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{{current|date=June 2007}}
{{Infobox terrorist attack
|title=2007 London Car Bombs
|image=Haymarket car bomb.jpg
|caption=The Mercedes-Benz on Haymarket covered by a tent
|___location=[[London, UK|London]], [[United Kingdom]]
|target=[[Haymarket (London)|Haymarket]],<br>[[Park Lane (road)|Park Lane]]
|date=[[29 June]] [[2007]]
|time-begin=
|time-end=
|timezone=|type=Attempted [[car bomb]]s
|injuries= 0
|perps=Unknown number, identities as yet unknown
|Status=Not successful
}}
On '''[[29 June]] [[2007]]''', '''two unexploded [[car bomb]]s''' were discovered in '''[[London]]''', in the '''[[United Kingdom]]'''. The first device was found near the [[Tiger Tiger (nightclub)|Tiger Tiger]] [[nightclub]] in [[Haymarket (London)|Haymarket]]. The device was removed and later disassembled by explosives officers. Several reports were made to the [[Metropolitan Police Service|police]], including one from an [[paramedic|ambulance crew]] that saw what looked like smoke in the car (which later transpired to be petrol evaporating) some time after 01:25 ([[Western European Summer Time|BST]]) after being called to the nightclub to attend to a man who had fallen over and suffered a minor head injury.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,70131-1272962,00.html | title=Bomb Attempt: Police Briefing |date=[[2007-06-29]]| work =[[Sky News]]}}</ref> The car was a [[1989]]<ref name=CNNPhoto>{{cite news|url=http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/interactive/world/0706/gallery.london.scare/images/super.patiogas.weir.jpg | title=Car registration plate (G-prefix indicates 1989) |date=[[2007-06-29]]}}</ref> light metallic green [[Mercedes-Benz W124|Mercedes 300E]] [[sedan|saloon]].
Around 04:00 there were reports that two large gas canisters and a large number of nails had been found in the car.<ref name=BBC>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6252276.stm | title=Police avert car bomb "carnage" |date=[[2007-06-29]] |work =[[BBC News]]}}</ref><ref name=Skynews-1>{{cite news|url=http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,70131-1272910,00.html | title=Two Bombs Were Set To Blow In London |date=[[2007-06-29]]| work =[[Sky News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.sky.com/skynews/picture_gallery/picture_gallery/0,,70131-1272919,00.html | title=Sky News Pictures - London bomb scare|date=[[2007-06-29]]| work =[[Sky News]]}}</ref> The second device was left in a blue [[Mercedes-Benz W123|Mercedes-Benz]] [[sedan|saloon car]] in nearby Cockspur Street,<ref name=BBC1>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6255960.stm | title=Two car bombs found in West End|date=[[2007-06-29]]| work =[[BBC]]}}</ref> but was not discovered until after the car had been towed away as it was found to be illegally parked.<ref name=Telegraph1>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/06/29/nbomb1029.xml | author=Duncan Gardham and Sally Peck
| title=Second car bomb found in London's West End|date=[[2007-06-29]]| work =[[Telegraph]]}}</ref>
<!--These events took place two days after [[Gordon Brown]] became the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] and one day after [[Home Secretary]] [[Jacqui Smith]] took office, a week before the second anniversary of the [[7 July 2005 London bombings|2005 London bombings]] and a day before a [[Pride London|gay pride march]] was to take place along the street where the first bomb was found.-->
==Timeline==
[[Image:The Haymarket London.jpg|thumb|Haymarket]]
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Time (UTC+1)!!Event
|-
! colspan=3 style="text-align:center" | [[29 June]] [[2007]]
|-
| '''01:25'''
| [[London Ambulance Service]] crew report seeing smoke in a car parked in [[Haymarket (London)|Haymarket]]. Eyewitnesses claim to have seen the car being driven "erratically" and then crashing into bins, after which the driver got out and ran off.<ref name=BBC/>
|-
| '''02:00'''
| [[Metropolitan Police Service|Metropolitan Police officers]] investigate the vehicle and cordon off the area.<ref name=BBC>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6252276.stm | title=Police avert car bomb "carnage" |date=[[2007-06-29]] |work =[[BBC News]]}}</ref>
|-
| '''02:30'''
| A second car is found illegally parked in Cockspur Street, near Trafalgar Square.<ref name=BBC2>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6256386.stm | title=London car bombs timeline |date=[[2007-06-30]] |work =[[BBC News]]}}</ref>
|-
| '''03:30'''
| The second car is taken to a car pound in Park Lane. Police manually disable a device in the first car.<ref name=BBC2/>
|-
| '''04:00'''
| A witness sees the police removing gas canisters from the car.
