On 7th September 2004 the Irish Republican Army (The IRA) bombed London twice with a small crude nuclear weapon. It hit Westminster and Beckton. Over 260,000 people died within the first forty minutes. Fires raged across the city and the Economic and Ecological damage would effect the continent for decades. In the further weeks the Water Supply was contaminated buy a Nuclear Station that went into Meltdown after the explosion.
Reasons[]
The event was a result of various events as well as the hoped result of the actions taken.
- The British Occupation of Country Louth. This was an illegal military action in the sovereign area of The Republic of Ireland and was causing International Conflict as well as domestic outrage and extreme anti-British Riots in many countries and cities, including New York, London, Paris and Tokyo. The British defense was that the IRA had over 200 snipers stationed in the mountains around Carlingford as well as it being a IRA stronghold and that the ROI government had little control over the area and that the majority of youth were recruited into the IRA. Both statements were true at the time of occupation in 2003 but internationally it was seen as an act of aggression and the violation to a nations sovereignty.
- The bombing of O'Connell's Street that saw the area around the statue of Jim Larkin, a Socialist Activist, Trade Unionist and leader of the 1913 Dublin Lockout as well as the bombing of the Statue of Irish 19th Century Nationalist Leader Daniel O'Connell as well as most of O'Connell Street, a busy shopping Street, being obliterated. Over 3,353 people lost their lives and over 15,383 were injured. The bombing took place on 21st December while many were doing their Christmas shopping. Before the Bombing of London this was the most powerful set of bombs used. The UVF ( Ulster Volunteer Force) claimed responsibility.
- To Eliminate the British Parliament and cause the collapse of the UK, the city was bombed at a Parliament meeting and London's strategic role in the country. It was the economic centre of Europe as well as Europe and the centre of most Trade and domestic supply transportation in the country, the rest of the country would be crippled by the Blast. The Domestic Emergency would, in theory, force the British out of Northern Ireland.
The January 2004 IRA Meeting and Planning of the Bombing[]
On the 2nd of January 2004 the IRA met in County Carlow, ROI to discuss the bombing in Dublin. They agreed that a large scale event to avenge the lives lost as well as forcing the British out of N.Ireland would be required. They agreed that it would have to effect the entire UK, threatening Anarchy but not have a severe effect on the citizens of Northern Ireland or The Republic or Ireland. It was agreed that two crude nuclear weapons would be detonated in London.
The Obtaining of the Weapons[]
The Taliban, wanting the British out of Afghanistan, was a willing ally of the IRA. They organized the purchase of the weapons. They took until March to get the bombs, supplied by Saddam Hussein and the Iranian monarchy who was either being invaded by the US and the British/NATO forces or faced a likely invasion. Both were HEU devices and had a yield of 30 Kilotons.
The Transport and detonation of the Bombs[]
The two bombs were sent to France by a large truck and due to the Schengen area they went unnoticed, they were transported to Italy via a stolen American Stealth Jet armed with anti tracking devices, it landed in the countryside undetected and then passes the weapons to the Truck, it was then smuggled in via the Channel Tunnel.
Immediate Results[]
The bomb known as "The Avenger" by the IRA explodes in the the Tube system under Parliament
At exactly 8:12 am on Tuesday 7th September 2004 the first weapon was detonated in Beckton Gas Works and Sewage Treatment Plant in the Tower Hamlets Borough, the next one at 8:14 in the Tube under Westminster. Two minutes later the one went off in Westminster, blowing up Parliament, Big Ben and The London Eye among other attractions and areas of importance. It is estimated thousands went blind and over one million people were injured in life threatening condition while over one and a half million went blind after staring at the blast omitted. Many windows smashed in the shock waves, maiming thousands who went to their window to see what was happening. Two areas of the city were in flames.
Consequences[]
The long term consequences were horrific. Of those within a 50 mile radius of the bombs between 18-15, 47% would develop cancer in the next ten years and 21% in the next fifteen.
Environmental[]
Crop production in the south of England and the North of France and all of Belgium was halved. A famine occurred in the south of England that year and 12,000 reports of cannibalism were filed. Trees and plant life began to die within days as far north as Birmingham. Ash fell within minutes as far as Kent. A mini-Nuclear winter was experienced and an estimated 800,000 died from it. By July 2005 the population had gone from 59 million in July 2004 to 56 million.
Economy[]
The global economy took a nose dive and there was a second depression. Food shortages in Northern Europe were common until 2041. By then The North of Europe was comparable to parts of Africa. Southern England stood dark 18 hours a day shrouded in nuclear ash.
Refugees[]
Sheffield reactor in England soon went into meltdown due to the fact the surviving Government didn't have enough time and panic and an influx of refugees flooding north towards Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Glasgow and Edinburgh from Birmingham, London, Kent and the South Coast of England. The radiation is expected to start clearing in 200 years. And as of 2006 the UN is in co-operative control of the Island with the remaining government. Many have escaped to Brittany to refugee camps. Ireland saw its cancer rate rise by over 20% in five years. today over 12 million people reside in refugee camps around Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Brittany.
Evacuation of London and the immediate response[]
The authorities began the evacuation minuted after the bombs went off, thousands had just died. The northern winds brought the radiation north, leaving the southerners to flee quickly, escaping the worst of the radiation, or so people thought. The motorways were blocked with people trying to flee and many tried bringing relatives to nearby hospitals. As well as that many went looting, causing chaos in the inner parts of the city already flattened by the bombs. It took two days and several hours to evacuate the majority of people, the murder rate increased dramatically, up 400%. Medical teams from nearby cities were rushed to the city saving an estimated 100,000 lives.
Water Contamination and Meltdown.[]
The Sheffield Nuclear Power Station was targeted in the weeks following the bombing in an attempt to cause the inhabitability of the last densely populated area of England. While the power station went into core meltdown it was prevented from becoming a full scale disaster. But a release of radiation was absorbed into the soil as well as leaking into the nearby water system. 2,000 people in Liverpool who had not been to London began falling sick with extreme radiation sickness. It took the government 7 days to find the source and by then 13,000 were dead and 20k were sick. The water supply was cut off for two weeks while it underwent de-contamination.
News Media coverage[]
London Exclusion Zone[]
The Exclusion Zone (inside black line)
The South England/ London Exclusion Zone was established to prevent people from entering radiated lands. It encompasses Oxford, Southampton, Hastings, The Greater London area and the southern part of the town of Cambridge, which serves as an entrance for Officials and Scientists. The area is said to be the most radiated place on earth.