The insta-reaction to last week’s London bombings was long on speculation that the attacks, unimaginative and “small-bore” as they were (compared to 9/11), showed a falling off in terrorist capabilities. That theory looks ripe for at least partial revision, if this New York Times piece is to be believed.
Because of the small size of the bombs, some investigators initially said last week that they were relatively crude.
On Monday, a senior European-based counterterrorism official with access to intelligence reports said the new information on the material indicated that the bombs were “technically advanced.” The official added: “There seems to be a mastery of the method of doing explosions. This was not rudimentary. It required great organization and was well put together.”
