21 July 2005 London bombings

On 21 July 2005, four attempted bomb attacks disrupted part of London's public transport system two weeks after the 7 July 2005 London bombings. The explosions occurred around midday at Shepherd's Bush, Warren Street and Oval stations on London Underground, and on a bus in Shoreditch. A fifth bomber dumped his device without attempting to set it off.^[1]

Connecting lines and stations were closed and evacuated. Metropolitan Police later said the intention was to cause large-scale loss of life, but only the detonators of the bombs exploded, probably causing the popping sounds reported by witnesses, and only one minor injury was reported. The suspects fled the scenes after their bombs failed to explode.

On Friday 22 July CCTV images of four suspects wanted in connection with the bombings were released ^[2]. Two of the men shown in these images were identified by police on Monday 25 July as Muktar Said Ibrahim and Yasin Hassan Omar.^[3] A manhunt, described by the Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Ian Blair as "the largest ever investigation that the Met has ever mounted" was started.^[4]

By 29 July police had arrested all four of the main bombing suspects from the 21 July attempted bombings. Yasin Hassan Omar was arrested by police on 27 July, in Birmingham. On 29 July, two more suspects were arrested in London. A fourth suspect, Osman Hussein, was arrested in Rome, Italy and later extradited to the UK. According to these reports, all four known suspected bombers have now been arrested, although police are still looking for other possible gang members.^[5][6] Police also arrested numerous other people in the course of their investigations.

On 9 July 2007 three defendants, Muktar Said Ibrahim, 29, Yassin Omar, 26, and Ramzi Mohammed, 25, were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.^[7] The 4 attempted bombers were each sentenced to jail for a minimum of 40 years^[8].

Explosions

Explosions on the underground

Locations of the explosions, overlaid onto a map of the London Underground

• 12:26 BST – An explosion occurred on a train at Shepherd's Bush tube station on the Hammersmith and City Line in West London.
• 12:30 BST – An explosion occurred on a train at Oval tube station on the Northern Line.
• 12:45 BST – An explosion occurred on a Victoria Line train at Warren Street tube station (through which the Northern Line also runs).

In each case, only the detonator caps fired and the bombs themselves did not go off. This fortuitous "dudding" of four simultaneous attempted bombings may have been due to the low quality hydrogen peroxide used in the devices, which had been obtained from a large number of readily available sources. The explosions were small — only about as powerful as a large firework — and no injuries were reported, although a person who suffered an asthma attack was counted as the incident's sole casualty.

In response to the blasts, the stations were all evacuated and a number of other stations including Archway in North London, Moorgate, St. Paul's in the City and Green Park in the West End were also cleared. Many parts of the London Underground system including the Victoria Line, Northern Line, Hammersmith and City Line, Bakerloo Line and Piccadilly Line were suspended.

Some eyewitnesses reported a "strange smell", described by some as resembling burning rubber, emanating from the Underground stations. Some early reports seem to be suggesting that the smell preceded the bang by several minutes. It appears that people on a train smelt a strange odour, and realised something was wrong. They ran from one carriage to another while the train was still moving and then heard an explosion behind them.

Eyewitnesses at the scenes reported seeing men running away from the site of the explosions, and there were unconfirmed suggestions that one of the bombers had been injured. According to the RMT union, which represents Underground staff, the suspect used a handgun in a failed attempt to detonate explosives contained in a backpack.

Explosion on a double-decker bus

• 13:30 BST – A small explosion occurred in East London on the Number 26 bus travelling from Waterloo to Hackney Wick, on Hackney Road at the corner with Columbia Road in Shoreditch. There were no fatalities in the explosion.

Casualties

Although the emergency services were quickly mobilised, it became clear that the explosions had been too small to cause injuries. Authorities have stated that the only casualty resulted from an asthma attack apparently triggered by the incident.^[9]

Early suspicion of chemical attacks

Some eyewitnesses reported a "strange smell" at the scene of some of the attempted attacks and some reported seeing a white powder near the rucksacks containing the suspected bombs. As is normal in such situations, firefighters in chemical protection gear conducted tests for chemical agents before declaring the scenes free of any unconventional weapons. Police have since confirmed that the devices used by the would-be bombers were entirely conventional explosives.

