The Arabist

The Arabist

By Issandr El Amrani and friends.

"5/7"

Timothy Garton Ash engages in some speculative history:

May 7 2009 will surely go down in history alongside September 11 2001. "5/7", as it inevitably became known, saw massive suicide bombings in Tel Aviv, London and New York, as well as simultaneous attacks on the remaining western troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Total casualties were estimated at around 10,000 dead and many more wounded. The attacks, which included the explosion of a so-called dirty bomb in London, were orchestrated by a Tehran-based organisation for "martyrdom-seeking operations" established in 2004. "5/7" was the Islamic Republic of Iran's response to the bombing of its nuclear facilities, which President Hillary Clinton had ordered in March 2009.
On the whole I think the article is irresponsible and basically engages in scare-mongering. I am not so sure the response to an attack on Iran would be that dramatic or widespread. But it's a fun read.