|-
| '''08:00'''
| [[Piccadilly Circus tube station|Piccadilly Circus Underground station]] is closed.
|-
| '''10:25'''
| The car is taken from Haymarket and sent to the [[Dstl|Defence Science and Technology Laboratory's]] research site at [[Fort_Halstead|Fort Halstead]] in [[Kent|Kent]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.kentnews.co.uk//kent-news/Fort-Halstead-probes-car-in-London-security-scare-newsinkent4217.aspx | title=Fort Halstead probes car in London security scare |date=[[2007-06-29]]| work =[[Kent News]]}}</ref>
|-
| '''10:30'''
| The government's [[Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms|COBR]] committee meets to discuss the issue. Piccadilly Circus Underground station is reopened.
|-
| '''14:30'''
|[[Park Lane (road)|Park Lane]] is closed off after a second suspect vehicle is discovered in an underground car park.<ref name=parklane>{{cite news|url=http://uk.news.yahoo.com/afp/20070629/tuk-britain-attacks-alert-a7ad41d.html | title=Central London street sealed off amid new alert |date=[[2007-06-29]]| work =[[Yahoo! News]]}}</ref>
|-
| '''15:45'''
|A police bomb investigation robot is seen near the entrance to the car park.<ref name=parklane />
|-
| '''17:00'''
|Police cordon off [[Fleet Street]] after finding a third suspicious vehicle.
|-
|'''18:00'''
|Fleet Street re-opens after nothing is found in the vehicle.
|-
|'''19:00'''
|Police confirm that a second device has been located at the Park Lane site.<ref name=Telegraph1 />
|-
| '''20:45'''
|Police confirm that both vehicles were packed with nails, petrol and gas cylinders.<ref name=BBC2/>
|}
==First bomb==
[[Image:Tiger Tiger Haymarket.jpg|thumb|[[Tiger Tiger (nightclub)|Tiger Tiger nightclub]] in Haymarket.]]
The vehicle has been reported to have contained 60 litres of [[Gasoline|petrol]], [[gas cylinder]]s, and [[Nail (engineering)|nail]]s.<ref>BBC News: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6253802.stm Q&A: Car bomb investigation], July 29, 2007</ref> [[Scotland Yard]] has reported that while the gas contained in the canisters and the quantity of the canisters remains unknown, they do not wish to increase speculation and that further details will be given after they have been analysed by [[Forensic science | forensic]] experts. The head of Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism command said, "It is obvious that if the device had detonated there could have been serious injury or loss of life."<ref name=BBC /> However, the device could not have detonated, because it lacked an oxidizer, according to a columnist for The Register (UK).<ref>http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/29/more_fear_biscuits_please/</ref><ref>http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/07/02/terror_idiocy_outbreak/</ref> This information may have originated from an interview of former [[CIA]] counter-terrorism officer Larry Johnson, conducted by [[Keith Olbermann]] of MSNBC on 29 June. <ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK5-jIfOBjQ&eurl=</ref>
According to ''[[Sky News]]'', the gas cylinders contained [[propane]] gas, used for patio heaters.<ref name=Skynews-1>{{cite news|url=http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,70131-1272910,00.html | title=Two Bombs Were Set To Blow In London |date=[[2007-06-29]]| work =[[Sky News]]}}</ref>
==Second bomb==
A second bomb was later found in a blue [[Mercedes-Benz W123|Mercedes-Benz 280E]]<ref name=BBC2/> believed to have been left in the same area at around the same time. The illegally-parked car received a parking ticket in Cockspur Street at 02:30. At about 03:30 the car was transported to the Park Lane car pound. Staff left the car in a public area after smelling petrol fumes and alerted police on hearing about the first bomb.<ref name=Telegraph1>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/06/29/nbomb1029.xml | title=Second car bomb found in London's West End|date=[[2007-06-29]]| work =[[Telegraph]]}}</ref><ref name=BBC-A>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6255452.stm | title=
Police hunt for London car bomber
|date=[[2007-06-29]]| work =[[BBC News]]}}</ref>
==Suspects==
U.S. officials told [[NBC News]] that three men have been identified and are believed to be from [[Birmingham]]. Furthermore, the network reported that one of the three men could be an associate of [[Dhiren Barot]], an [[India]]n [[Conversion to Islam|convert to Islam]] who was sentenced to life in prison last year for plotting to fill limousines with explosives similar to those found in these incidents and park them in garages beneath hotels and office complexes. Bharot, whom police described as a high-level [[al-Qaeda]] operative, also planned to attack five financial landmarks in the United States: the [[New York Stock Exchange]] and the [[Citigroup Tower]] in [[New York City]]; the [[International Monetary Fund]] and the [[World Bank]], both in [[Washington, D.C.]]; and the [[Prudential Financial|Prudential Building]] in [[Newark, New Jersey]]. [[Scotland Yard]] are denying claims from a report by [[ABC News]] that police had a "crystal clear" picture of one suspect from [[Closed-circuit television|CCTV]] footage.<ref>MSNBC and NBC News: [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19516724/ U.K. police hunt for London car bomb plotters], June 30, 2007</ref>
