prime Minister Gordon Brown says country faces "serious threat"

1025 Green Mercedes removed from Haymarket

1030 Government emergency response committee Cobra meets

1430 Park Lane closed off as police investigate second car

2045 Police confirm second car contained bomb material

All times BST

 

The second bomb was found in a blue 280E model Mercedes in a Park Lane car pound, where it had been towed at 0330 BST on Friday after being given a ticket for illegally parking in Cockspur Street, near Trafalgar Square.

 

Police were alerted after staff who had heard about the Haymarket bomb noticed a strong smell of petrol coming from it.

 

Officers had been alerted to the first bomb by an ambulance crew who had been called to Tiger Tiger nightclub at 0125 BST to deal with a separate incident.

 

They had spotted smoke - now believed to have been vapour from the petrol in the car - inside a metallic green Mercedes parked outside the club.

 

Bomb experts later manually disabled the device, preventing what police sources said could have been "carnage".

 

Scotland Yard declined to comment on reports a mobile phone that may have been intended to trigger the explosion was found in the Mercedes.

 

Mobiles have been used to detonate bombs in Iraq and Indonesia and in other terror attacks, such as the 2004 Madrid bombings.

 

Both cars have been taken away for forensic examination.

 

The attempted car bombings have echoes of other foiled terror plots in the UK.

 

'Significant timing'

 

Five men were jailed for life in April for a bomb plot linked to al-Qaeda that planned to use a fertiliser bomb to target a shopping centre and a nightclub.

 

 

The second Mercedes in Park Lane also contained explosive materials

 

And Dhiren Barot was jailed for life last November for conspiring to park limousines packed with gas canisters underneath high-profile buildings before detonating them.

 

DAC Clarke said the Haymarket incident "resonated" with previous cases.

 

Meanwhile, correspondents say the timing of the car bombs was significant - coming two days after Mr Brown became prime minister, and with the second anniversary of the 7 July bombings approaching.

 

The current terror threat level has been classed severe - one level lower than the highest "critical" - since 14 August 2006.

 

Police have urged anyone with information to phone the confidential Anti-Terrorist hotline number on 0800789321.

[beenthere]

It's sad, but Britain has faced that threat since 1969 when the IRA started their shite. I think British people are used to it, but that doesn't make it any better. There'll always be some nutter who wants to make his/her mark and kill people or destroy property. Life still goes on. We may have to put our toothpaste in a magic explosion proof plastic bag, and CCTV and random security checks may be part of life, but we still win. Fudge the daft idiots, they're dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb.

[beenthere]

Please delete my above post. If I can't use the word f..k, then you can get fu..ed. I mean fudge, how f...en gay is that. It's the 21 century mods, kids use f..k like it is, a very good and descriptive word. It's not even considered obsene or profane in most courts in the western world.

 

But then you're going to have to delete this post as well:

Stolen from http://home.flash.net/~nymaz/links/fuck.txt, where it was probably also stolen.

 

THE MANY MEANINGS OF THE WORD "F***"

 

 

Perhaps one of the most interesting and colorful words in the English

Language today is the word "F***". It is one of the magical words, which

just by its sound, can describe pain, pleasure, love and hate.

In language,"F***" falls into many grammatical categories. It can be used as a verb,

both transitive (John F***ed Mary) and intransitive (Mary was F***ed by John).

 

It can be an active verb (John really gives a F***) or a passive verb

(Mary really doesn't give a F***) or an adverb (Mary is F***ing interested in

John) and as a noun (Mary is a terrific F***). It can be used as an

adjective (Mary is F***ing beautiful).

 

As you can see, there are very few words with the versatility of "F***".

 

Besides its sexual connotations, this incredible word can be used to describe many situations:

 

Greetings.........."How the f*** are you"

Fraud................"I got f***ed by the car dealer"

Dismay.............."Oh fuck it"

Trouble............."Well, I guess I'm f***ed now"

Aggression........"F*** Me"

Disgust............."F*** You!"

Confusion........."What the f***...?"

Difficulty..........."I don't understand this f***ing business"

Despair............."F***ed again"

Incompetence...."He f***ed up everything"

Displeasure......."What the f*** is going on here?"

Lost................."Where the f*** are we?"

Disbelief..........."Unf***ing believable!"

Retaliation........"Up your f***ing ass!"

Denial.............."I didn't f***ing do it."

Perplexity........."I don't know f*** about it."

Apathy............."Who gives a f*** anyway?"

Resignation......"Oh f*** it."

Derision..........."He f***s up everything."

Suspicion........."Who the f*** are you?"

