On 29 June 2007, in London, United Kingdom, two car bombs were discovered and disabled before they could be detonated. The first device was left near the Tiger Tiger nightclub in Haymarket at around 01:30, and the second was in Cockspur Street, in the same area of the city.
The first car was reported to the police by an ambulance crew attending a minor incident at the nightclub when they noticed suspicious fumes.
About an hour later, the car containing the second device was ticketed for illegal parking, and an hour after that, transported to the car pound at Park Lane. Staff noticed a strong smell of petrol, and reported the vehicle to police when they heard about the first device.
Both vehicles were made by Mercedes-Benz, the first a light green metallic 300E saloon, registration number G824 VFK, and the second a similar model in blue.
The cars and their devices were recovered intact for forensic examination and both were found to contain petrol cans, gas canisters and a quantity of nails, with a mobile phone-based trigger.
Although this event coincided with the appointment of Gordon Brown as Prime Minister two days earlier, Downing Street dismissed suggestions of a connection, although a close link was quickly established to the attack at Glasgow Airport the following day. Bilal Abdullah, arrested following the Glasgow attack, was later found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder (in relation to both incidents) and sentenced to 32 years in prison.
Timeline
First bomb
The vehicle has been reported to have contained 60 litres of petrol, gas cylinders, and nails. 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 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." However, the device could not have detonated, because it lacked an oxidizer, according to a columnist for The Register (UK). 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.
According to Sky News , the gas cylinders contained propane gas, used for patio heaters.
Second bomb
A second bomb was later found in a blue Mercedes-Benz 280E 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.
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 Indian convert to Islam who was sentenced to life in prison in 2006 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 also planned to attack five financial landmarks in the United States: the New York Stock Exchange and the Citigroup Center in New York City; the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, both in Washington, D.C.; and the 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 CCTV footage.
A 27-year-old doctor from India, Mohammed Haneef was arrested at Brisbane Airport in Australia on 2 July in connection with the bombings in the UK. 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. As the case against him collapsed, Dr. Haneef was released with all charges dropped.
Trial
During the trial of Bilal Abdullah, arrested following the 2007 Glasgow airport attack, details emerged of the connection between the two incidents and the role of both Abdullah and Kafeel Ahmed (who died as a result of injuries sustained in the Glasgow attack). E-mail and mobile phone conversations indicated the men first contacted each other in February 2007. Receipts and CCTV images discovered by police showed Kafeel Ahmed bought components for an improvised bomb, including nails, from hardware store B&Q. The pair were also believed to have carried out reconnaissance in London. On 28 June 2007 Ahmed and Abdulla left Scotland in the two second-hand Mercedes vehicles and were recorded on CCTV driving to London and parking both vehicles in locations in the West End. After the bombs failed to detonate the men stayed at the Newham Hotel, Romford Road, before leaving London by train via Stansted. They were then captured again on CCTV at Johnstone railway station, near Glasgow. Returning to the "bomb factory" in Glasgow they modified the Jeep into an improvised bomb during which time police were tracking both suspects via the mobile phones they had used to try and detonate the London devices and which the men were still carrying. After filling the Jeep with explosive material, Abdullah and Ahmed left early the following morning, driving around the Loch Lomond area for several hours before attempting their failed attack on Glasgow airport. Following the trial verdict, Abdullah was sentenced to a minimum of 32 years in prison as a result of his involvement in both incidents.
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. The police do not think the attacks were targeted at the event. Other suspicious vehicles in Park Lane and Fleet Street were investigated by police, as well as reports of suspicious cars in other areas of the UK, such as Warrington, which suffered a 1993 bomb attack by the Provisional Irish Republican Army. It killed both a three year, and a twelve year old boy.
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 London mayor Ken Livingstone urged the capital's communities to work together to defeat the terrorism threat.
Security at Wimbledon was increased as a result of the incident. Whitehall sources later stated that "international elements" were believed to be involved with the bomb. 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 case of convicted terrorist Dhiren Barot. Barot was connected to an earlier "limousine bomb" plot, which also involved cars packed with propane gas cylinders. One senior law enforcement official called the event a "terror plot involving Islamic extremists."
CBS News has reported that a message appeared on the widely used jihadist Internet forum Al-Hesbah at 08:09, 28 June 2007, stating: "Today I say: Rejoice, by Allah, London shall be bombed." The message went on to mention the recently announced knighthood of Satanic Verses author Salman Rushdie.
The following day, in another incident, a Jeep Cherokee was set on fire and driven into the main departure terminal of Glasgow International Airport causing minor 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.. 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.
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.
At approximately 21:30 on 30 June, officers of the Metropolitan Police and West Midlands Poli
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