Explosions in London?

[The Avon Lady]

Is this just an isolated incident or something more sinister? :cry:

First report of series of explosions and a huge fireball near the Buncefield oil depot close to Hemel Hempstead and St. Albans just outside London

December 11, 2005, 9:01 AM (GMT+02:00)

The blasts near MI intercity highway were felt across SE England up to West London. The cause of this major explosion in a predominantly industrial area is unknown. The

Ramada and Holiday Inn hotels have been evacuated. Fierce flames shroud the area

The blazing depot supplies fuel to the central UK airports of Heathrow and Luton. Witnesses report heavy rumbles before the explosion, much as though an aircraft crashed into the oil installations.

[CCIP]

A link:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4517962.stm

Let's not speculate yet, shall we?

I hope everything turns out fine. :(

[Camaero]

Thanks for keeping us posted! It sometimes takes awhile to hear of news outside the U.S.

[TteFAboB]

Damn, that's what I miss by watching Saddam's trial.

After the fiasco of the Underground shooting, I guess it will take us about 3 weeks and a half, maybe, to get to the truth, sit tight CCIP.

[micky1up]

wel im sure some terroist group wll lay claim to it even though its more likley to be an accident if it was terroism they didnt get many casualties

[The Avon Lady]

wel im sure some terroist group wll lay claim to it even though its more likley to be an accident if it was terroism they didnt get many casualties
I would think the target here is industrial, from the news read so far.

Anyone see the latest George Clooney movie "Syriana" and remember the ending? :hmm:

[Kapitan]

in the 1970's the oil storage depot on cavey island (6 mins away from me) was attacked its one of the largest in the south east of britain if that goes up they said every window for 30 miles will shatter.

i live about 4 miles away they routinely have VLCC tankers tied up unloading and loading fuel and its very easy to bomb the place theres 3 security gaurds on during the night so i should be worried,

not least of all the people living with in spitting distance of it :o

[Oberon]

Latest news has it down as an 'accident', a pretty big one at that.
http://www.zjstech.net/~library/4249/HeathHampsteadBlast2.jpg
http://www.zjstech.net/~library/4249/HeathHampsteadBlast1.jpg

I heard two loud bangs this morning at 6, but when I failed to hear any police sirens and orders to evacuate because Sizewell was going up, I went back to bed.
Apparently it was heard as far north as Northampton and as far east as the Netherlands! :o

[Kiwi Zero Six]

Kapitan, discussing the security aspects of any installation is not wise my friend.

[Kapitan]

it is when its on your door step

[Takeda Shingen]

Is this just an isolated incident or something more sinister? :cry:

Wolf! Wolf!

[The Avon Lady]

Is this just an isolated incident or something more sinister? :cry:

Wolf! Wolf!
In sheep's clothing! In sheep's clothing!

:hmm:

[DAB]

Suprise, Suprise.

Fox News is now talking about how Al Queda and friends have been threatening this.

They seem obsessed. Every accident is a secret terrorist attack now on that website.

[Oberon]

So far it's still being treated as an 'accident'.
43 injured, 2 seriously.
The cloud is spreading eastward, people in it's path are being warned to keep doors and windows shut and to stay inside as much as possible.
M1 has shut near the area...
The cloud seems to have reached London, some roads affected apparently.
Police reckon this is the biggest incident of its type in peacetime Europe.

[The Avon Lady]

Suprise, Suprise.

Fox News is now talking about how Al Queda and friends have been threatening this.
For example, from AFP (not Fox) December 7th: Oil prices climb after Al-Qaeda call for attacks on oil facilities (http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20051207/bs_afp/commoditiesenergyoilpriceattacks_051207145430). Pure coincidence. Can't be. Piffle.

Speaking of Fox, this should be more to your liking (http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/009319.php). Is everybody happy?!

:nope:

[Takeda Shingen]

Yes, and Katrina was actually the product of a secret Al-Queda weather machine. Allahu Akbar!

In seriousness, accidents are still a reality, so let's not get crazy. There will be time for that if it turns out that the explosions were intentional.

[The Avon Lady]

Yes, and Katrina was actually the product of a secret Al-Queda weather machine. Allahu Akbar!
If you look at my original post, all I did was ask, very early this morning, when very little information was coming over the press on the Web. :zzz:

[Takeda Shingen]

If you look at my original post, all I did was ask, very early this morning, when very little information was coming over the press on the Web. :zzz:

And so we see the fallacy of wild speculation, which was my point.

Now, my thoughts turn to our British friends and their families in this time of danger. I can only hope that the environmental ramifications are not too severe. The sooner we are rid of fossil fuels as energy sources, the better off we all shall be.

Bless you all.

