BREAKING NEWS: 3 BOMB BLASTS IN CENTRAL ATHENS

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2004-05-04 10:26pm

oh shit.

BoyRocketeer · Post by **BoyRocketeer** » 2004-05-04 10:28pm

from turkish people?

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2004-05-04 10:30pm

...shit, so much for the Summer Olympics...

Jadeite · Post by **Jadeite** » 2004-05-04 10:30pm

It was a police station that was targeted according to the news on Yahoo.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2004-05-04 10:31pm

Where are you getting the news from, Shep?

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2004-05-04 10:32pm

Joe wrote:Where are you getting the news from, Shep?

My brother walked in 5 minutes ago saying bombs going off in Athens,
I check Freerepublic, who are saying same thing and Sourcing it
to Sky news......

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2004-05-04 10:34pm

Yeah, I checked SkyNews, it's there.

I hope that casualties will be low.

Post by **Gandalf** » 2004-05-04 10:34pm

I just saw it in Reuters.

They apparently got an anonymous warning about 3 bombs going off in a Kalithea Police station.

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » 2004-05-04 10:35pm

Reuters has this.

Rueters wrote:ATHENS (Reuters) - Three bomb blasts hit a central Athens police station early Wednesday, a police official said.
It was not clear whether there were any casualties or damage to the building. The police official said authorities had received an anonymous warning that the three explosive devices would go off at the police station in Kalithea.

In August Greece hosts the Olympics, amid fears the games could be a target for political violence.

Agent Fisher · Post by **Agent Fisher** » 2004-05-04 11:56pm

oh crap.

does anyone have any new info

Crown · Post by **Crown** » 2004-05-05 01:21am

Agent Fisher wrote:oh crap.

does anyone have any new info

The BBC Reports

Greek capital hit by triple blast
A police station in the Greek capital Athens has been hit by three bomb explosions in quick succession.

Police said the blasts, which happened in the early hours of the morning, did not cause any major injuries. The area had been cordoned off after an anonymous caller warned a newspaper about the bombs, a Greek official said. The explosions came exactly 100 days before the city is due to host this year's summer Olympic Games, for which security has been a major concern.

"The first two explosions went off in a span of five minutes. The third exploded half an hour later as bomb experts were still looking for it," a police official told the Reuters news agency.

'Sophisticated'

He said an ambulance was called for one policeman slightly injured in the final blast.

"The police are treating this matter very seriously with only three months to go until the Games," the official said.

"You have three sophisticated time bombs going off outside a police station, that's serious enough for police."

The police station is in the central Athens area of Kalithea, where several hotels are due to be used by Olympic officials during the Games in August. It is feared the huge profile of the event could make Athens a terrorist target. These Games will be the first held since terror attacks from New York and Washington to Bali and Madrid. Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis has taken personal responsibility for preparation for the Games.

In the past radical left-wing and anarchist groups have planted bombs and carried out assassinations in Greece. But these have become less frequent since a government crackdown on the November 17 cell, which resulted in 19 of its members being jailed last December. However, the BBC's correspondent in Greece Richard Galpin says left-wing groups oppose the Games, viewing them as a capitalist bonanza, and protesting at Western security services arriving en masse in Greece.

Anhaga · Post by **Anhaga** » 2004-05-05 04:00am

Well at least there weren't serious casualties. I could have been much worse- I wonder if that was intentional or just a case of faulty timers.

Bob McDob · Post by **Bob McDob** » 2004-05-05 04:03am

I hope this isn't a sign of things to come.

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2004-05-05 06:59am

Bob McDob wrote:I hope this isn't a sign of things to come.

how long until the Olympics begin? 12 weeks? shit, i hope this wasn't a tril run.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-05-05 08:18am

Col. Crackpot wrote:
Bob McDob wrote:I hope this isn't a sign of things to come.
how long until the Olympics begin? 12 weeks? shit, i hope this wasn't a tril run.

It's exactly 100 days till the Olympics. Coincidence or a threat?

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2004-05-05 09:27am

Admiral Valdemar wrote:
Col. Crackpot wrote:
Bob McDob wrote:I hope this isn't a sign of things to come.
how long until the Olympics begin? 12 weeks? shit, i hope this wasn't a tril run.
It's exactly 100 days till the Olympics. Coincidence or a threat?

Actually, IMHO the biggest threat to the Athens games are the Athenians not finishing the goddamn stadiums on time. They still aren't done.

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2004-05-05 01:24pm

Col. Crackpot wrote: Actually, IMHO the biggest threat to the Athens games are the Athenians not finishing the goddamn stadiums on time. They still aren't done.

It's not just that, the security is in shambles and they have yet to conduct security drills with more than a few dozen people. The roads are unfinished and the light-rail isn't going to go all the way to the airport like they planned, so it boils down to having huge gaping holes in security. If terrorists wanted to kill a few thousand people at the Olympics, it really wouldn't be that hard the way the Greeks have been handling security.

Zac Naloen · Post by **Zac Naloen** » 2004-05-05 01:39pm

No offense to anyone, but who's bright idea was it for greece to host the olympics anyways?

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2004-05-05 01:44pm

Zac Naloen wrote:No offense to anyone, but who's bright idea was it for greece to host the olympics anyways?

The IOC.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-05-05 01:50pm

I'm now glad Toronto has never gotten much support for its bid to host an Olympic games. I'd rather not have a giant terrorist magnet in my city.

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2004-05-05 02:29pm

Darth Wong wrote:I'm now glad Toronto has never gotten much support for its bid to host an Olympic games. I'd rather not have a giant terrorist magnet in my city.

when done right, there isn't too much to fear. Sydney and Salt Lake City went off without a hitch. Athens, however, scares the fuck out of me.

BlkbrryTheGreat · Post by **BlkbrryTheGreat** » 2004-05-05 04:19pm

Why the fuck are the Olympics a target anyway? Its not like its oppressing muslim culture or invading the arab world or anything.

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2004-05-05 04:22pm

*cough*Cyprus*cough*

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-05-05 04:40pm

Vendetta wrote:*cough*Cyprus*cough*

Bah, the Turks invaded, if anything the Greeks are the oppressed.

Sharp-kun · Post by **Sharp-kun** » 2004-05-05 05:01pm

BlkbrryTheGreat wrote:Why the fuck are the Olympics a target anyway? Its not like its oppressing muslim culture or invading the arab world or anything.

Its probably viewed as a western thing. That makes it an extension of the Great Satan.