The Wire

Overnight London was hit by the second terrorist attack in two weeks to target the public transport system. Again, three trains and one bus were hit, but this time the weapons failed to explode properly and just one person was injured. Police made arrests in the hours following the blast and investigations are continuing but, as yet, no charges have been laid. Prime Minister Tony Blair has urged people to remain calm, but Britain’s Muslims say they fear more reprisals. The city of New York has reacted swiftly to the attacks, with mayor Michael Bloomberg approving random bag searches on the city’s subway system as of today, as the United States voices its outrage at the attack. Australian Prime Minister John Howard was lunching at 10 Downing Street when news of the attacks came through and he says the federal government is considering beefing up anti-terrorism laws and calling in experts from London, to teach our own local authorities how to cope with terrorist attacks. Senior International Relations lecturer at the Australian National University Dr Michael McKinley explained the similarities between the two attacks.