According to the police chief of the area, a terrorist attack on the financial district of London is just a matter of time.
James Hart, the commissioner the City of London Police told the 'Financial Times' that there has already been 'hostile reconnaissance' of the area on several occasions since September 11, 2001.
Hart told 'Financial Times', 'Every successful terrorist group pre-surveys its target. There's no doubt that we've been subject to that surveillance and that sort of thing has been successfully disrupted.'
He added that the area had long been a target of other terrorist organizations. 'Look at the number of time we were hit by the IRA. I think (another attack) is a question of when rather than if.'
Hart warned that only half of the buildings in the area had contingency plans in the event of an attack and encouraged business owners to make plans immediately.
He warned that an attack on the City of London area makes perfect sense. 'If you want to hurt the government, hurt people at the same time, and you want to cause maximum disruption ...where better to hit than at the financial center?'
Prime Minister Tony Blair's office has yet to comment on Hart's statements. The British still appear stunned over the events of July 7 and 21 when al-Qaeda terrorists targeted the London Underground.
