Blackleaf Posted May 5, 2005 #1 Share Posted May 5, 2005 From AOL News - Two small explosions have rocked the British Consulate building in New York, the Foreign Office has said. The blasts shattered windows in the building but no one was believed to have been hurt. A New York Police Department spokesman said they were piecing together shrapnel at the scene and it appeared that two "novelty" devices were involved. He added that one was the size and shape of a pineapple and the second was the size and shape of a lemon and they detonated within a minute of each other. One had some gunpowder inside with a fuse. He added: "It was one of those things you light and then run." One device was detonated in one of the cement flower boxes used as a barrier outside the building, police said. It blew out a chunk of the flower box and one window. The road was closed for two blocks either side of the building, which was surrounded by police and bomb squad experts. Police were investigating whether there was any security camera footage of what happened. A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We can confirm that there have been two small explosions outside the British Consulate. "There are no casualties. New York police are investigating. We have no further information at this stage." Police said the blasts in midtown Manhattan were at 3.35am local time (8.35am British time). The New York consulate, a nondescript office block on the city's well-heeled Third Avenue, assists distressed Britons and can issue emergency British passports for a one-way journey to the UK. It handles visa applications, as well as issues for British citizens such as the legalisation of documents and notices of marriage. The consulate also has a trade section giving free advice and assistance to American firms interested in starting or expanding a business in the UK. News of the incident started to emerge at around the same time as, thousands of miles away in his constituency of Sedgefield, Co Durham, Prime Minister Tony Blair was casting his vote in Britain's General Election. Britain's diplomatic representation abroad has been targeted for terror attacks in the past. In November 2003, a suicide bomb attack devastated the British Consulate General in Istanbul. Those who died in that incident included Consul General Roger Short, the UK's top envoy in the Turkish city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warden Posted May 5, 2005 #2 Share Posted May 5, 2005 May be nothing to do with it but it could be a warning of whats to come as Scotland holds the next G8 summit talks,there have been noises comming from some demonstrators that are going to do every thing in their power to Disrupt Edinburgh next month when the talks start Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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