By all accounts, Friday's two attempted car bombings in London and the aborted attack at Glasgow's airport were designed to cause massive casualties and loss of life. The failure of the London bombs to explode (one man left a Mercedes "stumbling," possibly overcome by petrol fumes) and the Glasgow car to do more than catch fire suggests participants whose madness is superceded only by their incompetence. Repeated calls to trigger the bombs in both London cars failed.

Unlike many Al Qaeda-inspired attacks around the world, the London bombs were set up to go off by remote control, though the Glasgow attack did involve the suicidal attempt of at least one individual who set himself alight and apparently shouted "Allah" at the crowds and police who restrained him (he is now in critical condition at a nearby hospital under armed guard). Through increased surveillance - both by police and by Muslims still jittery after 7/7 - the franchise has downgraded to a relatively large number of amateurs who are resorting to softer targets, smaller networks, and cruder, less effective weapons.

Until the Glasgow attack, it may have been easy to characterise the dumb luck of intelligence services in gathering the London forensic evidence (initially without suspects) as near conspiratorial. Arresting the two involved in Glasgow's attack (one well charred) and parsing CCTV and other information to make subsequent arrests has changed all that. Only a few of the suspects may have been among the 1000 or so being watched (but not arrested) for potential terrorist activity, illustrating the difficulty of catching "clean skins" until a terrorism attempt was made. But it's the "homegrown" vs. "foreign" aspect of these events that may be the focus of further attention.

Despite early reports that nearly all of those detained by Monday were recent arrivals of Middle Eastern - not British - descent, newspapers referred often to the reported "Asian" appearances of the suspects and raids in "Asian" areas of the UK, references not lost to communities implicated in the 7/7 bombings nearly 2 years ago (3 of the 4 in that attack were Britons of South Asian descent). For many of them, the rush to judgement is no surprise.

What is a surprise is that at least five of those arrested came to the UK to work as doctors in Scottish and other NHS hospitals - a far cry from the socio-economic conditions that are often cited as a key factor for alienation among Muslim youth. One of the suspects was arrested far away in Brisbane, Australia.

Although there is still a chance of domestic involvement, police did seek to calm tensions within Muslim communities. "The people we have in custody came to Scotland a short while ago to seek work," remarked Chief Constable John Neilson at a public meeting in a Glasgow mosque. "Other than that, I can't tell you - but I'm sure the community in Glasgow in particular will be reassured. These are not your young people."

As a result, the focus of the response - outside of a thorough vetting of the network and infrastructure behind the London and Glasgow attacks - may eventually shift to immigration rather than homegrown radicalism. In the wake of the attempted bombings, Muslim organisations were left to issue (rather obvious) exhortations for Muslims to provide information to police where possible. The real pain, however, will be adding to the tensions about homegrown radicalisation increased pressure to curtail immigration from Muslim countries, affecting everyone from students to professionals to imported spouses (maybe not such a bad thing, that).

While this would undoubtedly be unfortunate for the thousands who want to come to the UK and other Western countries legally to contribute positively to society as countless others have, the willingness of so many immigrant doctors to be involved in these attempts will require more than simple platitudes to address. For the already troubled immigration debate, deep soul searching on all sides may be necessary.

I know you wont respond to this weisskoph, but I know you're reading it. Its incredible how utterly devoid you are of any reason. Your inane arguments can just as easily be applied to Jews who live in these same "free" societies yet never stop complaining "anti-semetism." You have no idea what other peoples experiences are, so who are you to tell people what fear is, and isnt?
Anti-Muslim racist war propaganda is rife in the western world, and many of its strongest innovators and promoters are zionist jews like you.
It is so nice to see that enough people are waking up and learn who the real enemies of life and God are.Moses warned them and so they will have no one to blame but themselves.

I don't live in Saudi Arabia, nor in the US or UK, Weisskoph. Free speech is not existent in the US or UK, not when phones are being tapped, computers being hacked and library records open to a governments which can label anyone at anytime a "terrorist" The key difference is that Saudi Arabia does not claim to be democratic, and is in fact a client state of the US. I'm sure a manipulative jewish extremist liar like you knew that already.
You are good at projecting your fantasies on other people, a legend in your own mind you are - small mind, hard heart, totally bereft of any honesty. In the meantime stop trying to be something you are not, you are not given to an ounce of sound reasoning, and cling to a joke of a worldview.

