So in the past few days some more bits have emerged. A notable fact is that the bombs are now reckoned to have actually gone off at very close to the same time, 9:50, which suggests timed bombs rather than suicide. It's interesting to note the distances the bombs travelled from King's Cross (I'm still convinced they were all put on there), the Circle line bombs both got a pretty good distance from the station, whereas the Picadilly line bomb went off before reaching the next station. Walking between the platforms for the Circle line in each direction would not take too long, but walking to the Picadilly line takes a while. So when I heard they went off at the same time, I wondered whether a single person could have done it, and then got on the bus. The Wikipedia article now has a similar speculation, with timings. I still wonder how someone could (if they did) put a bag onto a train and then immediately get off without anyone saying something. (Update: And I also wonder how someone carrying 4 bags could drop 3 of them onto different trains. A lone bomber seems pretty unlikely at second thought, but the timing is still interesting. Maybe they moved as a group?)

I also thought more about my own timing that morning. It's boring and self-absorbed to go on about this, considering how many people came much closer, and in many cases too close, but it's obviously interesting to me. Anyway, it's now clear that I was between the explosions, the Edgeware Road bomb passed by me in the opposite direction, it probably passed within 10 feet of me on the opposite track as I sat reading a biography of Ataturk.

So have these attacks changed anything? I don't think so. Most commentary seems to be people proclaiming that this proves whatever view they held before the attacks, i.e. that the war on terror is right/wrong, and Britain must stay the course/withdraw its troops, Islam is an evil religion, anti-globalization protestors are assholes.

But the fact is, this wasn't really a surprise. Londoners have been expecting this for a while, although it's still a shock when it finally happens. As for me, I still think the Iraq war was a stupid and irresponsible decision, but although there are many reasons to oppose it, saying troops should be withdrawn now so terrorists won't attack us again is one of the worst reasons I can think of. I support making things right in Iraq. We (Americans and British) have destroyed thousands of lives in that country, we have an obligation to at least try to fix things up. I don't know how we can do it, and I have no confidence that the Bush administration is remotely capable of doing it, but to throw in the towel now would be the depth of irresponsibility.

Maybe I lied, there is one change in Londoners since last week, judging from blogs, comments, etc., English self-deprecation has been suspended, at least for a while, and it's OK to say: London rocks.