London Attacks Reaction
Through all of this, we must remember the victims of terrorism around the world, especially those who have been murdered by Osama bin Laden and his cohorts.
The U.S.S. Cole, 9-1http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.quote.gif
insert blockquote1, 3-11, 7-7. Never Forget.
To me, this attack on London during the G-8 will do a couple of things.
1. Increase support in the US for Bush
2. Increase closeness of UK & US
3. Give Bush and Blair more leverage at the G-8 (Chirac very weak now)
The reason for this, obviously, is UK support for the US. These attacks will not damage that, but make it stronger. Britons are not easily scared, and they will not crumble like the Italians or the Spainards. The War On Terror will continue as long as the terrorists and those who harbor them are able to carry out acts of senseless violence.
Some things from 'round the 'sphere:
James S. Robbins:
The London bombings are likely part of a wider al Qaeda summer offensive. A letter attributed to Osama bin Laden addressed to the Muslim community (ummah) surfaced in Pakistan on June 20, stating that he was "preparing for the next round of jihad." He wrote that "we want to give good news to the Muslim ummah that, with the blessings of Almighty Allah, we have been successful in reorganizing ourselves and are going to launch a jihadi program that is absolutely in accordance with the changed situation." He stated that new recruits were ready, and that they were armed with the weapons of the enemy (no indication what that means exactly). He also threatened the rulers of Muslim countries who have not signed onto his program (which is all of them, at least publicly). More foreign fighters have appeared and are active in Afghanistan and diplomats from Muslim countries are being systematically targeted in Iraq.
The Belmont Club:
Just a few comments in the aftermath of the attack on London. The first and most important hard fact to grasp is that this Al Qaeda strike, their first against an Anglosphere city since 9/11, has caused much less damage than that on New York. This despite the fact that Al Qaeda has had nearly four years to brood on its humiliations and losses and to plot its revenge. The reasons for this are simple: the enemy is now operating in a much more hostile environment. The accessible methods of mass destruction, such as wide body aircraft, have been secured; not perfectly, but for a defense to work it must only be sufficient to blunt the onslaught of the enemy.
The Blue State Conservatives:
The nations of Europe need to realize that their open immigration policies are creating a foot hold for Islamic Terror right in their backyards. While we are trying to stamp out the flames of Islamic terror in Afghanistan, Iraq and other places, new fronts are cropping up all over Europe. While NATO troops are having a firefight with the Taliban in the rugged wasteland of Afghanistan because of the hate and violence their ideology spreads, a Imam in London, Paris or Stockholm is delivering the same message. Only this message is partially-subsidized by the government. Many Muslims come to Europe to take advantage of the generous welfare options given to even recent immigrants.
Would Churchill allow a Nazi recruiting center to operate openly in England during WWII? Of course not. And we shouldn't allow it now either. It is time to take a hard line in Europe. Crack down on the radical mosques, tighten immigration policies and take away their incentive to migrate by reforming their welfare state (which they need to do for economic reasons anyway).
The problem is that most nations in Europe will blame this attack on Tony Blair's decision to help with the removal of Saddam. They will going about their business safe in their minds that their policies of retreat in the face of the terror threat will keep them safe. Of course, they can't or won't realize that radical Islamists declared war on the west well before George Bush was even President and it will continue even if we removed every western soldier from the entire Middle East.
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