London bombers may have been 'duped' into committing suicide

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Sunday, July 17, 2005

The British tabloid The Daily Mirror today suggested that the London bombers may not have planned to commit suicide, while a Scotland Yard spokesman said they have not definitely confirmed that the four men intended to die when they carried out the attacks.

The Daily Mirror claims that the bombers brought return rail tickets to Luton, and that they purchased pay and display car park tickets before boarding the train at Luton Station. The tabloid paper also states how the bombers all had personal items on their person at the time of the attacks, such as wallets, driving licences and bank cards. It also states how they were carrying large rucksacks which could be easily dumped, instead of having the explosives strapped to their bodies, as would be expected of a suicide bomber. It also points to evidence from the bombers' families, where two of the men had pregnant wives.

From this evidence, the paper draws the conclusion that the four men were not told the bombs would detonate straight away, and that the men thought they would be able to escape unscathed. This was probably done to protect their master’s identity, the paper suggested, since there was a high probability the bombers would be caught had they lived.

Sources

"EXCLUSIVE: WAS IT SUICIDE?" — The Daily Mirror, July 17, 2005

"London police avoid term 'suicide bombing'" — Reuters AlertNet, July 17, 2005

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