A number of theories have been advanced for the presence of the unusual smells. They could possibly have resulted from the burning or smouldering (but not detonation) of the bombs' explosives, or they could have been the natural smell of the explosive. The homemade explosive thought to have been used in the 7 July bombings, TATP, is notoriously unstable and emits a distinctive smell as it sublimates.

It was reported that one of the 7 July suspects, Jamal (Germaine) Lindsay, had bought £900 worth of perfumes immediately before the bombings, possibly to disguise the acrid smell of the decomposing explosives. Some witnesses reported seeing a white powder: TATP is a white crystalline powder. An eyewitnesses mentioned that as one of the explosions occurred there was a "smell of vinegar" which could be attributed to combustion byproducts of the explosive TATP.

Subsequent incidents

21 July

University College Hospital (UCH)

University College Hospital, near Warren Street, was cordoned off at 14:30 BST, reportedly by armed police. Eyewitnesses reported seeing three armed police officers entering the building.

Both CNN and The Times ^[10] reported that the armed police at University College Hospital were pursuing a suspected bomber who fled into the building following a chase on foot down Tottenham Court Road. Witnesses reported shots being fired as the man led police on the chase from Warren Street tube station. Police say the "gunshots" may have actually been detonators going off.

An internal memo at the hospital told employees to look for a tall man with wires protruding from his clothing. The memo reportedly described the suspect as "a black male, possibly of Asian origin, about 6 ft 2 ins (188 cm) tall, wearing a blue top with wires protruding from the rear of the top."^[11] The BBC spoke to Prof Jim Ryan of UCH, who said he had not seen any such memo and dismissed the idea as "absolute rumour."^[12] A BBC reporter, however, said that he had been given a copy of an email sent to staff asking them to look for the suspect.^[13]

Later in the afternoon police said they had ended their armed operation at the hospital, but returned 30 minutes later. A Scotland Yard spokesman told the BBC: "We've got our armed deployment at UCH but we can't discuss it further." ^[14]. There were conflicting reports on whether the redeployment was related to the bombings. CNN reported that sources told them police had returned to conduct a manhunt inside the building, but police said the deployment was unrelated to the explosions.

The first arrests

At 15:30, around two hours after the explosions, a major security alert occurred in Whitehall outside the Ministry of Defence during which a man was arrested by armed police. The man was ordered to lie on the pavement before being handcuffed and arrested, about 20 metres from Downing Street. He was also ordered to open his jacket and shirt before being taken by the police, presumably to allow police to see any hidden explosives that may have been on his person. He did not appear to be carrying any bags, and did not seem to be wearing a belt, although it was very hard for the reporter to see. The BBC reported (and television coverage showed) that he was wearing a small black backpack which the police had him remove before undoing his shirt.

Two other people were also arrested: one in the Whitehall area, and one near Tottenham Court Road, according to the BBC. But all were later released without any charges being brought against them.

According to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair, the two arrests in Whitehall were "totally unconnected" to the earlier explosions.

Other security alerts

A security alert was declared, mid-afternoon, at St Albans railway station, north of London. The station was closed and the surrounding area evacuated following the discovery of an unattended backpack. A number 37 bus (Putney to Peckham) was also cordoned off after a suspect package was discovered.^[15] These incidents are both believed to be bomb scares.

22 July

Death of Jean Charles de Menezes

Main article: Jean Charles de Menezes

Police shot and killed a Brazilian man, Jean Charles de Menezes, at Stockwell tube station shortly after 10:00 on 22 July. Officers had pursued de Menezes from a location under surveillance, believing him to be one of the men wanted for the attacks of the previous day. They apparently believed de Menezes, who was claimed to be wearing a heavy jacket – later shown to be an ordinary denim jacket – was a possible suicide bomber.

Police later confirmed he was not related to the bombing incidents and issued an apology, saying that "For somebody to lose their life in such circumstances is a tragedy and one that the Metropolitan Police Service regrets."^[16] Mr. de Menezes was shot eight times, seven in the head at close range while pinned to the ground. He died at the scene.