[The Avon Lady]

If you look at my original post, all I did was ask, very early this morning, when very little information was coming over the press on the Web. :zzz:
And so we see the fallacy of wild speculation, which was my point.
What is "wild" about something that was threatened just 4 days earlier? :-?

And I wasn't speculating. I was asking. And for those that love to fingerpoint at Fox, I suggest you dismiss all major newswire services, such as the Associated Press:

"All indications at this stage are that this was an accident," said Frank Whiteley, chief of police in Hertfordshire, the county where the depot is located. "However, clearly we will keep an open mind, as with all investigations, until we can confirm that for certain."

Al-Qaida and other terrorist groups have threatened to target fuel depots.
- Explosions Rock Oil Depot North of London (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051211/ap_on_re_eu/britain_explosion;_ylt=Ah2G8RbmPMop1xejy5zXIF1vaA8 F;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--)

Fox is just another parrot. Know your sources.

[DAB]

If you look at my original post, all I did was ask, very early this morning, when very little information was coming over the press on the Web. :zzz:
And so we see the fallacy of wild speculation, which was my point.
What is "wild" about something that was threatened just 4 days earlier? :-?

And I wasn't speculating. I was asking. And for those that love to fingerpoint at Fox, I suggest you dismiss all major newswire services, such as the Associated Press:

"All indications at this stage are that this was an accident," said Frank Whiteley, chief of police in Hertfordshire, the county where the depot is located. "However, clearly we will keep an open mind, as with all investigations, until we can confirm that for certain."

Al-Qaida and other terrorist groups have threatened to target fuel depots.
- Explosions Rock Oil Depot North of London (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051211/ap_on_re_eu/britain_explosion;_ylt=Ah2G8RbmPMop1xejy5zXIF1vaA8 F;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--)

Fox is just another parrot. Know your sources.

Actually I was responding to an article on the Fox Site that suggested that the British people were still rocked by July 7th (something that no other news source has stated) before saying we were all preparing for the news it was a new terrorist attack.

Like hell. As Kaptain pointed out...this isn't the first time this has happened. No one was running around shouting terrorists about.

Also, this doesn't match Al Quieda's tactics. In the west, they rarely attack a single target...we would have seen simular explosions or attempts elsewhere. To attack one target would have been foolish...British and European disaster relief plans deal with a single fire - and they seem at this point to be working. For an attack to be effective, they would need to overwhelm our emergency services. And i'm sorry, there is no indications this is the case.

Sorry to disapoint those who get a kick out of seeing the west bomb middle easten countries...but the RAF is staying home this time

[The Avon Lady]

If you look at my original post, all I did was ask, very early this morning, when very little information was coming over the press on the Web. :zzz:
And so we see the fallacy of wild speculation, which was my point.
What is "wild" about something that was threatened just 4 days earlier? :-?

And I wasn't speculating. I was asking. And for those that love to fingerpoint at Fox, I suggest you dismiss all major newswire services, such as the Associated Press:

"All indications at this stage are that this was an accident," said Frank Whiteley, chief of police in Hertfordshire, the county where the depot is located. "However, clearly we will keep an open mind, as with all investigations, until we can confirm that for certain."

Al-Qaida and other terrorist groups have threatened to target fuel depots.
- Explosions Rock Oil Depot North of London (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051211/ap_on_re_eu/britain_explosion;_ylt=Ah2G8RbmPMop1xejy5zXIF1vaA8 F;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--)

Fox is just another parrot. Know your sources.

Actually I was responding to an article on the Fox Site that suggested that the British people were still rocked by July 7th (something that no other news source has stated) before saying we were all preparing for the news it was a new terrorist attack.
Wrong again. From the same AP article I linked to above, 2nd paragraph:

But the powerful explosions felt throughout a large swath of southeast England including London, 25 miles away, rattled nerves in a country still jittery over terrorism after deadly transit bombings in July killed 52 people and four suicide bombers.

Like hell. As Kaptain pointed out...this isn't the first time this has happened. No one was running around shouting terrorists about.
Fox is just parroting the wire services they pay for.
Also, this doesn't match Al Quieda's tactics. In the west, they rarely attack a single target...we would have seen simular explosions or attempts elsewhere. To attack one target would have been foolish...British and European disaster relief plans deal with a single fire - and they seem at this point to be working. For an attack to be effective, they would need to overwhelm our emergency services. And i'm sorry, there is no indications this is the case.
Yeh. Absolutely far-fetched. Go on back to your lives, citizens.

Oh and BOO (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1920067,00.html)!
Sorry to disapoint those who get a kick out of seeing the west bomb middle easten countries...but the RAF is staying home this time
Another misassumption but who needs to travel anyway?!

