(UK) More attacks possible as terrorists still at large, warns expert

[sabra]

<<SNIP>>
http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level.php?cat=Terrorism&loid=8.0.184916368&par=0

LONDON BOMBS: MORE ATTACKS POSSIBLE AS TERRORISTS STILL AT LARGE, WARNS EXPERT

Canberra, 7 July (AKI) - Terrorists that carried out the multiple blasts that hit London's transport system on Thursday morning could conduct further attacks in the near future unless they are captured, according to a leading al-Qaeda and terrorism expert, Rohan Gunaratna. "If the cell that perpetuated these attacks is not neutralised, there is likely to be another attack in the coming days," said Gunaratna, the head of Singapore's International Center for Political Violence and Terrorism Research in an interview with Adnkronos International (AKI).

The coordinated and simultaneous manner in which the attacks were conducted, and the fact that they resulted in multiple fatalities, clearly indicated that the group that carried out the blasts was "a cell affiliated or inspired by al-Qaeda," Gunaratna said.

Speaking from the Australian capital Canberra, Gunaratna, who has closely studied the international al-Qaeda terrorist network, believes that it is very likely that the group will strike again because a study of the March 2004 Madrid train bombings, which killed 191 people, revealed there were other attempts by the al-Qaeda linked group, to conduct further blasts, following the train bombings. Those attempts were foiled by the authorities in the Spanish capital.

"This is not a suicide attack, so the terrorists are still free," said Gunaratna. "Unless they are identified and neutralised, there could be another attack soon," he said.

<</SNIP>>

[Oversea Visitor]

1. Give back to

Iraq and Afghan people their freedom and liberty and we just might see less of this.

So much hate, and for what

[davepc]

10. I'm no fan of the war, but what freedom and liberty did the people

of Afghanistan enjoy under the taliban and the people of Iraq enjoy under Saddam Hussein?

From where I sit they traded one oppression for another, but I'd hardly describe their state pre-US occupation as one of freedom and liberty.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. He doesn't actually know they weren't suicide attacks

the police haven't said one way or the other. Phone signals in the Tube aren't always reliable, so I doubt it would be bombs set off using mobile phones. Unattended baggage in Tube trains isn't common, either - unlike trains, you don't expect people to leave bags while they go off for a piss or whatever. So, if they wanted to guarantee the bombs went off without warning, a suicide bomber would be the obvious method.

[prole_for_peace]

3. terra, terra, terra

that is all

[lebkuchen]

4. How can the terrorists still be at large after all the bombs we dropped

on them?

[demnan]

5. If they couldn't forcast there would be terror attacks in the first place

Why are they suddenly really smart now?

Tell the experts to get their shit together before it hits the fan, not after.

[allemand]

6. Gunaratna is not well respected in the academic community.

See for example this review of Gunaratna’s bestselling book, "Inside Al Qaeda, Global Network of Terror":

Detective Report or Academic Book? (...)

Due to his ambiguous definition of al-Qaeda organization, the author easily claims a variety of groups to be necessarily connected with al-Qaeda and being part of the network of this organization. He does this, without properly understanding the anatomy of these
groups. This major deficiency is aggravated by his ignorance of Islamist ideology. When following his explanation of al-Qaeda ideology, I fear that one might easily come to associate a quarter of the Muslims in the world with al-Qaeda. (...)

Several questions in relation to the methodology and the reliability of data used by the author in constructing his analysis also need to be addressed. Much information of this
book refers to intelligence sources, or magazines and newspapers that have sensationalized ‘news’ about al-Qaeda. Obviously, the reliability of such data for a work that claims to be problemscientific and that is launched for an academic community cannot be assured. In addition to that, the author claims to have interviewed hundreds of al-Qaeda members and visited a dozen of its secret cells in various countries, throughout which Arabic serves as the lingua franca. As clarified by the author himself, who does not speak Arabic, trust usually constitutes one of the most important aspects of secret cells even amongst the members of the cells themselves. There is no doubt that it is not easy for outsiders to enter secret cells, let alone stay with their members without there being any suspicion.

More:
http://www.iias.nl/iiasn/29/IIASNL29_38.pdf

[Ms. Clio]

7. "The terrorists are still free"

Pretty much sums up the entire history of Bush's "War on Terror."

[daleo]

8. This phrase could refer to absolutely anybody

""a cell affiliated or inspired by al-Qaeda," Gunaratna said."

Any political, religious, or spy group must know the trick of multiple attacks by now ("coordinated and simaltaneous...multiple fatalities"). That doesn't show any connection to Al Queda - just that the group had watched the news during the past decade or so.

[lebkuchen]

9. Of course they are at large. "Shock and awe" has swelled their numbers

exponentially.

[wookie294]

11. More attacks likely by American gun murderers

More people will die from hurricanes this year than from Islamic terrorists.