Oval tube bomber surrounded in Notting Hill

[Cylinder]

From SkyNews (http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1190644,00.html):

A siege has developed in west London as part of a major armed operation connected to the London terror attacks, with one of the suspected would-be bombers reported to be the target.

One eyewitness has said that a man is inside a flat and police are surrounding the property in an effort to get him to come out.

Lisa Davis told Sky News: "We've got two men standing outside the flat right now. They have guns pointed upwards at the flat.

"They've been telling him for about 20 mins now to get his clothes off and get down."



This is the suspect seen running in the New York jersey on the CCTV images from the 21 July bomb plot. The seige is being carried live now on cable news.

[Ed]

Thank you.

Live on Fox cable now too....

[Manny]

For those of us who have internets but not TV, the Beeb is streaming (http://www.bbc.co.uk/).

[Rolfe]

I think they're saying they got him (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4727975.stm) - or one of them anyway.

Rolfe.

ETA: They just updated the page to say they've got two of them! (Two more, that is, not including the one they've had for a few days.)

Yippeeeee! It's just so sad that Jean de Menezes was shot before all this happened.

[Skeptic]

Sure gives a new meaning to the title of G. K. Chesterton's book, "The Napoleon of Notting Hill".

[richardm]

Originally posted by Rolfe
ETA: They just updated the page to say they've got two of them! (Two more, that is, not including the one they've had for a few days.)

Yippeeeee!

The other one appears to be the bus bomber. Good stuff! I hope they do indeed have the right people.

[Cylinder]

http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1319347.jpg

[Cylinder]

SkyNews is now reporting that the fourth bomber from the 21 July terror plot has been arrested and is being held in Rome. I wonder if he was the rat, since after the other three arrests this news suddenly comes out. Interesting.

Scotland Yard presser is coming up for those interested.

[richardm]

An Italian journalist is saying this fourth guy has been arrested in just the last few hours, so someone else must have been talking - unless they found an address at one of the houses they've raided.

Very good news indeed :)

[Cylinder]

Originally posted by richardm
An Italian journalist is saying this fourth guy has been arrested in just the last few hours, so someone else must have been talking - unless they found an address at one of the houses they've raided.

Very good news indeed :)

For what it's worth - I just cannot impress upon you enough the amount of confidence you guys have earned from across the pond. Great work!

[Manny]

Originally posted by Cylinder
For what it's worth - I just cannot impress upon you enough the amount of confidence you guys have earned from across the pond. Great work! No kidding! Hey, after you get this thing cleared up, do you suppose we could borrow some of your Met Police? We've got a good looking white chick (http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/07/21/natalee.reward.ap/index.html) gone missing, an ongoing mystery with some foam (http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/07/28/space.shuttle/index.html), and of course this chap who's given us a bit of trouble. (http://www.fbi.gov/mostwant/terrorists/terbinladen.htm) We'd certainly appreciate any help.

[c0rbin]

I said it before and I will say it again. Top-notch!

:th:

:uk:

[BillC]

The man arrested in Zambia, Haroon Rashid Aswat, appears to hold British citizenship. If so, then it is no trouble to return him to the UK for questioning -- no need to arrange extradition, just ask the Zambians to expel him from the country into British custody. Unless he is wanted for questioning in Zambia for some other reason.

[Hutch]

I hate to be the grouch that dumps on the celebration, but don't you think we might want to wait a wee bit to see if they actually are the right guys? I know, that silly 'innocent until proven guilty' thingee is such a party pooper, but it has it's uses......

Mind you, I do hope that they have cracked it wide open and that it will lead back to clues on the earlier murderous bombings, but after all, this is a skeptics board....

[Manny]

Originally posted by Hutch
I hate to be the grouch that dumps on the celebration, but don't you think we might want to wait a wee bit to see if they actually are the right guys? Nah, not really. It's not like we're sentencing these guys today or calling for the investigation to be closed. A few "attaboys" with the right to retract them later if it becomes necessary aren't going to hurt anyone, including the nabbed suspects.

[Jon_in_london]

Theres masses of CCTV on public transport. I would imagine that most of them are caught with their fingers in the pile of dog poo.

There only defence could be "yes, it looks a lot like me but isnt me"

[Underemployed]

Congrats to the Met for some fine work - let's hope these actually are the droids we're looking for.

Curiously, the News Shows in the UK are saying that the CCTV footage that would have cleared things up regarding the innocent Brazilian who was shot, may be "unnavailable" for some reason. A bitter irony that the real perpetrators were caught alive.

Speaking of which, how come these would-be martyrs all came quietly when the police came knocking? What happened to the Jihad? Or is it only worth killing yourself if you take out a bunch of civilians?

[Jon_in_london]

Beebs reporting that we caught all four....... now where are all the others? wheres the bomb maker(s)? wheres the bomb factory(s)?

It isnt over yet chaps.

I think this is going to continue for quite a while.

We are in for a clobbering.

[Jon_in_london]

Originally posted by Underemployed

Speaking of which, how come these would-be martyrs all came quietly when the police came knocking? What happened to the Jihad? Or is it only worth killing yourself if you take out a bunch of civilians?

I dont think they all came quietly- one of them had to be tasered and the the other shouted at for an hour or two before he came out.

I think the salient point is that they never expected to survive their own handiwork so didnt have any getaway plans.....

