Where were you. London terrorist attacks

Description

There are some global events of such impact that they stay with us forever. They are so important that we sit up and pay attention as they are happening: we sit glued to the television we pour over newspapers we frantically search out more information to understand. This series looks at some of the most shocking events of the 20th and early 21st Century analyzing how the news of their occurrence spread across the globe and what impact they had on the modern world. This episode focuses on the 2005 bomb attacks on the London underground. On the morning of July 7, 2005, four Al Qaeda suicide bombers detonated three bombs on London underground trains in quick succession. And the fourth an hour later on a double decker bus. All four bombers died in the explosions. The handmade bombs they carried were crude yet highly effective devices made from organic peroxide they had packed into their rucksacks. The attack prompted a massive response from emergency services. And in the immediate aftermath brought the city to a standstill. As London's public transport system was forced to almost completely shut down. As sense came out of the chaos it was soon revealed that the bombers were motivated by the teachings of Osama bin Laden. The terrorist attack they had launched was to show they were opposed to Britain's support of Saudi Arabia and Britain's involvement in the Iraq war. It was an event that devastated London and its people. But it did not break their spirit.

Runtime

25 min

Series

Subjects

Geography

Genre

Date of Publication

2011

Database

Alexander Street

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