Ariana Grande concert in Manchester - possible terrorist ?

[IceAlisa]

Some poor anguished parents are searching for their missing kids on social media. They are in hell right now.

 

[Kultakissu]

I can't reach two of my friends in Manchester...one is my ex-boyfriend who normally tweets every five minutes and he's now not replying to messages. I feel sick. I don't think either is likely to have been there but they have a lot of relatives and friends who have kids of just that age.

 

[overedge]

Just horrible. Particularly sickened by the bomb allegedly going off near the merchandise stands. A couple of my friends lost a colleague who was working the merch stand at the Bataclan in Paris at the Eagles of Death Metal show. And now they are frantically trying to find out who was doing the merch for Ariana Grande

Also reading some stuff online suggesting that this show might have been targeted because the artist and her fans are girls who aren't staying at home and aren't modest and submissive like girls should be

 

[PRlady]

Heartless bastards. Makes me hope there's a hell after all. Her audience is teens and teenagers.

I live in the land that invented bag checks. It certainly prevents some attacks and I don't mind opening the trunk of my car entering a shopping mall (although I'm rarely asked; they profile.) But every Israeli knows they are vulnerable outside the perimeter, it takes good policing and harsh measures on suspect populations to keep the number of incidents down.

So do you truncate civil rights for entire population sectors to provide more protection at the margins? It's a hard question.

 

[Finnice]

Oh those damn damn idiots, who do this! So sad for Manchester. @Kultakissu, I hope your friends are ok.

 

[allezfred]

Woke up to the news that this was planned. No words.

 

[MsZem]

Nobody should live in fear of something like this, but to think of a person depraved enough to target teenage girls. Kids. It's not the first time this has happened, but there are a lot of very young people for whom the world is a much scarier place today. I wish it weren't so, and my heart breaks for the victims and their loved ones.

I live in the land that invented bag checks. It certainly prevents some attacks and I don't mind opening the trunk of my car entering a shopping mall (although I'm rarely asked; they profile.)

They make everyone open their car trunk at the mall I usually go to in Haifa, or at least they did as of five months ago. it's still weird for me not to open my bag when I get to the train station.

 

[PRlady]

Nobody should leave in fear of something like this, but to think of a person depraved enough to target teenage girls. Kids. It's not the first time this has happened, but there are a lot of very young people for whom the world is a much scarier place today. I wish it weren't so, and my heart breaks for the victims and their loved ones.


They make everyone open their car trunk at the mall I usually go to in Haifa, or at least they did as of five months ago. it's still weird for me not to open my bag when I get to the train station.

Malka mall in Jerusalem has me open maybe one out of three times.

But the point is, as we know from the Sarona shooting in Tel Aviv and others, that no matter how much care is taken, everyone is vulnerable in public. You can't harden the city streets or the outdoor cafes or the approaches to cultural events. So these risks are what we all tacitly agree to take to live in a normal society.

 

[Kultakissu]

Oh those damn damn idiots, who do this! So sad for Manchester. @Kultakissu, I hope your friends are ok.

Thank you. Still no word

We were planning on going to Manchester this summer for a short holiday. My first thought this morning was "let's cancel" and my second thought a moment later "sod it, I'm not going to let them dictate what I do". So we booked our flights about an hour ago.

ETA Finally reached my ex. Apparently the Arndale Centre has been evacuated Arrests have been made across Manchester.

 

[Deleted member 221]

We were planning on going to Manchester this summer for a short holiday. My first thought this morning was "let's cancel" and my second thought a moment later "sod it, I'm not going to let them dictate what I do". So we booked our flights about an hour ago.

I went to Nice last summer about two weeks after the attack. The non-refundable accommodations reached out and offered us the opportunity to cancel for free. We said hell no! We had a wonderful experience; wishing the same for you.

There are no words to express this tragedy, but we must continue living our lives and not succumb to fear.

 

[Buzz]

Cannot imagine the horror of parents looking for their missing children.

 

[paskatefan]

Horrific! There are no words!

 

[skatesindreams]

Cannot imagine the horror of parents looking for their missing children.

Amen, to this!
((((Manchester))))

 

[millyskate]

Cannot imagine the horror of parents looking for their missing children.

Yes... There seem to still be many parents searching, which is harrowing. An attack on a concert geared towards children and teenagers - it's beyond words.

 

[skatesindreams]

Latest developments:
http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/22/europe/live-blog-manchester-arena/index.html

 

[skatefan]

Sickening attack yet again on a soft target by cowardly scum (((Manchester)))

 

[IceAlisa]

Sorry for being gruesome but how did they ID the suicide bomber so quickly? Did they find a hand to fingerprint?

