Terrorists strike London
LONDON: With England’s capital city still reeling from yesterday’s terrorist attacks on its public transportation system, the focus turned to the hunt for who was responsible. A group calling itself the Secret Organisation of al Qaeda of Europe claimed it carried out the coordinated series of four explosions, three on the subway and one on a double-decker bus during the morning rush hour. That claim couldn’t immediately be confirmed. At least 40 people were reported dead and at least 700 were wounded in the worst attack on London since World War II, according to officials. British Prime Minister Tony Blair called the terrorist attacks, most likely timed to coincide with the opening of the G-8 summit in Scotland, "barbaric." "This is a very sad day for the British people," Blair said in an afternoon address from 10 Downing Street. "We will not be terrorised." Deputy Assistant Commissioner Brian Paddick of the Metropolitan Police, the capital’s police force, told a press conference that there had been seven confirmed fatalities in the first subway blast, 21 in the second and five in the third, which may have affected three trains near the Edgware Road train station. In the fourth explosion that tore apart a double-decker bus — possibly at the hands of a suicide bomber, according to Sky News — he said there were also fatalities, but no firm numbers. "This clearly was a callous attack on purely innocent members of the public, deliberately designed to kill and injure innocent members of the public," Paddick said. He added that British officials had received no prior warning, nor did they have any advance intelligence about the attacks. As the city’s public transit system ground to a near-halt, buses were used as ambulances and an emergency medical station was set up at a hotel. Rescue workers, police and ordinary citizens streamed into the streets to help. At the scene of several blasts, specialist emergency workers in orange hazardous-materials suits searched for evidence of biological, chemical or nuclear agents. At the request of Queen Elizabeth II, the Union Jack flying over Buckingham Palace was lowered to half-staff. Blair gave a brief televised address from the G-8 summit taking place in Scotland before leaving for London. He concluded the attacks were terrorist actions. Later, at Downing Street, Blair said acts by Islamic terrorists should not reflect negatively on Britain’s large Muslim population. G-8 leaders condemned the attacks. TT President out of harm’s way By Clint Chan Tack NO TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO nationals were killed or injured in yesterday’s series of bomb attacks in London, England. In an immediate response to yesterday’s attacks on London’s transportation network which have killed at least 40 people and injured hundreds more, the Government of TT strongly condemned the attacks. President George Maxwell Richards and First Lady Dr Jean Ramjohn-Richards, who left TT on Monday to attend a chemical engineers’ conference in Scotland, were in London on Wednesday but departed for Scotland before the attacks occurred and were out of harm’s way. This was confirmed by the Foreign Affairs Ministry which indicated that the President and the rest of his travelling party "are safe and physically unaffected." The ministry also said all 27 staffers (eight home-based officers and 19 local recruits) at TT’s High Commission in London are accounted for and unharmed. The High Commission has received "no calls from nationals or enquiries about nationals (killed or injured in yesterday’s attacks)" and the High Commission remains opens for business. Foreign Affairs Minister Knowlson Gift has been in continuous contact with the High Commission since the bombings took place at about 8.51 am yesterday morning. Speaking with Newsday on condition of anonymity, a local businesswoman said one of her relatives had left one of the affected underground train stations mere minutes before it was bombed. She declined to give any further details, except to say that her relative had contacted her to say he was safe and would return home soon. When Newsday called the TT High Commission in London yesterday, senior consular officials said all of its staffers were safe and they had no information on TT nationals being killed or injured in the attacks. Contacted later in the evening, High Commissioner Glenda Morean Phillip said the Commission’s staff was affected by the suspension of London’s public transportation services in the wake of the bombings and had to be taken home by car and at an earlier time than usual. Asked how the TT High Commission would function under the present circumstances, Morean Phillip said the Commission would operate on a skeletal staff from today and the situation would be monitored. She said some train lines resumed operations yesterday evening but she was uncertain whether the situation was the same for buses. In a statement, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said: "The Government and people of TT extend to the Government and people of the United Kingdom deepest condolences for the tragic events that occurred in London. This tragic loss of life once again serves notice on the world that the spectre of terrorism has not diminished and emphasises the need for constant vigilance and global commitment to rid the world of the scourge of terrorism." The Secret Organisation of al Qaeda of Europe has claimed responsibility for yesterday’s attacks which have been condemned by British prime minister Tony Blair, US president George W Bush, Queen Elizabeth II and Pope Benedict XVI. Meanwhile, the British High Commission in Port-of-Spain said it had no information about TT nationals either being killed or wounded in yesterday’s attacks. Information Officer Phillip Everest said the High Commission is continuing to monitor events in London as they unfold and has released telephone numbers — 011 44 208 358 0101 and 011 44 870 156 6344 — for members of the public who want to call London to find out about their relatives there. In its condemnation of the terrorist attacks in London, the TT Chamber of Industry and Commerce said the tragedy is a wake up call to the Government and Opposition to deal with "our own deteriorating crime situation" in TT. The Chamber said all nations have a responsibility to their citizens "to take strong action to protect them from these new threats." "Whether it be the recent heinous attacks that took the life of two young women or the totally unacceptable increase in kidnappings, the situation here at home cannot continue to be ‘toyed’ with by parliamentarians." The Chamber said while it was heartened by Opposition’s support of Government in passing amendments to the Summary Courts and Criminal Procedures Bills in the Senate on Wednesday, it hoped this would lead to a "new unity" in Parliament that could progress to "the first steps in renewing the fight against the criminal elements that are disrupting the life of so many of our citizens."
Govt condemns London terrorist attacks
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"Terrorists strike London"