Panic..............."Lets get the f*** out of here."

Directions........."F*** off."

Disbelief..........."How the f*** did you do that?"

 

It can be used in anatomical description..."He's a f***ing asshole!"

It can be used to tell time......................."It's Five f***ing Thirty!"

It can be used in business......................"How did I wind up with this f***ing job?"

It can be used maternal..........................as in "Motherf***er"

It can be political.................................."F*** Bill Clinton"

 

Also, one should look at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F***

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_word_%22f***%22

[/url][/url]

 

 

So go on then, edit the whole f.....g world.

[BassGod]

Am I the only person suspicious about the timing of this? You can call me a conspiracy nut but I just can't get over it. The day after the PM job was taken over by someone who claims that he's going to distance England from the US, most people took that to mean disengaging from Iraq among other things, something like this happens to remind you to be scared. Am I being crazy?

[Panudate]

Please delete my above post. If I can't use the word f..k, then you can get fu..ed. I mean fudge, how f...en gay is that. It's the 21 century mods, kids use f..k like it is, a very good and descriptive word. It's not even considered obsene or profane in most courts in the western world.

 

But then you're going to have to delete this post as well:

Stolen from http://home.flash.net/~nymaz/links/fuck.txt, where it was probably also stolen.

 

THE MANY MEANINGS OF THE WORD "F***"

Perhaps one of the most interesting and colorful words in the English

Language today is the word "F***". It is one of the magical words, which

just by its sound, can describe pain, pleasure, love and hate.

In language,"F***" falls into many grammatical categories. It can be used as a verb,

both transitive (John F***ed Mary) and intransitive (Mary was F***ed by John).

 

It can be an active verb (John really gives a F***) or a passive verb

(Mary really doesn't give a F***) or an adverb (Mary is F***ing interested in

John) and as a noun (Mary is a terrific F***). It can be used as an

adjective (Mary is F***ing beautiful).

 

As you can see, there are very few words with the versatility of "F***".

 

Besides its sexual connotations, this incredible word can be used to describe many situations:

 

Greetings.........."How the f*** are you"

Fraud................"I got f***ed by the car dealer"

Dismay.............."Oh fuck it"

Trouble............."Well, I guess I'm f***ed now"

Aggression........"F*** Me"

Disgust............."F*** You!"

Confusion........."What the f***...?"

Difficulty..........."I don't understand this f***ing business"

Despair............."F***ed again"

Incompetence...."He f***ed up everything"

Displeasure......."What the f*** is going on here?"

Lost................."Where the f*** are we?"

Disbelief..........."Unf***ing believable!"

Retaliation........"Up your f***ing ass!"

Denial.............."I didn't f***ing do it."

Perplexity........."I don't know f*** about it."

Apathy............."Who gives a f*** anyway?"

Resignation......"Oh f*** it."

Derision..........."He f***s up everything."

Suspicion........."Who the f*** are you?"

Panic..............."Lets get the f*** out of here."

Directions........."F*** off."

Disbelief..........."How the f*** did you do that?"

 

It can be used in anatomical description..."He's a f***ing asshole!"

It can be used to tell time......................."It's Five f***ing Thirty!"

It can be used in business......................"How did I wind up with this f***ing job?"

It can be used maternal..........................as in "Motherf***er"

It can be political.................................."F*** Bill Clinton"

 

Also, one should look at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F***

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_word_%22f***%22

[/url][/url]

So go on then, edit the whole f.....g world.

 

Yes it is the 21st century, but we have an obligation not to swear in the public part of the forum! If this was in the Trusted member section, then no problems. But as its not, swear words must be censored. THATS THE RULES OF THE BOARD

[rockhard]

beenthere. You can delete your own post. Or you can grow up & accept the rules as they exist. Thanks for your cooperation.

[Limey]

Am I the only person suspicious about the timing of this? You can call me a conspiracy nut but I just can't get over it. The day after the PM job was taken over by someone who claims that he's going to distance England from the US, most people took that to mean disengaging from Iraq among other things, something like this happens to remind you to be scared. Am I being crazy?

 

After 911, which I'm positive was an inside job, I don't trust a word the US or British governments say. Don't think this incident was anything but a genuine attack though, and I really do think we can expect much. much more from the idiots and hotheads.

[BassGod]

After 911, which I'm positive was an inside job, I don't trust a word the US or British governments say. Don't think this incident was anything but a genuine attack though, and I really do think we can expect much. much more from the idiots and hotheads.

 

I still can't get over the odd timing of this.