Weiskopf,

You description of the global politics has truth in it. But, do you realize that the victims on the other end of these foreign policies are not going not don't like blown up by US soldiers or their paid goons? Or that these people rightly or wrongly will try to avenge the deaths and destruction wrought onto their lives by the strong nations.

Yes, all the past empires, including the muslim ones, have done the same things when they were they had the power. But, I would venture to say that no one else but the US claimed (so vigorously) that they are bringing freedom and democracy to people of other countries while doing exactly the opposite.

Arshad,

You are right in your opinion of the USA proclaiming its own virtue louder than anyone. I suspect we hear it loudest because we are alive when it is happening. Romans did it when they went all over the world 'civilizing' people. Christians brought culture to the Mayans!

Did the muslims not claim they were bringing god to the heathens, and if they did not want it lop off their heads? You are forgetting that excepting some cultures in the east most major nations have played this game before - of subjugating others to their world view.

It is the turn of the US now. This too will come to pass, but let us not kid ourselves that they are the only villains around. Look at Africa and you will see my point. Or China.
You think all they are all planning to do with the million plus army is one big bar-b-cue party?

Weisskopf,

You have conveniently ignored the main thrust of my comment - victims of power would protest and avenge. And, that US has no claim to moral superiority.

Weisskopf,

The terrorism that Muslims are accused of committing is no different than the terrorism that non-Muslims are committing. The only difference is the media gives all of its attention to terrorist acts that are allegedly committed by Muslims. Often it is found out the government informants or agent provocateurs were involved in provoking the violent acts.

You say "look at Africa and you will see mypoint" LOL :) LOL :) What are you talking about ?

Thanks to the military interventions of the United States, Israel, and the European countries it is in Africa that there is the most number of killings and it is mainly Christians killing Christians. At least 10 million have died in the Central African region. The United States is the number one seller of weapons to Africa, and while the Africans are killing each other, the United States, Israel, and European countrie and now China and India are joining in the act of exploiting the natural resources of the continent.

Randall - you've got to start seeing things without your chip on the shoulder about black people. All I said was that the US was no different than any other power and China will be far worse when it gets its turn. Christians, Muslims who cares! It is all about money and power. People like you who cannot see beyond issues of race and religion are exploited by the clever machinations of politicians.

By the way: From an Indian TV station about these guys from Banagalore: Sounds like these guys were quite 'normal' muslims.

Maya Sharma / Pavitra Jayaraman
Saturday, July 7, 2007 (Bangalore)
Sabeel Ahmed, the Glasgow airport attack suspect's Orkut account is flooded with hate messages from Indians across the world, a report says.

Over 100 scraps have been posted in the past two days.

Ahmed and the other suspects are Indians and the Indian community in the UK and around the world are worried about being associated with terror.

Ahmed's brother Kafeel is also facing investigations.

''U brought disgrace to my Bangalore [city] ... I would fear to say now onwards that I live in Bangalore to any Brit, damn,'' a message on Orkut said.

The brothers from Bangalore are known to have spent time in West Asia with their parents.

Kafeel went on to join an engineering college in Davengere in Karnataka to become the only engineer in a family of doctors.

Their neighbours said the boys were very religious and offered invitations to join a religious programme in Palace grounds, which they initiated.

They said Sabeel was gregarious in his behaviour and Kafeel was reserved.

Weisskopf,

What chip on my shoulder about black people are you talking about? I am aware there are corrupt black leaders who are not helping their people, but Western invovlement in Africa makes it difficult for Africans to develop their countries' economies and improve human rigts.

The United States and other democracies have killed more Muslims and destroyed more of their property than the other way around.

Democracies have no problem using Muslim extremists when they serve their interests and there is no doubt that government informants and agent provocateurs are involved in the terrorist attacks.

Weisskopf, wrote "People like you who cannot see beyond issues of race and religion are exploited by the clever machinations of politicians."

You have just described yourself, not me.