June 29, 2007: Car bomb found and defused in Central London
The following is a report by the London Times, which provides information as to the car bomb terrorist attack attempts of June 29. This shows the persistent nature of the British Jihadist organizations:
London Times report on attempted nightclub car bomb attack on London:
London Times
June 29, 2007
Car bomb found and defused in Central London
Sean O'Neill and David Byers
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article2003808.ece"Police defused a "potentially viable explosive device" in a car in Central London in the early hours of this morning, after what appeared to be an attempted terrorist attack against a nightclub in the heart of the capital."
"The silver Mercedes was discovered in the Haymarket area, after police were contacted at 2am with concerns about a suspicious car. "
"Witnesses said that the vehicle contained two gas canisters and nails were on the floor of the boot. They added that the car had been driven into a series of bins outside a nightclub in the area called Tiger Tiger."
"The driver of the car was then seen to have jumped out of the car and run away. It is believed that a nightclub bouncer then went to investigate the empty car, and called police after believing it was suspicious. A massive manhunt for the driver of the vehicle is under way."
"Officers are expected to take the car away today to the Forensic Explosives Laboratory in Kent for further tests."
"Terror groups like al-Qaeda are believed to have been planning attacks on nightclubs, which are considered by Islamic fundamentalists to be symbols of Western decadance."
"Earlier this year, a number of Islamist extremist terrorists were imprisoned for planning a number of 'spectacular' attacks using fertiliser bombs, including a potential bomb at London's Ministry of Sound nightclub."
"Tiger Tiger is a combined bar, restaurant and nightclub, part of a wider national chain, that opens from midday until the early hours of the morning."
"Police this morning cordoned off a number of entrances and exits to Piccadilly Circus Tube Station, which was then closed for safety reasons by Transport for London. The station is set to remain closed for much of the morning, along with major roads all around the area including Wardour Street and Shaftesbury Avenue."
"In addition to their Haymarket inquiries, police are now thought to be conducting a huge operation across London of the iconic sites to see if devices have been left there."
"Every car going into the Wimbledon car parks today are being searched, causing chaos and long queues at the All England Club. Police are also believed to be looking for devices near places like the Tower of London, Bank of England and the Houses of Parliament.""Al-Qaeda are known to particularly favour attacks against major symbols of the British state."
"A Metropolitan Police statement said today: 'As a precautionary measure, the immediate area was cordoned off while the vehicle was examined by explosives officers."
'They discovered what appeared to be a potentially viable explosive device. This was made safe.
'The MPS Counter Terrorism Command has launched an investigation.
'The Haymarket is likely to remain closed for the foreseeable future.
'The public are advised that there is likely to be local disruption to both pedestrians and vehicles.'"
"The incident comes in Gordon Brown's second full day as Prime Minister, and marks a stormy start in his new job for the new leader. In his first day, three soldiers were confirmed to have been killed in a roadside bomb attack in southern Iraq.
"Mr Brown's new Cabinet was due to meet this morning, and will be briefed by Cobra, the government's emergencies committee.""The attempted attack comes as the current terror threat against the UK is assessed as "severe," the second highest level, meaning that intelligence analysts consider an attack highly likely. The highest level, "critical", means that an attack is expected imminently."
"Earlier this month security spot checks were introduced on petrol and chemical tankers, cement mixers and other vehicles that could be used by suicide on key routes into London, amid concerns that terrorists might copy tactics that have been used to deadly effect by insurgents in Iraq."
"Bombers in Baghdad have blown themselves up in hijacked petrol tankers and, in at least three attacks this year, have used chlorine gas canisters in lorry bombs."
"The checks follow a warning this year by Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, that "vehicle-borne weaponry is the greatest danger that we can face". But Scotland Yard said on June 6 that it had no specific intelligence to suggest that a lorry-bomb attack was imminent."
"The Metropolitan Police's Counter-Terrorism Command set up the checks as a precautionary measure but they were then incorporated into Operation Mermaid, a long-running operation aimed at ensuring vehicle safety."
"An al-Qaeda terrorist convicted last year had been planning vehicle-borne bomb attacks in London when he was arrested. Dhiren Barot pleaded guilty to plotting a series of attacks, including detailed plans to pack stretch limousines with gas cylinders and explosives and detonate them in car parks beneath hotels or office blocks."