Services on the Victoria Line between Victoria and Brixton and on the Northern Line between Kennington and Morden were suspended at the request of the police. ^[17][18]

Security alerts

Sky and BBC News reported that the East London Mosque on Whitechapel Road in Whitechapel had been surrounded by armed police and that residents were told to stay indoors. The mosque was evacuated at about 10:30 and searched. However, police confirmed that it was a bomb scare and the all-clear was given after just over an hour. ^[19]

Security alerts continued into the weekend, with major disruption to London's transport system.

23 July

A fifth bomb

On 23 July, a suspect package was found in bushes in Little Wormwood Scrubs, just north of White City and Shepherd's Bush. It was subjected to a controlled explosion and appears to have been a further bomb made to the same design as the others used on 21 July. This led to speculation that a fifth bomber might be at large. ^[20] Scotland Yard stated that they were looking for more than just the four men caught on CCTV,^[21] and by 29 July five suspected bombers had been arrested.

Like other devices used on 21 July, the device was packed into a six-and-a-quarter litre clear plastic food container with a white lid, manufactured by Delta of India, sold in about 100 outlets across the UK. The police made an appeal to retailers who may have sold five or more in the time period.^[22]

Investigation

It was immediately apparent that the explosions were the result of a terrorist attack, but it was initially unclear whether the explosions were a serious attempt to repeat the 7 July bombings or were merely a symbolic attack or hoax intended to cause panic rather than mass casualties. The explosives used by the bombers consisted of Chapatti flour powder mixed with liquid hydrogen peroxide,^[23] detonated by a booster charge.^[24] This was the same explosive mixture used by the bombers in the 7/7 bombings two weeks earlier. It was later confirmed that substantial improvised explosive devices capable of causing significant numbers of casualties had in fact been involved, but had failed to explode. The explosions were caused by detonators which failed to detonate the main explosive charge. Police later disclosed that some of the devices used had survived the explosions and were available for forensic investigation.^[25]

Relationship to the 7 July bombings

Both sets of bombings involved three Underground trains and a bus; in both cases rucksacks were involved; and in both cases the three Underground explosions were roughly simultaneous while the bus explosion was an hour later. Moreover, in both cases the four explosion locations were dispersed around central London in such a way that they could be reasonably said to have occurred "in the north, south, east, and west," recalling the wording of several terrorist manifestos.

Not all the tube stations targeted on 21 July were below ground. Shepherd's Bush (Hammersmith & City) station is above ground, can receive mobile signals, and is within sight and earshot of the BBC Television Centre.

It has been widely speculated that the 21 July bombings were the work of members of the same Islamist terrorist cell that carried out the 7 July bombings. Given that they were remarkably unsuccessful, however, some think that they are more probably explained as copycat attacks.

The reason for the apparent failure of the bombs is as yet unknown, but it has been suggested that they may have been assembled from the stockpile of explosives discovered in Leeds following the 7 July attacks. Many types of explosive material (particularly home-made varieties) are chemically unstable, and it is possible that the explosives used on 21 July had deteriorated to a point where they were incapable of exploding.

It was later reported that three of the four devices were of similar size and weight to those used on 7 July, with the fourth being housed in a smaller plastic box; all were said to have used the same type of explosive.^[26]

Claims of responsibility

Late Thursday night, a group calling itself the Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigade, after a nickname for one of Osama bin Laden's lieutenants who was killed in a 2001 airstrike in Afghanistan, posted a statement claiming responsibility for the attempted bombings. The group vowed that the terror would continue as long as Europe's soldiers were in Iraq. The group also claimed responsibility for the 7 July 2005 London bombings, the 11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings, and the 2003 North America blackout. Experts doubt the legitimacy of the group, as security experts have discredited the claims of the Madrid attack, and investigators have ruled out sabotage as a cause of the blackout. In its statement, the group cited Rome, Amsterdam and Copenhagen as future targets. However, the group has made threats in the past that it has failed to carry out.^[27]

Suspects and later arrests

Several individuals were reported to have been arrested on 22 July in connection with the bombings, including one man in Stockwell — the area where the shooting incident took place — and another man at a Snow Hill railway station in the city of Birmingham who was soon released without charge. The former may be among the individuals seen running away from the scenes of the incidents who were caught on CCTV footage. Police released images of people they wished to question with regards to the attempted bombings captured from London transport CCTV cameras.