[Godalmighty83]

BBC - probable accident nothing confirmed, police dont suspect anything sinister yet.

FOX news- its terrorists! good god they have come back to kill us all and steal out oil! we must invade iran to stop this happening again!'

[DAB]

1) Yeah, but all the other news outlets seem to be selective on what they parrot. Most of the news outlets I've seen haven't bothered to say that.

Question: Why have most news outlets decided not to empahsise the July 7th bombings and Fox have? Just because one other news outlet has followed Fox's lead (or vice versa - it doesn't change my argument), doesn't mean that its legimitmate speculation.

2) So we have reports that Islamic Terrorists are going to attack at Christmas. This would be the same warning as last year...the year before that...the year before that...the year before that...the year before that. And the IRA before that.

Another misassumption but who needs to travel anyway?!

Explain please.

Oh and whilst your there. Perhaps you can explain how this is an Al Quiada attack. Please provide a detailed explanation - backed up with eveidence of why it is not the Real IRA instead. Then can you explain what evidence there is that they managed to get passed security without a single witness spotting them.

Oh and then explain why this is an Al Quiada attack and not an omen of the comming of the Son of God - or the second coming of the Christian Son of God. Given there is equal evidence for both theories.



In the mean time, I am going to cower in terror at the local Taven and have a couple of drinks - secretly being suspicious of the local ethnic minority groups that I am supposed to be socialing with.

[Etienne]

in the 1970's the oil storage depot on cavey island (6 mins away from me) was attacked its one of the largest in the south east of britain if that goes up they said every window for 30 miles will shatter.

i live about 4 miles away they routinely have VLCC tankers tied up unloading and loading fuel and its very easy to bomb the place theres 3 security gaurds on during the night so i should be worried,

not least of all the people living with in spitting distance of it :o

Ever heard of ISPS?

These three guys (And the ship's crew) have means of calling for help. And I mean Big. Help. The facility has a Port Facillity Security Plan, which must account for just about every event you can imagine. And the VLCC has a SSP, which is probably a piece of crap.

But guess what? VLCC's are inerted. That terminal is safer than your average gas station.

[Takeda Shingen]

What is "wild" about something that was threatened just 4 days earlier? :-?

A major attack in which port security is circumvented and substantial explosives are detonated goes from planning to execution in less than 96 hours? I'd say that this would be in the realm of 'far-fetched'.

[Kapitan]

there is a security system on board tankers of every size only inpmlemented in 1976 pusha button and it immediatly sends out a mayday giving location speed ship and all other credientials

my stepdad told me about this he served on oil tankers VLCC's and ULCC's from 1962 till 1987 when he retired due to ill health

the last ship he was on was the 358,000 tonne ULCC M.V Stena Queen

[Konovalov]

Suprise, Suprise.

Fox News is now talking about how Al Queda and friends have been threatening this.

They seem obsessed. Every accident is a secret terrorist attack now on that website.

Actually I was watching Fox News (Fox and Friends) and the female reporter Amy Kellog used the word "attack" before correcting herself so yes I think it is institutionalized (as you put it obsessed) at Fox News. :lol:

Important note of perspective. This facility that went up in flames early this morning is one of over 1200 across the UK. If Al Qaeda planned on attacking facilities such as this then I would have thought that they would have made multiple near simultaneous attacks across the country. Such attackes then would have possibly had an effect in terms of the short term supply of petrol and more importantly in it's scale as spectacular attack which would have "energised" the Al Qaeda Jihadist base.

Take a chill pill people.

[DAB]

Suprise, Suprise.

Fox News is now talking about how Al Queda and friends have been threatening this.

They seem obsessed. Every accident is a secret terrorist attack now on that website.

Actually I was watching Fox News (Fox and Friends) and the female reporter Amy Kellog used the word "attack" before correcting herself so yes I think it is institutionalized (as you put it obsessed) at Fox News. :lol:


I do sometimes wonder.

I think someone in this thread earlier suggested that it was because I veremently disliked the Murdoch press (I could be wrong, I just cant really be bothered to re-read the entire thread). Not true. If i'm watching News on television, I prefer Sky News to BBC. As they (Sky and Fox) are both part of the same news organisation, they pool a large number of reporters and the Fox News corrispondents on Sky seem as capable of neutral reporting as their Sky counterparts.

If it was institutionalised, surely the Sky News service (which have to comply with strict rules regarding reporting bias) would not be able to use those reporters.

In the 1990's, there was a BBC comedy called "The Day Today" which was run as a mock news broadcast - and made fun of the industry. Some people have tuned into the Fox News channel in the UK here and thought they were watching a re-run :rotfl:

Note: Edited to correct my appauling Grammer