Friday, September 23, 2005

Explosion in Belarus Wounds Dozens

(Vitebsk, Belarus) Last night, a bomb exploded outside a cafe in this city in northeastern Belarus, injuring more than 50. Four are said to be in grave condition.

The device seems somewhat amateurish, consisting of an explosive packed into a beer can with metal fragments. It was buried in a flower bed outside a cafe in the city center. A similar device was detonated a week ago near a bus stop and injured two people. It's unknown how the devices were triggered.

The Belarus Secret Police, the KGB, ruled out terrorism. Instead, the bombing is being blamed on "malicious hooliganism." Another source suspects a business dispute. And another suggests that criminal gangs are responsible.

Maybe I'm viewing the situation too simplistically, but if people are terrorized by bomb blasts which injure dozens, it's terrorism. Despite the reason and the perpetrator, exploding bombs is a terrorist tactic. The blast in Belarus meets my definition.

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