On Targets

Atrios:

...it is true that the choice of subway lines/targets is quite interesting - it did follow a path, roughly, from one center of Muslim London, the poor one, to the other center of Muslim London, the rich one.

...since it isn't clear, I'm not suggesting that the main point, the final sentence, provides evidence that Muslims were a primary target, or that this provides evidence that conventional wisdom about the perps is incorrect. It's just that, as Garance wrote, it's rather odd that they didn't target trains going around the circle line the other way - into Westminster - rather than those heading towards "little Lebanon," or some other line entirely. There are lots of potential explanations for this, including Garance's suggestion that it was to some degree designed to target Western Muslims. I don't have any opinion on that. I just think that this observation - "It certainly isn't the set of targets someone would choose if they were going out of their way to minimize the deaths of London's Muslim population" - is probably correct and somewhat interesting, though not necessarily ultimately significant.

Meanwhile, back in Iraq, claims are made that the newly arrived ambassador from Egypt has been killed by his terrorist kidnappers, who explained their motives on their web site:

?The ambassador of the infidels has confessed to information that showed that his regime is an infidel and which proved his ties to the Jews and the Crusaders,? the message read.

The group said in a statement posted on the Internet that it had killed the envoy, Ihab al-Sherif, but it did not say when or how. The group said "that the verdict of God has been implemented against the ambassador of the infidels, the ambassador of Egypt, thank God."

"Egypt is one of those at the forefront of the war on Islam and Muslims," the statement said. "Its jails are full of mujahedeen." It showed a video of the blindfolded diplomat identifying himself but, unlike in other kidnappings, it did not show the killing itself, according to the Associated Press.

It also said that Egypt was among the first to support the training of the Iraqi police and soldiers ? whom it referred to as "apostate" forces ? in service to the "crusaders."

An insurgent recently told The Times that such scenes were eroding support for the armed group among ordinary Iraqis.

Or not.

A comment relayed by Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit, regarding London:

If there isn't a Million Muslim March this weekend, if there aren't crowds of muslims chanting and holding signs, "not in our name", then doubt as to the existence of moderate muslims will grow, and grow quickly.

Of course, others will simply blame the jews.

Update: Almost forgot this story from last week:

Security forces killed the Al Qaeda terrorist group's leader in Saudi Arabia during a fierce gun battle Sunday in the capital, Riyadh, an Interior Ministry official told this country's official news agency.

Naaah, that'll never catch on.