LONDON BOMBINGS 2005

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LONDON BOMBINGS

The 7 July 2005 London bombings (also called the 7/7 bombings) were a series of coordinated Islamist terrorist blasts that hit London's public transport system during the rush hour. At 8:50 am, three bombs exploded within fifty seconds of each other on three London Underground trains. The fourth bomb exploded on a bus at 9:47 am, approximately an hour later in Tavistock Square. The bombings killed 52 commuters and the four suicide bombers, the blasts injured 700, and caused disruption of the city's transport system and the country's mobile telecommunications infrastructure.

RESPONSIBLE

At around 12:10 pm, that day, BBC news reported that a website that was believed to be run by Al-Qaeda had been found with a 200 word statement claiming responsibility of the attacks. The announcement claims the attacks area response due to the British involvement in the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the US invasion of Afghanistan.

The letter also warned other governments involved in Iraq mentioning specifically Denmark and Italy to withdraw their troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. A Saudi commentator in London noted that the statement was grammatically poor, and that a Qur'anic quotation was incorrect. In Iran some newspaper editorials blamed the bombing on British or American authorities seeking to further justify their War on Terrorism, and have claimed that the plan that included the bombings also involved increasing harassment of Muslims in Europe. Al-Qaeda officially claimed responsibility for attacks in a videotape aired on the Arab television Al-Jazeera on 1 September 2005.

The Statement was translated by Abdullah Yusuf Ali:

In the name of God, the merciful, the compassionate, may peace be upon the cheerful one and undaunted fighter, Prophet Muhammad, Allah's peace be upon him.

Nations of Islam and Arab nations: Rejoice, for it is time to take revenge against the...