Just to say the thoughts and prayers of all at Portobello, NZ are with our UK friends after the horrible events of yesterday.

:sad:

Jean

I was sickened to hear this news today. Thoughts and Prayers to all affected by these sick people.

Carol

...
Don't really know what to say. My thoughts go to my fellow (till recently) londoners.

In any case, bombs have never scared the Brits, many have tried (WW2, IRA, etc) and failed to sap their resolve and steadfastness. Good on you guys!

TPOTH

Thanks Jean -- thoughts and prayers to all those affected. Here's to a better future.

I've been horrified all day. My thoughts and wishes go out to everybody in the UK on this dreadful day.

:unionjac:

From me over here come thoughts and prayers for all Londoners... Don't let the terrorists win by changing your way of life!!!

Thoughts and prayers to all Londoners. Don't let them change your way of living just because we're doing the right thing! Those bastards, go on and fight a battle on a battlefield, but to kill inoccent civilians, that is a coward's tactic. May they all burn in hell for the rest of eternity.

was a bizarre day yesterday, but very calm with no mass panic, and the emergency services were second to none, gotta say they dealt with all perfectly.

a bit eery on the tubes this morn but most running.

Yes, to all over in London - thoughts, prayers and well wishes to you.

Be safe :heart:

Dreadfully sad; the death toll is running at 50 at the moment. I expect it'll be over 60 by the time the last bodies are recovered.

any group claimed the responsibility yet?

Sorry for asking but our TV didn't mention anything today. :confused:

any group claimed the responsibility yet?

Yes Chrono. On a website yesterday a previously unknown organisation called the "Secret Organisation Group of al-Qaeda of Jihad Organisation in Europe" claimed responsibility. This is not to say for certain that they were responsible as they could just be claiming so, but it does seem most likely to be true.

The only other possibility is they were the work of one of the Irish republican groups, but they have been quiet in London for many years now and they normally provided coded warnings beforehand. No such warning, as far has been announced, was received yesterday. The scale of these numerous co-ordinated attacks also resembles Al-Qaeda and no Irish group has claimed responsibility to date.

It's probably worth remembering that immediately after last year's Madrid bombing, the common assumption was that they were the work of the Basque separatists. (The Oklahoma City bombing was first thought to be the work of Arabs.) First impressions can be misleading. The IRA has been quiet, but as the Good Friday accords have slowly fallen apart there's been speculation that disaffected Republicans might start bombing again. The London attacks do have some of the characteristics of an Al Qaeda operation, but they also resemble the attacks that occur in Iraq on an almost daily basis, and it's fair to say that Al Qaeda's "style" has been widely emulated by numerous terrorist and insurgent groups.

It's a London sort of day here in New York, cool and raining and glum.

Does London own the dubious honor of being the city bombed by more different antagonists than any other?

I'm so sorry that it's happened again.

Clem

London was bombed by:
1) Irish Republicans
2) Al -Queda
3) Nazis

That's 3 that I could thing of.

London was bombed by:
1) Irish Republicans
2) Al -Queda
3) Nazis

That's 3 that I could thing of.

4. El CIAda

London was bombed by:
1) Irish Republicans
2) Al -Queda
3) Nazis

That's 3 that I could thing of.

Guy Fawlkes (sp?)
The French in 1066, but I don't know that they had bombs yet...

Guy Fawlkes (sp?)

Er, well, not really. Mr Fawkes and his bunch of Catholic conspirators tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605 but their cache of explosives was discovered in a cellar just in the nick of time by the Kings men. Their aim was to overthrow the king, James I. I suppose they were the terrorists of their time.

Strangely, November 5th is Bonfire night in the UK. We set off lots of fireworks and burn effagies of Guy on bonfires, odd really that things are burned to celebrate something not being burned!

Er, well, not really. Mr Fawkes and his bunch of Catholic conspirators tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605 but their cache of explosives was discovered in a cellar just in the nick of time by the Kings men. Their aim was to overthrow the king, James I. I suppose they were the terrorists of their time.


I figured he deserved some credit for effort-- he/they "used explosives against London," just not successfully. Would that the Queen's men had been as fortunate yesterday.

Strangely, November 5th is Bonfire night in the UK. We set off lots of fireworks and burn effagies of Guy on bonfires, odd really that things are burned to celebrate something not being burned!

I don't find that as strange as eating marmite... although my British friends have similar issues with peanut butter, root beer, and trick-or-treating, so I guess I'm not in a position to call strangeness....

The Brits are an amazingly resilient people, and much to be admired. As bad as it was, I'm just glad that there weren't enough of the bastards to blow up any more of the lines.

bastards is a understatment.