The London Blasts: Media Review

DAY 90: 5 October 2005

Contents

Realism - Public Realism Still High

Bali - Jemaah Islamiyah Split?

7/7 Compensation Starts

REALISM - PUBLIC REALISM STILL HIGH

The Independent reports (tucked away in a story about 7/7 compensation):

'Despite some dissatisfaction over the compensation scheme, a poll shows that about 77 per cent of Londoners are happy with the police response to the attacks. Seventy-two per cent believe the conflict in Iraq contributed to the bombings.'

Despite the flood of confusing and misleading propaganda from politicians and the media, there is still something close to a national consensus that British foreign policy is a major factor in increasing the risk of terrorism in Britain.

In fact, the poll found that only 8 per cent of Londoners thought that the war had nothing to do with the 7 July bombings! This is the lowest figure yet for public denial.

To what extent, if at all do, you think that Britain’s involvement in the Iraq war contributed towards the terrorist attacks in London?

A great deal 39%

A fair amount 33%

Not very much 15%

Not at all 8%

Don’t know 4%

Source: MORI / Greater London Authority (Telephone interviews to 1,002 London adults, conducted in from Sept. 22 to Sept. 26, 2005., pdf of results here)

Interestingly, the Greater London Authority do not mention this poll result in their press release on the poll (which had a lot of topics) - or the finding that 62 per cent of Londoners think Britain should get out of Iraq.

BALI - JEMAAH ISLAMIYAH SPLIT?

'The spiritual head of Jemaah Islamiyah, the terror group blamed for the weekend's suicide bombings in Bali, condemned the attacks yesterday from his prison cell.'

'But Abu Bakar Bashir, who is serving a 30-month sentence for conspiracy linked to the 2002 Bali bombs, also said victims of Saturday's outrage should "accept this fate from Allah".'

'Jemaah Islamiyah, which has been linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qa'eda network, seeks to establish a caliphate across south-east Asia.'

' "I really disapprove of bombings in non-conflict areas for whatever reason, including in Bali, because it can be almost certain that innocent and unknowing victims would fall," Bashir said in a statement released by his lawyer.'

'He added that he was particularly saddened if the victims included "people whose religion is Islam".' (Telegraph, page 15)

Yesterday's FT editorial noted that:

'Jemaah Islamiyah, the al-Qaeda linked south-east Asian group, already appears to have split as a result of disagreements over the incidental killing of Indonesian Muslims in previous attacks.'

Similar splits are familiar in Algeria and elsewhere. Even groups and networks linked to the al-Qaeda network are not monolithic in their approach.

Incidentally, the FT also pointed out in their editorial yesterday that while 'it is difficult to make the case that the terrorists are winning', 'the character of the conflict would change completely if they acquired weapons of mass destruction.' (Well, actually, they put the sentences the other way round.) The cycle of violence has to be brought to an end before this prospect is realized.

The FT have an interesting article about Indonesia: 'Doubts over Indonesia "soft" terror solutions' (page 11), which argues that 'the only way to reach potential terrorists is via militants rather than moderates'. Ms Sidney Jones, an analyst with the International Crisis Group and the leading expert on terrorism in south-east Asia, says:

' "It's not like the people who get recruited into terrorist organisations are just any 22-year-olds on the street. There are particular associations that these people have." '

[And the FT summarizes] 'In many cases those are historic and family associations that have roots both more local and far deeper than the reasons - such as the war in Iraq or the US policy towards Israel - often cited as the inspirations for extremism.'

Having more local and deeper roots doesn't mean that the flowers don't come out because of the sun.

Less poetically, the question is why these 'more local and deeper' roots and family associations did not produce Indonesian suicide bombers in the decades before the rise of al-Qaeda. If suicide bombers can operate under the totalitarianism of the House of Saud, why did they not operate under the totalitarianism of Suharto?

From another perspective, simply having a poor and downtrodden ghetto population does not create an urban riot. What is often needed is an outstanding act of official violence that ignites this oppressed population into violence. The beating of Rodney King in 1991, interestingly, did not lead to the LA riots. It was the acquittal of three of the policemen involved in 1992 that sparked the riots.

There is a difference between a root cause and a triggering event or set of events. There seems little doubt that the plight of of the people of Iraq - under sanctions, as an object of aggression, and now under occupation - has played an important role as both a grievance and as a triggering event in the rise of al-Qaeda-style terrorism.

7-7 COMPENSATION STARTS

The Times reports the start of official compensation for the victims of the 7 July bombings with the headline, '"Small" cheques are in the post to first victims of July 7 bombs' (page 30):

'Howard Webber, chief executive of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), said that two cheques were sent on Monday and would be followed shortly by twenty more.'

'The announcement comes after demands for emergency payouts by victims and their families. It has been almost three months since four bombs killed 52 Tube and bus passengers and injured 700.'

'Tony Blair said last week that he would intervene after some injured victims claimed that they were in danger of losing their homes because they had not received any government help. Yesterday Mr Webber said that the CICA, a government-funded agency, had worked “quite well” to send the cheques out. He said that the delay in payments was because the CICA has been waiting for police and medical reports before issuing cheques.'

'It is understood that senior executives at the CICA want the Government to set up an emergency fund to help the victims of any future terrorist atrocities. Criticisms of the compensation scheme arose after a Red Cross charity, the London Bombings Relief Charitable Fund, managed to make payments after two weeks.'

'Under the strict guidelines of the CICA scheme, set by Parliament, each claim has to be backed by a certified police and medical report before a cheque is issued.'

'Even then, families of the 52 dead are eligible for only £11,000 each. If more than one family member of a July 7 victim applies for compensation, the £11,000 will be divided between them.'

'About $2 million (£1.13 million) was paid by the US Government to families of the September 11 victims. The CICA has so far made compensation offers to 22 victims totalling £400,000. The scheme has received 209 applications for compensation. A further 2,500 are expected over the next 18 months. The average payout will be about £6,000 each.'

'Martine Wright, who lost both her legs in the Aldgate bombing, said that she was frantic about how she would pay bills that had accumulated while she was in hospital.'

'“Victims shouldn't have to fight for compensation. I’ve enough to worry about learning how to walk again. This is an extra burden,” she said.'

'Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) said yesterday that up to 2,500 people could receive payments and that they have made 22 compensation offers so far. Eight offers have been made to wounded passengers and 14 to bereaved families. Amid criticism that payments had been too slow with none received by victims in the first two months after the attacks, the CICA announced it posted its first two cheques on Monday.'

The Guardian (page 4) adds:

'But some are calling on the government for higher levels of compensation. Personal injury solicitor Colin Ettinger whose law firm is representing 15 victims, said: "While the six-figure sums being mentioned for the more severely injured victims of these attacks may sound like a lot of money it must be remembered that these payments need to cover all expenses and for some people, who require on-going care for the rest of their lives, it simply is not enough." '

Howard Webber, head of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority said: "English law does not currently recognise grief. What we are doing, albeit a small token of public sympathy, is a larger token than is available through the courts."

JNV welcomes feedback.