[Jon_in_london]

double post- problem with the forum

[Ed]

Originally posted by Jon_in_london
Beebs reporting that we caught all four....... now where are all the others? wheres the bomb maker(s)? wheres the bomb factory(s)?

It isnt over yet chaps.

I think this is going to continue for quite a while.

We are in for a clobbering.

Maybe, maybe not. They might have expected sorta heroic status in their communities and just maybe they didn't get it.

It occurs to me that being a zany muslim in a country full of zany muslims (like Iraq) might allow for sanctuary. Being one in a First World country might be a very different story. We'll see.

[Jon_in_london]

Originally posted by Ed
..... a country full of zany muslims ....


Havent spent much time in Bethnal Green recently Ed?

[Ed]

Originally posted by Jon_in_london
Havent spent much time in Bethnal Green recently Ed?

I am trying to be optimistic.

[Jon_in_london]

Originally posted by Ed
I am trying to be optimistic.

Thats very American of you. We prefer to be desperately pessimistic over this side..... helps to pass the time.....

[RandFan]

Originally posted by Jon_in_london
Beebs reporting that we caught all four....... now where are all the others? wheres the bomb maker(s)? wheres the bomb factory(s)?

It isnt over yet chaps.

I think this is going to continue for quite a while.

We are in for a clobbering. Ok, I'm a day late and a dollar short. Yes you are correct but this is a great start.

[Ed]

Originally posted by Jon_in_london
Thats very American of you. We prefer to be desperately pessimistic over this side..... helps to pass the time.....

Must be the fogs. I'm re-reading Holmes so I can relate.;)

[epepke]

Originally posted by Jon_in_london
Thats very American of you. We prefer to be desperately pessimistic over this side..... helps to pass the time.....

If nothing else, it ensures that the only surprises are pleasant ones.

Wake me when the riots start, OK?

[Skeptic]

I don't think anybody claims it's some sort of final victory, Jon_in_London. Just that it is A victory.

[Dr Adequate]

Originally posted by Jon_in_london
Beebs reporting that we caught all four....... now where are all the others? wheres the bomb maker(s)? wheres the bomb factory(s)?

...

We are in for a clobbering. Well, to look on the bright side, remember that this most recent bomb-maker appears to be completely pants at his job. I can stand being threatened by devices that go "pop... fizz". It's the ones that go "BANG" that worry me.

[Cylinder]

Sir Winston Churchill wrote:
"Silly people -- and there were many, not only in enemy countries -- might discount the force of the United States. Some said they were soft, others that they would never be united. They would fool around at a distance. They would never come to grips. They would never stand blood-letting. Their democracy and system of recurrent elections would paralyze their war effort. They would be just a vague blur on the horizon to friend or foe. Now we should see the weakness of this numerous but remote, wealthy, and talkative people. But I had studied the American Civil War, fought to the last desperate inch. American blood flowed in my veins. I thought of a remark which Edward Grey had made to me more than thirty years before -- that the United States is like "a gigantic boiler. Once the fire is lighted under it there is no limit to the power it can generate". Being saturated and satiated with emotion and sensation, I went to bed and slept the sleep of the saved and thankful."

[Mojo]

Originally posted by Jon_in_london
wheres the bomb maker(s)? wheres the bomb factory(s)?There was a suggestion that the original bomb maker (or at least the chemist who made the actual explosive - possibly arrested in Egypt) has left the country or is otherwise unavailable, which is why the second batch didn't work. and it appears that at least one of the bomb factories may have been at the flat in New Southgate that the police were searching a few days ago.

[Jon_in_london]

Well, to look on the bright side, remember that this most recent bomb-maker appears to be completely pants at his job. I can stand being threatened by devices that go "pop... fizz". It's the ones that go "BANG" that worry me.


As the Commisioner said; These huys werent "the B team" we were very lucky on the 21/07. And dont forget, we have to be lucky every time. They only have to be lucky once.

[Jon_in_london]

Originally posted by Mojo
There was a suggestion that the original bomb maker (or at least the chemist who made the actual explosive - possibly arrested in Egypt) has left the country or is otherwise unavailable, which is why the second batch didn't work. and it appears that at least one of the bomb factories may have been at the flat in New Southgate that the police were searching a few days ago.

It has been suggested that all of the explosives were TATP. If this is the case and the same batch was used on the 07/07 as the 21/07 then we know why the latter didnt explode- it only has a shelf life of 7 days after which it is too degraded to go bang.

Other wise, if its different batches then its probably different bomb makers........

Its the quantity of TATP that bothers me.... at a guess there must have been around 50 kilos. Thats a ***** load of high-explosive and indicates something somewhat more than a single guy with a fridge and a couple of bottles of ingredients.... thats an industrial scale of production!

[Jon_in_london]

And its not just the scale. Its the sheer skill and brass-ballocks of producing that much of a substance that is more upredictable, unstable and more likely to explode than my wife at the wrong time of the month.

[Dr Adequate]

Originally posted by Jon_in_london
And dont forget, we have to be lucky every time. They only have to be lucky once. That was exactly what the IRA said when they failed to kill Mrs Thatcher. As I think you know.

[Mojo]

Originally posted by Jon_in_london
And dont forget, we have to be lucky every time. They only have to be lucky once. Assuming that they are actually after a specific person or group of people, and that the attack on the seventh was therefore a failure. Not really the case.