The terror and violence were all-too-real — but these suicide bombs, not so much.
London police released pictures of phony explosives worn by attackers and designed to create “maximum fear” in last week’s attacks on London Bridge and nearby Borough Market.
Dead terrorists Khuram Butt, Rachid Redouane and Youssef Zaghba wore these faux suicide vests as they mowed down pedestrians on London Bridge then stabbed people in Borough Market, a week ago Saturday. They killed eight people before they were brought down by London cops.
Police Commander Dean Haydon speculated that the bloodthirsty zealots might have worn bomb props “as protection from being shot themselves.”
He also theorized the fake bombs might have been useful for terrorists if they took hostages.
While these props look clownishly phony in the light of day, one week later, they certainly appeared real to witnesses taking in the carnage in live time.
“Their eyes were full of rage,” wrote Geoff Ho, business editor of the Sunday Express newspaper who was stabbed in the attacks. “The terrorists were coming in and I saw that they looked like they had suicide vests on. Metal canisters with wires. Oh no. In less than a split second, I knew that my approach had to change; I couldn’t just attack.”
He continued: “If I charged at them, maybe I could take out one or two. But one of those animals could detonate and kill us all. Too many people would get hurt or worse.”