posted July 07, 2005 12:43 PM            

A previously unknown group, "Secret Group of Al Qaeda's Jihad in Europe," claimed responsibility in the name of Al Qaeda for the blasts, saying they were in retaliation for Britain's involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The group claimed the attack in a Web-site posting and also warned Italy and Denmark to withdraw troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Arabic satellite television station Al-Jazeera said it had received a phone call from the same group claiming responsibility.

Neither claim could be verified.

The Web site carrying the posting is popular with Islamic militants, according to Elaph, a secular Arabic-language news Web site, and Der Spiegel magazine in Berlin, which published the text on its German- and English-language Web sites.

"Rejoice, Islamic nation. Rejoice, Arab world. The time has come for vengeance against the Zionist crusader government of Britain in response to the massacres Britain committed in Iraq and Afghanistan," said the statement, as translated by The Associated Press in Cairo. "The heroic mujahedeen carried out a blessed attack in London, and now Britain is burning with fear and terror, from north to south, east to west."

FBI and Justice Department officials say that it was still too early to determine that the London attacks were the work of Al Qaeda.

One U.S. counterterrorism official emphasized to FOX News that in previous Al Qaeda attacks, such as on Sept. 11, 2001, and the embassy bombings in Africa in 1998, there was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The group making the London terror attack claims has not been heard of before. While many are drawing comparisons to the terrorist bombings on four commuter trains in Madrid on March 11, 2004, that killed 191 people. But the official noted that the Madrid attacks were carried out by a group that was inspired by Al Qaeda and not one in which Usama bin Laden himself ordered the attack.

What is of interest in Thursday's attacks in London is the extreme coordination, the rush-hour hit for maximum casualties and that the attacks targeted the transit system, counterterrorism officials told FOX News. In London's case, the sites hit provided opportunity for maximum casualties since some, but not all, of the stations involved were both commuter train and subway hubs.

"It was chaos," said Gary Lewis, 32, who was evacuated from a subway train at King's Cross station. "The one haunting image was someone whose face was totally black and pouring with blood."

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posted July 07, 2005 02:13 PM            

quote:

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The disgusting behaviour of those that use murder / terrorist attacks on innocent people to get their inane point across has got to stop. Whether it comes out to be linked to a militant Islamic group or an anti-G8 group, it is STILL terrorist.

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...and I couldn't agree with you more Pid, but most of the troops from both the US and the UK are over in some desert fighting for oil for corporate interests, instead of protecting the citizens from those maniacs who come out from some dirty holes called "terrorist cells" that rest in our very own countries waiting to attack us "one more time"!

But what could we do?! I guess we have to deal with it!

posted July 07, 2005 04:28 PM            

Really? Can you prove it? Or is that just your own conspiracy mind making up delusional stories about Corporate America backing the troops. Give it up. This isn't to the time to spout your Anti-American crap.

posted July 07, 2005 08:11 PM              

I see that you recommend David Icke's site. Most of us here are familiar with him and we've had a few healthy debates about his theories. I have visited it in that past. I found that sorting out the plausible from the ridiculous was a tiresome effort. Curiously, I feel the same way about Fox.

Looking forward to your "facts to come in the future".

posted July 07, 2005 08:24 PM            

What do you expect from someone that splices fish genes and goes to LL to seek anyone that might be prejudice against those certain astrology sun-signs on her spare time?!

posted July 07, 2005 08:36 PM            

Gotta make that quota before the first snow flies!

posted July 07, 2005 08:44 PM            

At the same time we also use our same plans for responses to natural outbreaks such as Pertussis (an epidemic now here in Arizona) and Influenza. We run drills similar to what Homeland Security did in New York (with the inert gas) to test our response capabilities.

I no longer work in biotech research and I never worked on gene splicing. Mine was mostly microbiological methods of detection and environmentally friendly larvicides.

But yes, I am working in Bioterrorism. Of course Ozone would have to say something as assnine as me being an elitist, which is an absurd notion. What is even more of a joke is that I somehow derive my thoughts from some kind of environmental something or other...wouldn't that go against being an Earth hating Republican LOL...(another one of Ozone's accusations).

posted July 07, 2005 08:57 PM            

quote:

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No TINK. I work in bioterrorism for my county. I conduct surveillance on syndromes and watch infectious diseases. I write the response plans for any terrorist attack that should occur in this county or along out Border with Mexico. Most of this is based on my background in microbiology and infectious diseases. Every state and county has this type of Unit and we all work independently and together planning for event such as what occured in London and Madrid.

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Hmmm... just like London and Madrid you say? Well, I watched the news today and spokes people in Washington are saying that you guys are doing a pretty crappy job at protecting us! I guess that your staff needs to cut down on your(2 a day) 1 hour coffie breaks and 2 hour lunch breaks and get crackin' already, Bush can't waste anymore time scaring the crap out of Americans in other countries!