On 25 July, two of the suspects were named by police as Yasin Hassan Omar and Muktar Said Ibrahim (also known as Muktar Mohammed Said).^[28] Yasin Hassan Omar is suspected of trying to detonate the device at Warren Street tube station and Muktar Said Ibrahim is suspected of trying to detonate the device on the bus.^[29] The Home Office has stated that both men have legally been resident for at least ten years.^[30] Muktar Said Ibrahim had apparently been receiving housing benefit.

On Wednesday 27 July, police arrested Omar in Birmingham.^[31] A suspect package was found in the course of his arrest. Three further arrests were also made in Birmingham. This raid was raised because the caretaker of the area found around 10 large bottles of hair dye, which can be used in explosives, and he was suspicious so called a low level police contact.

Major police raids occurred in west London on 29 July. It has been reported that a further two of the pictured suspects, Muktar Said Ibrahim and Ramzi Mohammed, were arrested in the course of these raids, while the Shepherd's Bush suspect - Osman Hussain - was arrested in Rome that day.^[32] The men arrested in London were apparently the suspects wanted in connection with the Oval tube and bus bombing attempts, and the man arrested in Rome is the Shepherd's Bush suspect.^[33] A European Arrest Warrant for Osman Hussain was issued by the Metropolitan Police, and he was extradited to the UK where he was charged on 8 December 2005. In addition the suspected fifth bomber Whabi Mohammad, 22, the brother of Ramzi Mohammad, was also under arrest by 28 July.^[34]

Charges

On the 7 August 2005, Yasin Hassan Omar, Muktar Said Ibrahim, and Ramzi Mohammed were charged with attempting to murder passengers and being in possession of an explosive substance. Along with a fourth man, Manfo Kwaku Asiedu, they were also charged with conspiring to murder passengers. ^[35] See the article on Osman Hussain for the charges laid against him on 8 December 2005 and other information.

On the 26 February 2008, a Tanzanian-born Muslim man who dubbed himself "Osama bin London" was found guilty of encouraging his followers to murder non-believers and of running terrorist training camps in Britain. Mohammed Hamid, 50, who came to England when he was five, was convicted along with three followers - Kibley da Costa, 25, Mohammed al-Figari, 45, and Kader Ahmed, 20 - whom the jury found guilty of attending the training camps. A fifth suspect, Atilla Ahmet, 43, who once boasted of being Al Qaeda's top figure in Europe, admitted three charges of soliciting murder at the start of the complex four-month trial at Woolwich Crown Court. The trial was closely watched in Britain as Hamid was accused of providing the inspiration for the men who tried to carry out botched suicide bombings on London's transport system on 21 July 2005.^[36]

Trial

Main article: 21 July 2005 London bombings Trial

Muktar Ibrahim, Manfo Asiedu, Hussein Osman, Yassin Omar, Ramzi Mohammed and Adel Yahya began trial in relation to the attacks of 21 July 2005 at Woolwich Crown Court on 15 January 2007. The case was anticipated to last for 'up to four months,'^[37] but in fact the jury only retired to consider the verdict on 28 June, 5 1/2 months later.

On 9 July 2007 the jury found Muktar Ibrahim, Yassin Omar and Ramzi Mohammed guilty of conspiracy to murder, and continued to deliberate on the remaining three defendants.^[38]

House raids

In the afternoon of 22 July, house raids were conducted on Harrow Road in West London (approximately a mile from Paddington railway station). The road was cordoned off by armed police and some eyewitnesses reported seeing a bomb-disabling robot.

