LONDON BOMBS: SUICIDE ATTACKS WORST-CASE SCENARIO SAYS TERRORISM EXPERT
The Hague, 13 July (AKI) - If last Thursday's deadly blasts on central London's transport system prove to be suicide attacks, that would be be the "worst scenario" as these would be the first suicide bombings to occur in Europe, Edwin Bakker, a senior terrorism researcher at the Hague-based Netherlands Institute of International Relations told Adnkronos International (AKI) in an interview. He believes there could be some 50 active jihadist cells in Europe who may be planning similar attacks.
"If it emerges that the London bombings were suicide attacks carried out by jihadists, this would be the worst scenario, in terms of what it would do to society and what it means for the future," said Bakker. "Jihad is very bad for social and inter-group relations," he emphasised.
British police believe the bombings - which killed at least 52 people and injured 700 - were carried out by four young Muslim men, all of whom died in the blasts. All these men, aged between 19 and 30, were British-born and of Pakistani origin with no convictions or known terrorist involvement and lived an outwardly ordinary life in the Leeds area of West Yorkshire in northern England.
http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level.php?cat=Terrorism&loid=8.0.186910852&par=0
Italy warned of terror attacks
Terrorists plan to strike in near future, two warnings say
(ANSA) - Brescia, July 13 - Terrorists plan to strike Italy in the near future, an Islamic militant has warned counter-terrorism investigators in this northern city .
Brescia Prosecutor Roberto di Martino said he had been warned of an imminent action while investigating an attack planned in Milan, for which two militants were convicted on Wednesday .
"In recent days, I and my colleague were in Morocco where we met with a number of these individuals [Islamic extremists]," said the prosecutor .
"One told us we could expect something similar to what happened in Spain very soon," he said, referring to the 2004 Madrid rail bombings, in which 191 people died .
The disclosure comes a day after a similar warning by a Senegalese radical Muslim cleric, who was deported from Italy as a security threat two years ago .
Speaking from Dakar in a phone interview with the Sky TG24 station, he said an action would strike Italy in the near future .
"Within six months Italy will be subject to a chemical attack. Now is the time to strike Berlusconi and this will happen shortly," said Abdul Qadir Fadlallah Mamour. "The cities that could be hit are symbolic ones: Rome, Milan, Bologna and Venice. The weapons will be non-conventional ones such as nerve gas, which current Italian security measures are unable to detect." The imam put the timeframe for the attack at between a few weeks and six months, depending on the group involved .
"If carried out by the Abu Hafs Al Masri brigade, which claimed responsibility for Madrid and London, then it could happen within six months," he said. "But if a rival group is responsible, then it could take place in the space of a few weeks." Mamour, an imam in the northern Italian town of Carmagnola before his deportation, said it was pointless seeking out the militants in Italy as "they will come from the Balkans, Germany or France" .
Mamour lived in Italy for 11 years before being expelled after correctly forecasting a terror attack on Italian troops in Iraq. Nineteen Italians died in the November 2003 suicide bomb attack .
Excerpt
http://ansa.it/main/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2005-07-13_738903.html
Hi guys, I've been so busy with work lately sorry i havent been posting. I will see what I can do today, I have it off.
RE: The London Bombings, i almost thought i felt a switch get activated, along with the power plant explosion in basque? Too many evacuations lately.
From the NOE thread EOm said something like "events will begin in the east". Does anybody have a bad feeling like I do? I'm sorry that I ask that too many times, this is too serious not to have full attention paid to.
hoping for a quiet day.
Stay safe all,
pez