Article

2005-07-22 Britain

Experts: Latest London Blasts Amateurish

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Fred 2005-07-22 00:00|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 I am guessing this will turn out to be the gang who could not bomb straight and they will all be in custody shortly, found floating in the Thames, cut into small peices or ,to have left on a quick vacation to France then on to Pakistan from there.

Posted by Sock Puppet 0â Doom 2005-07-22 00:09|| 2005-07-22 00:09|| Front Page Top

#2 Probably hired a bunch of small time thugs for the job.

Posted by Pappy 2005-07-22 00:38|| 2005-07-22 00:38|| Front Page Top

#3 "..appeared less sophisticated.."

it's sad that any and all bombs no matter how sophisticated they are can be deadly.

Must be practice runs....

Posted by Jan 2005-07-22 01:17|| 2005-07-22 01:17|| Front Page Top

#4 As far as I can see it was almost identical, probably including using explosives and detonators from the same (homemade) batch. The only difference was 2 weeks had elapsed and the explosives had deteriorated.

This is little more than wishful thinking by people who are in denial that AQ has for the first time in the West achieved repeatable coordinated bomb attacks. Its just they got a minor detail wrong. A mistake they won't repeat.

Posted by phil_b 2005-07-22 01:29|| 2005-07-22 01:29|| Front Page Top

#5 Al-Qaeda Lite at work.

Posted by Vlad the Muslim Impaler 2005-07-22 03:04|| 2005-07-22 03:04|| Front Page Top

#6 Who do your think the suspects will end up being? Hmmmm.

Posted by MunkarKat 2005-07-22 08:01|| 2005-07-22 08:01|| Front Page Top

#7 A group linked to al Qaeda has claimed responsibility for the latest London bombings, as forensic teams examine the rucksack bombs found on a bus and in Tube trains. The group, Abu Hafs al Masri Brigade, also claimed responsibility for the explosions on July 7.

Posted by 2b 2005-07-22 08:06|| 2005-07-22 08:06|| Front Page Top

#8 I know its easy to make fun of these guys, but if weren't for the fact that bombs were duds this could have been very deadly. Just two weeks after the 7/7 attacks this group got four bombs into position exactly the same way the previous group did.

It's a miracle that the bombs didn't work. That's the only reason the hospitals weren't filled up again.

Posted by Laurence of the Rats">Laurence of the Rats 2005-07-22 13:03|| http://www.punictreachery.com/]">[http://www.punictreachery.com/] 2005-07-22 13:03|| Front Page Top

#9 Agree with Phil_b and LoTR. From press acounts, it seems that the blasting caps went off but not the explosive (muffled bang, clouds of white dust). I couldn't find anything on the web, but from the Richard Reid case, I remember that the sweat from his feet rendered the acetone peroxide harmless. It summer, its humid and its been two weeks and a day (minimum) since the mother of satan was brewed. The second wave of bombers were probably hiding out in safehouse with no airconditioning. Thus pop instead of boom.

I also don't see this as a sign of amatuerism. Explosives were made, packaged and staged. Two different bomber cells were recruited, trained (sent to Pakistan?), given their orders, rehearsed and echeloned. Probably at least one mid level operative in overall control of the in country effort with one controller and/or imam for each of the cells. Probably a high level operative (on a Khalid Sheikh Mohamed or Ramzi Binsalabh level) in Pakistan with direct connections to the AQ command structure. That's the command chain. We can speculate that like there is a money chain too using hawala banks in Dar al Islam to set up more legitimate accounts in "friendly" Arab countries like Bahrain or UAE that would provide operational funds. You don't want to taint the locals too much. While the local imams and sheikhs might support you by looking the other way, you don't want to tie them in too closely or they go to jail and you lose much of your recruiting and support network.

Posted by 11A5S 2005-07-22 14:33|| 2005-07-22 14:33|| Front Page Top

#10 The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again.....Yeehaw

Posted by SCPatriot">SCPatriot 2005-07-22 19:32|| 2005-07-22 19:32|| Front Page Top

12:55 Flinert Ebberemp1347
00:00 Fun Dung Poo
23:58 Seafarious
23:50 Barbara Skolaut
23:50 DMFD
23:47 Barbara Skolaut
23:22 True German Ally
23:14 trailing wife
23:12 Frank G
23:09 trailing wife
23:08 Captain America
22:47 trailing wife
22:42 Frank G
22:39 Anonymoose
22:38 AbuRatCatcherToTheStars
22:34 Kalle (kafir forever)
22:31 JosephMendiola
22:28 Pappy
22:25 Kalle (kafir forever)
22:25 Frank G
22:19 Pappy
22:16 JosephMendiola
22:14 Frank G
22:11 Jackal