The same way the police in the US said it wasn't terrorism when that Egyptian opened fire at the El AL terminal in the airport around July 4 last year. They said it wasn't terrorism, then eventually decided it probably was.
To avoid panic and making themselves look bad they rule out terrorism right off the bad unless it's so obvious they can't. Remember people always remember their first impression -- this Richard Jewell -- in the 96 olympics he was first thought to be involved but eventually cleared -- but how many people still think he did it (even though they caught the bomber and he confessed)?
Honestly my impression here in the US is that most people here don't care what goes on outside the US. A bombing in London is about as close to worrying as many people here do....but anywhere else is seen as a "can't happen here" type of event.
SSB
To avoid panic and making themselves look bad they rule out terrorism right off the bad unless it's so obvious they can't. Remember people always remember their first impression -- this Richard Jewell -- in the 96 olympics he was first thought to be involved but eventually cleared -- but how many people still think he did it (even though they caught the bomber and he confessed)?
Honestly my impression here in the US is that most people here don't care what goes on outside the US. A bombing in London is about as close to worrying as many people here do....but anywhere else is seen as a "can't happen here" type of event.
SSB