On 25 July police announced that they had raided a property in north London. ^[39] The property was a council flat in Curtis House, Ladderswood Way, New Southgate in which Yasin Hassan Omar had been living since 1999. No arrests were made in the raid although two men have been arrested in the area. Later reports suggested that explosives may have been found at the raided address.^[40]

The BBC has a summary of raids to date.^[41]

Major raids were carried out by the police on 29 July in the Notting Hill and North Kensington areas of West London. Three people were arrested during these raids, including two of the suspects who were thought to have carried out the failed bombing attempt. (see Wikinews article).

Seized vehicles

On 26 July it was reported that police had seized a vehicle abandoned in East Finchley, north London. The BBC reported that the vehicle was a white VW Golf which was not owned by any of the suspects but which was thought to have been used by them.^[42]

Individuals charged or held by police

As of 8 August 2005 the following people had been charged in relation to the 21 July or 7 July bombing attempts:

• Charged with association with the aim of international terrorism and with possessing false documents in Italy:
  • Osman Hussein, arrested 29 July in Rome, facing extradition to UK hearing on 17 August.
• Charged with conspiracy to murder London transport passengers, possessing an explosive substance and attempting to murder passengers:
  • Yasin Hassan Omar, arrested 27 July in Birmingham,^[43] charged 7 August, found guilty of conspiracy to murder 9 July 2007.
  • Ramzi Mohammed, charged 7 August, found guilty of conspiracy to murder 9 July 2007.
  • Muktar Said Ibrahim, charged 7 August, found guilty of conspiracy to murder 9 July 2007.
• Charged with conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to cause explosions likely to endanger life or cause serious injury:
  • Manfo Kwaku Asiedu, charged 7 August, remanded in custody until 14 November.
• Charged with failing to disclose information that may help police investigating an act of terrorism:
  • Siraj Yassin Abdullah Ali, remanded in custody until 11 August.
  • Shadi Sami Abdel Gadir, remanded in custody until 11 August.
  • Omar Nagmeloin Almagboul, remanded in custody until 11 August.
  • Mohamed Kabashi, remanded in custody until 11 August.
  • Yeshiemebet Girma, remanded in custody until 11 August.
  • Mulumebet Girma, remanded in custody until 11 August.
• Charged with failing to disclose information about suspected Shepherd's Bush bomber Hussain Osman:
  • Ismael Abdurahman, remanded in custody until 11 August.
• Charged with assisting a person or persons in evading arrest:
  • Asias Girma, remanded in custody until 11 August.
  • Whabi Mohammed, remanded in custody until 11 August.

As of 8 August, the following individuals were being held by police in relation to the 21 July or 7 July bombing attempts:^[44]

• One of two men, arrested 1 August in raids on addresses in Clapham and Stockwell, South London
• A woman, arrested 3 August in Stockwell

As of 8 August, the following individuals had been released from custody after being held by police in relation to the 21 July or 7 July bombing attempts:^[45]

• Two men, arrested 22 July in Stockwell, South London
• A man, arrested 23 July in Tulse Hill, South London
• A man, arrested 24 July near Curtis House, in New Southgate in North London and rearrested on 6 August, bailed to return in September
• A man, arrested 25 July, again near Curtis House
• three men, arrested 27 July in Washwood Heath, Birmingham
• one woman, arrested 27 July in Stockwell on suspicion of harbouring offenders, bailed to return in September
• nine people, arrested 28 July in Tooting, South London
• three people, arrested 29 July in Notting Hill and North Kensington
• two women, arrested 29 July in Liverpool Street station
• three men and a woman, arrested 31 July in Brighton
• a man arrested 2 August in Finchley, north London

BBC summary of position as of 8 August.

