Thank God Islam is a religion of peace... I'd hate to see the results if it wasn't (I'm just guessing, of course, that the bombers were Muslims).
Seriously, to our friends over in Britain - our thoughts are with you folks...sorry about the loss of life (I've heard reports that at least two deaths have been confirmed, and that's two too many. Sounds like there may be more coming, quite a few serious injuries).
Netanyahu Changed Plans Due to Warning
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.
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050707/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_britain_explosions_1
Eyewitness accounts: “the roof blew 5 metres off the bus”
Raj Mattoo, a 35 year-old support manager for a charity was on board the number 91 bus travelling through Tavistock Square when he saw a bus coming in the opposite direction. “All of a sudden the roof of the approaching bus was blown off 5 metres into the air before it fell in front of the bus.” Mr Mattoo said, judging from the explosion he thought the bomb had been on the top deck. “People on my bus were in complete shock and were panicking but they evacuated the bus in an orderly fashion within 30 seconds.” Mr Mattoo said the people on the bus torn apart by the explosion were desperately trying to get off. The explosion was quite contained but there was smoke everywhere.
Angelo Power, a 43 year-old barrister, was on the Tube when a bomb went off. He said there had been an annoucement at Mansion House saying there were technical problems on eastbound trains. A few seconds after leaving Kings Cross his train was rocked by an explosion. People were thrown from their seat screaming. Smoke was pouring in and people were trying to break the windows. They were stuck in the carriage for at least 30 minutes and the panic rose to levels of pandemonium. Mr Power was angry at the way the way London Transport handled the incident, allowing the train to continue.
Mick O Cruthers was near Russell Square when an explosion went off on a bus at around 9.20am. Mr O Cruthers said he saw people coming off the bus covered in blood and glass and was told a bomb had exploded on the bottom deck. He said the people he spoke to had been upstairs.
Travis Banko, a 24-year old insurance broker, from the antipodes was covered in soot and cuts. Mr Banko was travelling from Edgeware Road to his work in Kensington on the Circle Line. He was in the front carriage when the train was rocked by a massive explosion. “All the windows blew out. People were screaming, it was black, we couldn’t see...We were sitting in darkness for five minutes trying not to inhale all the soot and smoke filing the carriage. After five minutes the doors were opened and we got out into the tunnel...The second carriage was ripped apart. There was carnage in the second carriage, people were under the train. I tried not to look... I’ve been in London eight weeks - a nice welcoming party.”
Simon Hughes, the Lib Dem MP for Bermondsey, said he saw 50 or 60 people emerging from Kings Cross Underground “covered in soot...they looked as though they had been in a coalmine. Some of them said they heard an explosion and were clearly in shock.”
David Scott, 43, a freelance IT consultant from Milton Keynes was trying to get from Euston to Liverpool Street and had been told the Tube was down because on an electrical fault “I am going to walk north and try and get out of the city”
Pan Yuk, travelling by bus from the City towards the West End said the bus driver was told by his radio operator to pull the bus over and search it for suspicious objects.
Originally posted by wucky3They have bomb-sniffing dogs at the metro stations here in DC slowing things down here too.... If it stops a bomber, though, it's certainly worth it.
we're on red alert..manchester police have stepped up security (ie they're leaving the motorists alone for a couple of days)
Originally posted by The PlumberWhat was the source of this article? Where did you find it?
[b]Eyewitness accounts: “the roof blew 5 metres off the bus”
Raj Mattoo, a 35 year-old support manager for a charity was on board the number 91 bus travelling through Tavistock Square when he saw a bus coming in the opposite direction. “All of a sudden the roof of the approaching bus was blown off 5 metres into the air before it fell in fro ...[text shortened]... driver was told by his radio operator to pull the bus over and search it for suspicious objects.[/b]