 

[cocotaffy]

My heart goes to all the people affected by this tragedy. Kids, they were kids, how coward and heartless. I hope all of you FSUers living in Manchester as well as all you relatives are fine.

 

[Nan]

This is horrible. I don't believe in revenge, but there are times I wish I did. I will never understand this level of hate and destruction. Sympathy for all.

 

[GarrAargHrumph]

They've released the name of the bombing suspect, which people can look up if they'd like to know. He was believed to have been born in the UK, and he's from Manchester. His parents are reported to have come to the UK from Libya. A property where he'd lived has been raided this morning, and I understand the police used a controlled explosion there so they could enter. They believe he acted alone, although another man has been arrested (doesn't mean he's connected.) ISIS has claimed responsibility, although that doesn't mean that this guy was formally a member of ISIS or anything like that.

The bomb went off in the entrance hall of the arena, which is before the security stations where they do the checks. Event venues are reviewing their security processes in the wake of this attack.

They feel this venue and event was picked deliberately:

“...Islamic State has increasingly been highlighting in its propaganda that scores of children have been killed in coalition and Russian strikes targeting Islamic State positions in Iraq and Syria,” said Michael S. Smith II, a terrorism analyst who specializes in the Islamic State’s influence efforts... All of that content is “intended to stimulate thinking about executing retributive attacks among Islamic State supporters here in the West"

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/23/...p-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

Other cities have stepped up security around their event arenas and in general, although there haven't been reports of specific threats.

 

[Asli]

How horrible.

 

[IceAlisa]

That reminds me of some of the stuff I read on the social media of both the Tsarnaev brothers. Along the lines that they kill Muslim children in Syria, so we have to do the same to them. The fact that it was Assad doing the killing at the time didn't seem to enter the equation.

 

[BlueRidge]

The bomb went off in the entrance hall of the arena, which is before the security stations where they do the checks. Event venues are reviewing their security processes in the wake of this attack.

This has so reminded me of standing in line to go through security at Boston Worlds. It was mobbed although they were pretty efficient about it. I couldn't help thinking well someone wouldn't need to get through security, they could just come here with a bomb.

I guess there will always be vulnerable points.

 

[ballettmaus]

They've released the name of the bombing suspect,

A couple of hours ago, I heard on German news that the British authorities didn't want to release the name due to the ongoing investigation then read that US media was releasing it anyway. If true, that attitude of US journalists is sickening. Who exploits the death of children for sensationalim? (Exploiting any death for sensationalim is despicable but I find it's even worse when it comes to children)

My heart goes out to everyone who lost someone. I hope that everyone who is currently still injured pulls through. It's heartbreaking to see the photos of children being still missing spread on social media. I can't imagine what those parents are feeling. It must be pure agony.

 

[MsZem]

This has so reminded me of standing in line to go through security at Boston Worlds. It was mobbed although they were pretty efficient about it.

I was reminded of the 2001 Dolphinarium bombing in Israel - suicide bomber detonating himself outside a music/dance venue and many teenage victims; even the casualty numbers are similar, and if current reports are accurate, the perpetrators in both attacks were 22.

The anniversary of the Dolphi is next week

I couldn't help thinking well someone wouldn't need to get through security, they could just come here with a bomb.

I guess there will always be vulnerable points.

Sometimes I wonder if it's just a matter of time before there's an attack in a security line at the airport. There really are so many vulnerabilities, which is why good intel is vital - but often difficult to gather.

 

[ballettmaus]

Sometimes I wonder if it's just a matter of time before there's an attack in a security line at the airport. There really are so many vulnerabilities, which is why good intel is vital - but often difficult to gather.

Brussels more or less was that. They detonated in the check-in area, if memory serves me right.

 

[gkelly]

Sometimes I wonder if it's just a matter of time before there's an attack in a security line at the airport.

Yes, I was wondering about that a while ago.

((Manchester))

 

[Kecasyl]

This is so horrible.

 

[MsZem]

Brussels more or less was that. They detonated in the check-in area, if memory serves me right.

I don't remember the specifics, but you may be right. It's such a glaring vulnerability - yet another reason to streamline security and do away with security theater measures.

The Dolphi was one of the most evil terrorist attacks I can remember in Israel, and last night's bombing in Manchester is similarly awful. Killing innocent people is always horrific, but to deliberately target the very young is especially sickening.

ETA: @antmanb - it was such a relief to sign in this morning and see that you were okay... I know it's a tough time for everyone in Manchester, and I'm touched to see the community coming together.

 

[skatesindreams]

@antmanb - it was such a relief to sign in this morning and see that you were okay... I know it's a tough time for everyone in Manchester, and I'm touched to see the community coming together.

Seconding this!