Objectives and Iraq connection

During the initial investigation in Rome, Hussain said he was motivated to participate in the attacks after viewing videos of war-torn Iraq. "I am against war," Osman said "I've marched in peace rallies and nobody listened to me. I never thought of killing people." He claimed that the bombs were never meant to detonate or kill anybody, only to draw attention to the Iraq war.^[46]

Other news sources reported that the bombers watched videos of British and American troops killing women and children in Iraq before embarking on their mission.^[47] Some quoted him as saying "Muktar showed us some DVDs with images of the war in Iraq, especially women and children killed by American and British soldiers," Hussain said, adding that they were not to talk about these videos with others.^[47]

"There was a feeling of hatred and conviction that it was necessary to give signal — to do something." Hussain denied links with either the Al-Qaeda or the 7 July bombers. ^[48]

Response and advice

Prime Minister Tony Blair, Home Secretary Charles Clarke, and other ministers and key officials from government and the emergency services attended a meeting in COBR. Blair interrupted a meeting with Prime Minister of Australia John Howard to attend a COBR meeting, although he and Howard later gave a joint news conference. (Howard was also in Washington, D.C., at the time of the September 11, 2001 attacks.) Whitehall, the main artery serving the governmental district, was initially sealed off and evacuated, but was reopened at 14:45. It was subsequently closed again around 15:25 following an arrest and a bomb scare, both of which were fairly quickly resolved.

Sir Ian Blair, the Met police chief, described the incident as "serious" but said that there were "fewer injuries", caused by bombs that appeared to be "much smaller than those used on 7 July".

The police advised people to stay where they were and not travel unless absolutely necessary. However, people living within a 300 metre radius of the bomb sites were evacuated, due to worries about chemical agents being used. By about 16:00, however, Sir Ian Blair described the situation as "firmly under control" and urged London "to get ... moving again".

In the United States, the Pentagon raised its security level in response to the attacks. In addition, New York City Police announced that they would begin randomly searching backpacks on the New York City Subway system ^[49] though they have said that this move had been under consideration before the events in London.

According to the Evening Standard, stranded commuters and evacuated locals in Shepherd's Bush held an impromptu street party during the evening of 21 July, in the vicinity of the crime scene, which lasted until the early morning. Music was provided by a peace activism group, and several photographs of this appeared in London's local press the following day.

Impact on public transport

In contrast to 7 July there was not a complete shutdown of the London Underground system and parts of the network continued to operate.

• The Victoria Line was entirely suspended and partially reopened later the same day
• The Northern Line was entirely suspended and reopened the following day
• The Hammersmith and City Line was suspended
• The Piccadilly Line was suspended and reopened the following day, except the portions still closed due to the 7 July attacks
• The Bakerloo Line was entirely suspended and reopened later the same day
• The Metropolitan Line was suspended between Baker Street and Moorgate and reopened later the same day
• The Circle Line was already suspended due to the 7 July attacks

All other London Underground lines operated as they were before the incidents. The Bakerloo and Piccadilly closures were reportedly due to train drivers refusing to work, rather than because of incidents on the lines.^[50] All lines reopened the following day except the Hammersmith & City Line which remained suspended. The affected stations remained closed.

St Pancras railway station was closed because of a security alert at St Albans, which caused all Midland Mainline trains to and from London to be cancelled. Thameslink trains from the south terminated at Radlett and from the north at Harpenden. With Moorgate station closed the Northern City Line operated by WAGN was also severely disrupted, with trains initially getting no further south than Alexandra Palace, and then a partial restoration of service with trains normally going to and from Moorgate using King's Cross instead.

References

See also

• 7 July 2005 London bombings
• Londonistan
• European arrest warrant
• Muktar Said Ibrahim
• Yasin Hassan Omar
• Ramzi Mohammed
• Osman Hussain
• Mohammed Hamid

External links

News articles

• London bomb suspect 'had come in contact with police three times'; The Independent
• BBC: 21 July plot suspects: Charges in full (8 August 2005)
• Sky: Group claim responsibility for bombings
• Guardian: Alert after explosions in London
• BBC News, Tube cleared after minor blasts
• CNN news story
• News.com.au article
• FOX News: London Official Confirms Subway Blasts

Statements and announcements

• Statement by Prime Minister Tony Blair with Prime Minister John Howard
• Metropolitan Police request for witness information
• Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair Statement

Other

• "Mind the Gap" on Google Video Film by ex Mi5 spy David Shayler on inaccuracies of official explanation of the London Bombings
• Interactive map of bomb locations
• Official London Transport Status and Updates