Another bomb in London is successfully defused. This one was left in a car in Haymarket outside the Tiger, Tiger nightclub around 2 am this morning. There was no warning and no intelligence suggesting an attack was imminent. Suspicion points to Al-Qa'eda - giving no warning and aiming to maim as many as possible, especially the irreligious folk who go to nightclubs is an Al-Qa'ida trademark. The likelihood is that they were British Muslims and that they timed the attack to coincide with the start of Brown's premiership.
Apparently there are now over 2000 Al-Qa'ida suspects under surveillance by the police and security services. This compares with the 700 or so who were interned in Northern Ireland at the start of the 'Troubles'.
In view of the threat it is worth considering what the terrorists have failed to do in England. We do not have imprisonment without trial. Indeed despite the wish of the police and government to detain suspects for 90 days without charging them, our democracy has not allowed it. We do not allow suspects to be tortured. We have interned nobody. Attempts to deport foreign suspects are rare and strongly opposed by civil rights groups. We are going about our business normally. The City of London is thriving. Tourism is more affected by the terrible weather than by the threat of terrorism. Immigrants are still dying to get to London. The Judiciary are independent from the Executive. The Press is free. Broadcasters are not intimidated by the government. We have free elections. People are allowed to go on strike (indeed the mailmen are on strike today). We do not allow phone-tap evidence in court. Bid sporting events (like Wimbledon) continue to be held in London. Arabs are not attacked in the street. The police do not carry guns. The public have accepted being searched and X-rayed without demur. We are not forced to carry Identity Cards. The trains, the buses, the airplanes and the roads are full. No-one is intimidated. Mosques remain open.
London withstood bombs from Zeppelins in 1914-18. London withstood bombs from Heinkels and Messerschmidts in 1940. London withstood the V1 flying bombs in 1943-44. London withstood the V2 rockets in 1944-5. London withstood the IRA bombers in the seventies, eighties and nineties.
Here is a message to Islamist bombers: London is not a soft touch.
Later: A second car bomb has been found. This one was illegally parked and was towed away. The thought is comical. A terrorist plants a car bomb to do maximum damage to partying infidels. But along comes a traffic warden. "Hey you can't park there." So it is towed away and only later does a council employee smell petrol.
But Wimbledon continues (all those naked female limbs), a Gay Pride march takes place in London today and tomorrow a concert in memory of Princess Diana (the hussey - and died dating a Muslim too). What do you expect, London, is that not provocation?
My guess at this moment is that the first bomb car went off prematurely, and the driver was driving erratically because he was in danger of blowing himself up, and/or he was in danger of burning himself up, which sounds and likely is quite painful.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds as though the Islamicists are sending in their second-tier terrorists.
Apparently their first-string is bogged down in Iraq fighting the US's finest.
We can beat terrorism if we want; too bad the liberals are falling all over themselves trying to see who can surrender first.
How shameful.
How to beat America. 1. Elect a liberal as president. 2. Attack at will. 3. If there is a response, just go into low-key guerrilla warfare until the liberals surrender. 4. Declare victory, tell liberal America to pay for war damage.
Simple! Never fails! Sometimes even works even against conservatives such as Ronald Reagan.
(Gosh I agree with you about dumb Diana. Prince Charley isn't a prize and all, but, still, what about your children? At least we are spared further tabloid idiocy as Diana dates various losers.)
Are you being ironical?
ReplyDeleteIronical about Diana? Yes.
ReplyDeleteI found her tiresome, to be honest. My girlfriend wept throughout the funeral coverage.
Or about the war?
Yes, sort of. America cannot be beaten by a ragtag group in a direct, military confrontation. Arousing the defeatist left is the best way.
The left can fall all over themselves trying to surrender.
I've tried to engage liberals as to what they would do after September 11. After a minute or two, they descend into obscenities, vulgarisms, and screaming.
So much for polite discourse.
And I am truly interested in understanding how they think leaving Iraq would help America.