A 27-year-old doctor Mohammed Haneef was arrested at Brisbane Airport on 2 July in connection with the bombings in the UK. The doctor works at the [[Gold Coast Hospital]] and is believed to be a junior doctor from India. He was arrested while trying to board a flight with a one way ticket to [[Bangalore]], India, apparently to visit his newly born daughter. The arrest followed information received from the UK. <ref>Daily Telegraph July 5 [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/05/nterror205.xml]</ref> A second doctor was detained at the Gold Coast Hospital by police on 3 July 2007 and was later released.{{Fact|date=July 2007}}
==Aftermath==
A spokesperson for [[Pride London]] stated that the route of their [[gay pride]] march, set for [[30 June]] [[2007]], would be unchanged although extra precautions such as removing bins would be implemented.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.pridelondon.org/ | title=Car bomb found in London |date=[[2007-06-29]]| work =[[Pride London]]}}</ref> The police do not think the attacks were targeted at the event. Other suspicious vehicles in [[Park Lane (road)|Park Lane]] and [[Fleet Street]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUKL2919779720070629 | author=Peter Graff and Mark Trevelyan| title=Police find two car bombs in central London |date=[[2007-06-29]]| work =[[Reuters UK]]}}</ref> were investigated by police, as well as reports of suspicious cars in other areas of the UK, such as [[Warrington]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/6253720.stm | title=Police lift town exclusion zone |date=[[2007-06-29]]| work =[[BBC News Online]]}}</ref> which suffered a [[Warrington bomb attacks|1993 bomb attack]] by the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army]].{{Fact|date=July 2007}}
Office workers, students and tourists were still enjoying a Friday night out in London only hours after the discovery of the bombs. Bars and clubs remained open and [[Mayor of London|London mayor]] [[Ken Livingstone]] urged the capital's communities to work together to defeat the terrorism threat.<ref>Rupert Neate, Rachel Williams and Helen Pidd: [http://www.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,,2115283,00.html Bomb alerts and travel chaos fail to deter West End revellers], ''The Guardian'', June 30, 2007</ref>
Security at [[The Championships, Wimbledon|Wimbledon]] was increased as a result of the incident.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tennis.com/news/news.aspx?id=89624 | author=AP| title=Security increased at Wimbledon due to terrorist threat |date=[[2007-06-29]]| work =[[Tennis.com]]}}</ref> [[Her Majesty's Government|Whitehall]] sources later stated that "international elements" were believed to be involved with the bomb.<ref name=BBC/> Police claim to have a "crystal clear" picture of the driver of the first car and suspect he may be an individual formerly detained in relation to the [[2004_Financial_buildings_plot|case]] of convicted terrorist Dhiren Barot.<ref name="Barot">Brian Ross and Richard Esposito: [http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/06/terror-plot-inv.html Terror Plot Involves Islamic Extremists; Police Have 'Crystal Clear' Picture of Suspect], ''ABC News'', June 29, 2007</ref> Barot was connected to an earlier "limousine bomb" plot, which also involved cars packed with [[propane]] gas cylinders.<ref name=BBC1/><ref>Dominic Casciani:
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6756619.stm The men who made a plot possible], [[BBC]], [[2007-06-15]]</ref> One senior law enforcement official called the event a "terror plot involving [[Islamist terrorism|Islamic extremists]]."<ref name="Barot">Brian Ross and Richard Esposito: [http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/06/terror-plot-inv.html Terror Plot Involves Islamic Extremists; Police Have 'Crystal Clear' Picture of Suspect], ''ABC News'', June 29, 2007</ref>
[[CBS News]] has reported that a message appeared on the widely used [[jihad]]ist [[Internet forum]] [[Al-Hesbah]] at 08:09, [[June 28]] [[2007]], stating: "Today I say: Rejoice, by Allah, London shall be bombed." The message went on to mention the recently announced [[Knighthood of Salman Rushdie|knighthood]] of ''[[The Satanic Verses|Satanic Verses]]'' author [[Salman Rushdie]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/06/29/terror/main2997517.shtml | author=Tucker Reals |title=Was London Bomb Plot Heralded On Web?|date=[[2007-06-29]]| work =[[CBS News]]}}</ref>