What are you guys doing, impressing eachother with your "know how"? Do you guys rate each other with an "OOOOOOOO!" and an "AHHHHHHHH!"?!

posted July 07, 2005 09:01 PM            

How horrible you are to laugh at the expense of the people horribly killed in London. What kind of sick human being are you? God, get some help you embarrass yourself.

posted July 07, 2005 09:11 PM            

It sure seems to me that it's not the terrorist that want to make an effect over providing a movement of a conservative ideology by killing a few people just to keep those ratings up for the Bush adimastration over here and then the rest of the world!

But you know, you do such a good job at being a spokes person for Bush rather then protecting Americans(or that is what we're really paying you for)!

Don't worry Pid, I'm only laughing at you though!

posted July 07, 2005 09:16 PM            

quote:

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pid, that sounds like an interesting job. Must scare the crap out of you sometimes though.

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Of what, being a spokes person for Bush?!

Naaaahhhh! I don't believe her about Bush!

posted July 08, 2005 01:55 AM              

By DON VAN NATTA Jr.
Published: July 7, 2005

LONDON, July 7 - For nearly four decades, this city has been on almost perpetual high alert for terror attacks. Again last month, police officials warned that a large-scale attack in Britain was inevitable. But this morning, the police and the intelligence services, considered by their peers to be among the best in the world, were taken by surprise by the coordinated bombings of the London underground and a crowded city bus.
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Attacks in London

There was no warning or even a hint that an attack was imminent among the blizzard of intelligence accumulated in recent days by the Metropolitan Police and MI5, the domestic intelligence services, according to police and counterterrorism officials. "There was no intelligence in our possession that these attacks were going to take place today," Cmdr. Brian Paddick of the Metropolitan Police said. "We were given no warning from any organization that this was going to happen."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/07/international/europe/07cnd-intel.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5094&en=f1b5c46ca6728ec9&hp&ex=1120795200&partner=homepage

posted July 08, 2005 01:56 AM              

Netanyahu Changed Plans Due to Warning

By AMY TEIBEL, Associated Press Writer Thu Jul 7, 7:14 AM ET

JERUSALEM - British police told the Israeli Embassy in London minutes before Thursday's explosions that they had received warnings of possible terror attacks in the city, a senior Israeli official said.

Israeli Finance Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu had planned to attend an economic conference in a hotel over the subway stop where one of the blasts occurred, and the warning prompted him to stay in his hotel room instead, government officials said.

Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said he wasn't aware of any Israeli casualties.

Just before the blasts, Scotland Yard called the security officer at the Israeli Embassy to say they had received warnings of possible attacks, the official said. He did not say whether British police made any link to the economic conference.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the nature of his position.

The Israeli Embassy was in a state of emergency after the explosions in London, with no one allowed to enter or leave, said the Israeli ambassador to London, Zvi Hefet.

All phone lines to the embassy were down, said Danny Biran, an Israeli Foreign Ministry official.

The ministry set up a situation room to deal with hundreds of phone calls from concerned relatives. Thousands of Israelis are living in London or visiting the city at this time, Biran said.

Amir Gilad, a Netanyahu aide, told
Israel Radio that Netanyahu's entourage was receiving updates all morning from British security officials, and "we have also asked to change our plans."

Netanyahu had been scheduled to stay in London until Sunday, but that could change, Gilad said.

posted July 08, 2005 02:58 AM            

Thursday, July 7, 2005 10:43 a.m. EDT
Israel: Our Information Came After Blast

This article was written by Julie Stahl, CNSNews.com Jerusalem Bureau Chief

Israel's Finance Minister and former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was on his way to address British businessmen at a London hotel when the first bomb exploded in a nearby London Underground station Thursday morning.

Israel denies reports that Netanyahu had received advance information about the attacks and was warned to stay away before the blasts happened.

Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev dismissed those reports as "rubbish."

Regev said he wanted to make it unequivocally clear: "All our information was afterwards."

Netanyahu's adviser Amir Gilad explained what had happened in a radio interview.

"We were exactly on our way to the hotel [located over a subway station - the first one to blow up," Gilad said.

"We were asked by the British security sources not to arrive at the hotel. Still it was not clear what was happening. We stayed in the hotel where we were guests," Gilad said.

Netanyahu was due to open a large conference at the time of the explosion, Gilad added.

"Now we are receiving updates all morning from British security sources that are speaking about terror attacks in the underground train and also in buses throughout the city," he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had no immediate comment on the attack on London.

Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said that Israel was standing with the British at this time, and he said that Israel has long warned that terrorism is a problem not only for Israel but for the entire Western world as well.