[Franky]

After 911, which I'm positive was an inside job, I don't trust a word the US or British governments say. Don't think this incident was anything but a genuine attack though, and I really do think we can expect much. much more from the idiots and hotheads.

 

The terrorist flew airplanes into our tallest buildings, and murdered thousands of our citizens, and you think we did it to ourselves.....God help Us....the terrors are winning because of thinking like this.

 

Soon your women will be wearing burkas,....and forget Pattaya, it will be closed down!

 

They are religious nutcases, with thinking from the dark ages.....you better pray America never goes down, because your world will disappear without us.

[BassGod]

The terrorist flew airplanes into our tallest buildings, and murdered thousands of our citizens, and you think we did it to ourselves.....God help Us....the terrors are winning because of thinking like this.

 

Soon your women will be wearing burkas,....and forget Pattaya, it will be closed down!

 

They are religious nutcases, with thinking from the dark ages.....you better pray America never goes down, because your world will disappear without us.

 

Watch loose change. The eye witnesses, people that were there and saw it as it happened, know more about it than you do. While I don't think the movie compellingly proves the film maker's assertion that the attack was an inside job just listening to the eyewitness accounts proves that we aren't being told the truth about the attacks. Also In Plane sight (1 2 3 4 5 6) completely debunks the administrations claims about the pentagon attack, it just isn't possible.

 

There is a growing body of evidence, hell it's exploding, that there is more going on then we've been told. You need to ask yourself, are you going to stubbornly stick to your belief in what you've been told or are you going to look at the evidence as it is. Let me just ask you one question, what has the government told the truth about in years and why do you trust them about this?

 

Can we get back on topic? This is about what's happening now.

Edited June 30, 2007 by BassGod

[Franky]

that is insane BS....G.Bush didn't need to murder 4000 American to invade Iraq....wake up and smell the coffee.

 

 

watch this....

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcrF346sS_I...ted&search=

Edited June 30, 2007 by Franky

[BassGod]

that is insane BS...watch this....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcrF346sS_I...ted&search=

 

So listening to the eyewitnesess describe what they actually saw is insane BS? I don't get it.

 

Penn is a notorious wing nut but to be fair If you watched loose change and in plane sight with an open mind the least I can do is return the favor by watching an illusionists take on the events. My speakers are currently not working but I'll give it a look as soon as possible.

[Franky]

that is insane BS....G.Bush didn't need to murder 4000 American to invade Iraq....wake up and smell the coffee.

watch this....

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcrF346sS_I...ted&search=

 

 

I don't feel like getting into a pizzing contest about this, (and I watched all of your videos), but it's completely insane to believe that crap....just nuts!

 

...And eyewitnesses are the worst source of information, the absolute worst....if you isolate 10 eyewitnesses and question them, you will get 10 different stories....its been done and studied...Eyewitnesses are your very worst source of accurate accountability.

Edited June 30, 2007 by Franky

[BassGod]

I don't feel like getting into a pizzing contest about this, (and I watched all of your videos), but it's completely insane to believe that crap....just nuts!

 

...And eyewitnesses are the worst source of information, the absolute worst....if you isolate 10 eyewitnesses and question them, you will get 10 different stories....its been done and studied...Eyewitnesses are your very worst source of accurate accountability.

 

Well these eyewitnesses all said they saw the same thing and it doesn't jive with the official story. I think it's a little obnoxious to say you know better about what happened then the people that were there.

[cisco]

They've just charged a guy in Queensland for giving one of the bombers in England a sim card. He's looking at 15 years.

[izifaddag]

After 911, which I'm positive was an inside job, I don't trust a word the US or British governments say. Don't think this incident was anything but a genuine attack though, and I really do think we can expect much. much more from the idiots and hotheads.

 

WHAT ARE YOU SMOKING BUD??

[izifaddag]

Thank God the Irish issue has settled right down. I still remember that piece of crap when the poor guardsmen band members complete with horses were blown up in London - totally tragic.

However I tend to agree with actor James Woods. Profiling works i.e. we probably don't have too much to fear from Swedish people.

Lastly what was Britain thinking allowing itself to be overrun with these people? Coming from Heathrow airport it is hard to get on a bus with somebody who speaks English. I mean at least the bus driver should be able to communicate!!

True story!

[Scumbag]

They've just charged a guy in Queensland for giving one of the bombers in England a sim card. He's looking at 15 years.

I am not in Australia at the moment so I could have my wires crossed but I believe that guy has been cleared now.

[cisco]

I am not in Australia at the moment so I could have my wires crossed but I believe that guy has been cleared now.

That is correct. The Aus government have canceled his visa though, and he has now been locked up by immigration.