The following day, in another incident, a [[Jeep Cherokee (XJ)|Jeep Cherokee]] was [[2007 Glasgow International Airport attack|set on fire and driven into the main departure terminal]] of [[Glasgow International Airport]] causing considerable damage. Two men, believed to be of Asian appearance, were arrested at the scene. One, who had been on fire, was taken to a nearby hospital and the other to a police station. [[Home Secretary]] [[Jacqui Smith]] announced that the attack is being treated as a terrorist attack and that the United Kingdom terrorism threat level has been elevated from "Severe" to "Critical", meaning "further attacks are expected imminently". In a press conference Glasgow police said this attack and the car bombs in London are believed to be linked.<ref>BBC News: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/6257194.stm Blazing car crashes into airport], June 30, 2007</ref><ref>UK Home Office: [http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/security/current-threat-level/ Current Threat Level]</ref><ref>Mark Townsend, Jo Revill and Paul Kelbie: [http://www.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,,2115693,00.html Glasgow attacked as terror threat spreads], ''The Guardian'', June 30, 2007</ref>. The BBC reported that a mobile phone found after the arrest of the Glasgow suspects contained the numbers of those involved in the London bombing attempts. The Metropolitan Police say this is the first evidence they have linking the events.{{Fact|date=July 2007}}
In the [[United States]] White House press secretary [[Tony Snow]] said "There is no specific or credible evidence of any threat of any kind against the United States of America." [[Homeland Security]] Secretary [[Michael Chertoff]] said there were no immediate plans to raise the U.S. national threat level, now at yellow, or elevated. In [[New York City]] Mayor [[Michael Bloomberg]] said police would work extra hours in more locations. The police department increased patrols at high profile tourist areas such as [[Times Square]], as well as the subways. Officers were told to give extra attention to parking garages and any suspicious vehicles. After the Glasgow attack patrols were increased at some airports.<ref>AP: [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19503746/ U.S. urges vigilance after U.K. bomb defused], ''MSNBC'', June 29, 2007</ref><ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19524699/ U.S. ‘comfortable’ with terror alert status MSNBC]</ref>
At approximately 21:30 on [[30 June]], officers of the [[Metropolitan Police Service|Metropolitan Police]] and [[West Midlands Police]] arrested two people at junction 16 on the northbound [[M6 motorway]] near [[Sandbach]] in south Cheshire, blocking the motorway for about 40 minutes.<ref>BBC News: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6257606.stm UK terror threat now 'critical'], July 1, 2007 </ref>
[[Gordon Brown]] stated on [[July 1]] that "[it is] clear that we are dealing, in general terms, with people who are associated with al-Qaeda."<ref>BBC News: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6258062.stm ''PM defiant over "al-Qaeda threat"''], July 1, 2007; retrieved [[July 1]] [[2007]]</ref>
On [[July 4]] a suicide note was found that police said belonged to two of the suspects.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/07/04/london.investigation/index.html UK terror police find suicide note]</ref>
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
== See also ==
* [[2007 UK terrorist incidents]]
* [[2007 Glasgow International Airport attack]]
* [[21 July 2005 London bombings]]
== External links ==
{{Wikinewspar5|Car bomb defused in central London|MI5 terror threat warning level raised to 'critical'|Further arrests following terror attacks in London and Glasgow|Eighth suspect connected to failed UK bombings arrested|Controlled explosions take place as police enquiry into UK bombings continues}}
*[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/gallery/070629/GAL-07Jun29-79723/index.html ''Washington Post Photo Gallery'']
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/6253418.stm In pictures: Car bomb discovered] ([[BBC]])
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6253778.stm London mayor calls for vigilance] ([[BBC]])
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6255960.stm Metropolitan Police press conference (video)] ([[BBC]])
*[http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,70131-1272910,00.html Public On Alert As Car Bombing Foiled] ([[Sky News]])
*[http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/546BFEB3-352D-488C-97BD-F0E08351DE68.htm Al-Jazeera News coverage (in English)]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK5-jIfOBjQ Keith Olbermann with ex-CIA expert on MSNBC]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6265674.stm] BBC News, Heathrow T4 Suspect package
{{War on Terrorism}}
[[Category:2007 in London|car bombs]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in 2007]]
[[Category:Terrorism in London]]
[[Category:Al-Qaeda activities]]
[[Category:Islamist terrorism in Europe]]
[[Category:Failed terrorist attempts]]
[[fr:Voitures piégées de Londres en 2007]]
[[nl:Verijdelde aanslagen (29 en 30 juni 2007) Londen en Glasgow]]
[[no:Bilbombene i London juni 2007]]
[[pl:Samochody-pułapki w Londynie, czerwiec 2007]]
[[fi:Lontoon autopommit 2007]]
[[sv:Bilbomberna i London 2007]]
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