The Command Post
Global War on Terror
July 21, 2005
Updates from London

There are reports of 4 more attacks in London. Three tube attacks and one incident on a bus. A nail bomb was used in one incident. No reports of injurty, and the locations: a bus in Hackney and tubes stations at Shepherd’s Bush, Warren Street, and Oval. One injury at Warren Street; it looks as if the detonator wwent off and not the bomb. Was another suicide bombing that went wrong. My reporter on the ground near Shepherd’s Bush says lot of emergency activity around the station. Warren Street was a nail bomb attack.

Oval attack seems to have been a failed attack with popping of detonators but not explosion. Someone was seen running from the scene. Bus in Hackney has bomb on it. People in chemical suits are now being seen going into Warren Street tube. Attempted suicide bombings at Oval was done by a man standing next to a woman with a baby; the man was scene running away being chased.

The police are saying it’s not a “major incident”, yet…it seems it’s become “a serious incident” now. UCL Hospital has been cordoned off by police. Mobile network has been cut off and tube network is shut down. Bombs seem to be smaller than last time, but they are not sure what is going on. People are being told to stay where we are.

An arrest has been made by armed police in UCL hospital. UCL was in lock-down. Man was seen running down Tottenham Court being chased by armed police. Police had asked staff at the hospital to look for a bearded Asian man with a ruck-sack with wires coming out of it. He has been described as “on the loose”; now it seems there are 3 or 4 men on the loose. They are being sought, naturally.

The Hammersmith & City line was the one affected in Shepherd’s Bush. No confimation of explosion at Shepherd’s bus however they are searching the area. Bakerloo and Piccadilly have been shut down as well.

Update: A man has been taken away by armed police (with weapons out) at the gates of Downing Street.

Update II: Tabitha + bandmates/friends of the band are all well and accounted for. Much to my relief.

Update III: US Embassy has been closed.

Update IV: Police Commissioner: Attacks were “pretty close to co-ordinated.”

Update V: Bus bomb was identical to device that blew up bus two weeks ago. A device was found on bus in Hackney.

Update VI: Suspect back-pack has closed St Albans station.

Update: A serious incident is going at UCL hospital with SO13 and significant armed response units. UCL is under lock-down and surrounded.

Posted by Andrew Ian Dodge at 09:40 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 05, 2005
Blast strikes UK consulate in US [Updates 6:30 PM]
Police say they have found fragments of an explosive device after a blast outside the UK consulate in New York.

The early morning explosion shattered windows in the building, which also houses other offices, but there were no reports of people being injured.

Police are at the scene and have sealed off the area around the building on Third Avenue, in Manhattan.

The explosion came as millions of voters in the United Kingdom went to the polls to elect a government.


Read more…


AP reports two explosions, not one.
They happened at 3:50 am - no injuries occurred.

Update: ABC news reports

Two small makeshift grenades exploded outside the British Consulate early Thursday, causing slight damage to the building but injuring no one, officials said.

The blasts occurred at 3:50 a.m. as voters were going to the polls in Britain. In London, Britain’s Foreign Office said there were no provisions for Britons to vote at overseas consulates.

Police spokesman Noel Waters said the grenades had been placed inside a cement flower box outside the front door of the midtown Manhattan building that houses the consulate.
Top Stories

After piecing together the shrapnel, police determined the devices were toy grenades that had been filled with gunpowder. Officers estimated that one was the size of a pineapple; the other the size of a lemon.

Blog GOP in the City has more.

Gothamist has more, including photos.
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Updates 5:45 pm

UN says staffer questioned in blast

The United Nations said one of its staff was being questioned by New York police in connection with a blast outside the British consulate earlier on Thursday.

A UN spokesman said the unnamed employee was a “person of interest” in the initial investigation into the overnight explosion of two small grenades, which damaged the New York office building housing the consulate.

NY blast by UK consulate may have Middle East link

[P]olice chief Raymond Kelly told reporters he was also looking at another possible target — a board member of Caterpillar Inc. who works in the building. The company sells bulldozers used by Israel to raze Palestinian homes.

Kelly noted there had been an April 13 protest outside the building by a group called Jews Against the Occupation.

On its web site, the group describes itself as a group of “American Jews (who) reject the Israeli government assertion that it is ‘necessary’ to subjugate Palestinians for the sake of keeping Jews safe.”

A spokesman for Caterpillar could not immediately be reached.

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The UN employee has been released

Posted by Michele at 05:23 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack