I woke this morning to get back to work a delightful vacation with the PatriotFamilyWest in Vermont to learn the terrible news of the terrorist attacks in London. Our hearts go out to the innocent British citizens murdered and injured by these fanatical dastards.
This is just another example of what we are up against in our war against Islamicist terrorists who tarnish their ancient religion by attacking unarmed civilians. Just moments ago, I heard the president on Fox. The same words struck me and the editors of the National Review: “The Contrast Couldn’t be Clearer.” (Hearing the president’s words, I did a google search for “contrast couldn’t be clearer” and “Bush.”) Speaking at the G8 summit, the president said:
The contrast between what we’ve seen on the TV screens here, what’s taken place in London and what’s taking place here is incredibly vivid to me. On the one hand, we have people here who are working to alleviate poverty, to help rid the world of the pandemic of AIDS, working on ways to have a clean environment. And on the other hand, you’ve got people killing innocent people. And the contrast couldn’t be clearer between the intentions and the hearts of those of us who care deeply about human rights and human liberty, and those who kill — those who have got such evil in their heart that they will take the lives of innocent folks.
The president is exactly right. These terrorists target innocent civilians. They timed their attack to hit London’s transportation system at rush hour so as to kill the maximum number of civilians.
At the same time, Western nations, led by the United States, who are taking the war to the terrorists and the nations which shelter them, do our utmost to avoid civilian casualties. Just as rescue workers in London rush to care for the wounded civilians, in Iraq and Afghanistan, our military medics help wounded terrorists and other enemy combatants.
Today is a sad day for the people of the free world, particularly those of the United Kingdom. Our hearts go out to the British people.
The English have a long history of resolve against evil. Guided by Winston Churchill, they showed great resolve and resilience in those dark days after the Nazis swept across Western Europe in 1940. Five years later, together with Western allies, they defeated that evil. Under the leadership of a similarly resolute Prime Minister, Tony Blair, they will show similar resolve in the wake of these horrible crime. And we will defeat those evil forces which target innocent civilians in the West.
UPDATE: British Prime Minister Tony Blair had this to say about the terrorist attacks on his nation:
When [terrorists] try to intimidate us, we will not be intimidated. When they seek to change our country or our way of life by these methods, we will not be changed. When they try to divide our people or weaken our resolve, we will not be divided and our resolve will hold firm. We will show, by our spirit and dignity, and by our quiet but true strength that there is in the British people, that our values will long outlast theirs. The purpose of terrorism is just that, it is to terrorise people, and we will not be terrorised.
UPDATE #2: London Mayor Ken Livingstone on the attacks on his city:
This was not a terrorist attack against the mighty and the powerful; it is not aimed at presidents or prime ministers; it was aimed at ordinary working class Londoners, black and white, Muslim and Christians, Hindu and Jew, young and old, indiscriminate attempt at slaughter irrespective of any considerations, of age, of class, of religion, whatever, that isn’t an ideology, it isn’t even a perverted faith, it’s just indiscriminate attempt at mass murder, and we know what the objective is, they seek to divide London. They seek to turn Londoners against each other and Londoners will not be divided by this cowardly attack.
UPDATE #3: At Shape of Days, Jeff Harrell says “We are all Britons” (via Roger Simon) while Michael Williams says “We are all Londoners.” Today, we are both.