London car bombs - Terrorist acts are self-defeating

The car bomb discovered near Piccadilly Circus in London yesterday, and a second explosives-rigged car found nearby, would probably have caused a large loss of life and extensive damage if it had gone off as planned.

It has revived haunting memories of the outrage of July 7, 2005, when 52 people were killed on three London subways and a bus.

British security officials do not know yet who was behind the planned explosion, but they have admitted that they have feared a Baghdad-style bombing on the streets of London for some months. Hence the finger of suspicion has been pointed at young British Muslims, who have been travelling to Iraq and Afghanistan to join the mujahadeen.

Compared with the IRA’s bombings in Britain, the latest attempt has been classified as distinctly amateurish. The first car bomb — which consisted of gas cylinders, nails, and 60 litres of petrol — was packed into a metallic green Mercedes. The car was parked near the three- story Tiger Tiger nightclub, which holds up to 1,770 people and stays open until 3am.

The busy thoroughfare is a particularly popular nightspot with nightclubs, restaurants and bars catering for patrons of the nearby West End theatre district. Hundreds of people could have been killed.

British authorities have feared a vehicle-borne attack in the form of a car bomb, or even a hijacked petrol or chemical tanker. Security officials have been conducting spot inspections of tanker vehicles entering London for the past year.

Early reports indicated that the crew of an ambulance called to treat a person injured in a fall at a Haymarket nightclub, noticed smoke coming from the parked car at around 1.25am. They notified the police, who removed a mobile telephone from the car. It was suspected that it might have been the trigger for the bomb.

It is a relief for all concerned that the investigation is into a failed attempt, rather than into the carnage that would undoubtedly have resulted. Police are examining footage of surveillance cameras, which cover much of central London, in the hope of identifying the driver of the car.

The whole episode amounts to a grim reminder for Prime Minister Gordon Brown that Britain continues the face the danger of attack. “We are currently facing the most serious and sustained threat to our security from international terrorism,” the new British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith warned.

Some analysts suggest the would-be bombers might have been trying to send a warning to test the new prime minister. It seems logical to assume it was designed to expedite the decision on withdrawal from Iraq.

Of course, if this was the aim, it is indicative of the failure of terrorists to learn from the lessons of history. People in London were relatively unmoved by the near miss yesterday as they went about their daily business as usual. During the Second World War, London was pummeled during the Blitz, but the ultimate effect was not to drive the people to sue for peace, but to intensify their resolve to fight. The same thing happened with the IRA’s bombing campaigns.

Such terror is self-defeating.