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Thursday, July 07, 2005

Gee, George, thanks for making the world safer from terrorism
Posted by Jill | 6:07 AM

The details are yet to come, but Rachel Maddow is reporting on Air America Radio that there were three explosions on board double-decker buses today, and six in the London subway system. The first reports were that there was a power surge in the subway, but it's starting to look like it may be something worse.

Given that London was selected for the 2012 Olympics yesterday, and the G8 conference is in Edinburgh, I'm sure we're all thinking the obvious.

There's not much concrete information yet; the New York Times has only the sketchiest information; BBC's site is inaccessible, and here's a tidbit from Bloomberg News:

London closed its subway system and evacuated all stations after reports of explosions in at least seven locations on the network. An explosion on a bus caused ``numerous casualties,'' police said.

A ``major incident'' occurred, police said, without elaborating on a possible cause. The British Broadcasting Corp. said a power surge may have affected underground trains. A bus exploded at Tavistock Square, west of the city's financial district, a Metropolitan Police spokesman said. Scotland Yards said the first blast was reported at 8:50.

Emergency services were called to Liverpool Street station, Aldgate, and Edgware Road, London police said in a statement. Transport for London, which runs the city's transport network, released a statement saying the subway was suspended and all stations have been evacuated.

A policeman on the scene at Liverpool Street said an incident may have been caused by a train crash. He didn't specify whether it was an underground or overground train.

``There was panicking inside,'' said Samantha Fletcher, who was stuck in a train for about an hour between Cannon Street and Tower Hill stations. ``They told us it was a power surge.'' Offices all around Aldgate are being shut.

A spokesman said London Fire Brigade was called to an explosion at Liverpool Street. A city of London police spokesman said a blast occurred just before 9 a.m. local time at Aldgate station, and a number of people were wounded.

London Ambulance Service initially sent four vehicles to Liverpool Street, a spokesman said.


This occurred during rush hour, which makes it hard to believe that it's just a coincidence of mechanical failures.

This is terrible news. I'm going to save commentary for when we know more. I'm hoping that John Aravosis of Americablog, who's in Edinburgh, can provide more information soon. If you want to keep your eye on that source directly, go here.

UPDATE: WaPo has more. And here's an update from BBC.

UPDATE 2: Listening to Tony Blair's speech, bring broadcast on Air America. He's calling it a terrorist attack; sounds like he's hyperventilating. He's leaving the G8 conference and returning to London. Morning Sedition is doing a great job covering the London attacks this morning. If you thought they were just a bunch of sophomoric goofballs, forget it. It's worth tuning in, because rather than simply using the attacks as an excuse to whip Americans into a frenzy for continued and expanded war, which is what the MSM are going to do, they're talking to people who can put this in context.

As for me, well, I knew the relentless coverage of shark attacks and missing pretty white girl was an omen. Mr. Brilliant works in NYC. I'll be happy when he gets home tonight.
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