Thursday, July 07, 2005
Terrorists Strike London and Other News of Terror (Updated)
Everyone has already heard the news this morning: terrorists have struck London. They’ve struck buses and the subway with the result of at least 45 dead and hundreds more wounded, not to mention the very real economic damage that a shutting down the entire subway system for a day is likely to have on the city.
Their message from the “Secret Group of Al Qaeda’s Jihad in Europe”, aside from the implicit threat to European governments that have lent support in Iraq and Afghanistan, is this:
“Rejoice, Islamic nation. Rejoice, Arab world. The time has come for vengeance against the Zionist crusader government of Britain in response to the massacres Britain committed in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said the statement, which was translated by The Associated Press in Cairo. “The heroic mujahedeen carried out a blessed attack in London, and now Britain is burning with fear and terror, from north to south, east to west.”
As I said yesterday: the kind of culture that believes that this is honorable and good is not a culture that can ever peacefully co-exist with our own. We can’t simply build a fence around the Islamic extremists and say, “Here’s your playground. Now be good.”
Hopefully, the terrorists are wrong, though. Hopefully, Britain burns with righteous anger and a renewed resolve that, at the end of this larger war, theirs is the side that will be victorious. Threats aside, withdrawing from the world and withdrawing from the conflict won’t keep the terrorists away; isolation and retreat will only convince them that the West can be bullied because Allah is blessing the suicide bombers.
In other news, Al Qeada may have killed Egyptian diplomat, Ihab al-Sherif. Again, this marks the kind of action that sets the terrorists apart from the civilized world and from the moderate Islam that co-exist with the West (perhaps not always in the most friendly way, but certainly in less of an openly combative way).
Their message, aside from the threat to Middle Eastern governments to never stray from the righteous path of Allah as defined by the Godly men of Al Qaeda, was to not do business with, help, or even acknowledge the government that is being set up in Iraq.
“We announce in the Al Qaeda in Iraq that the verdict of God against the ambassador of the infidels, the ambassador of Egypt, has been carried out. Thank God,” a written statement in the Web posting said.
That the terrorists are increasingly targeting what are, ostensibly, their own people is good news for us. It means that we have made headway in bringing Islamic governments into the process of rebuilding--we have “buy in” from those governments and that makes our success more likely. It may not be quite as supportive or helpful as we’d like, but it’s more supportive and helpful than the terrorists can stomach.
This morning is a sad reminder: it’s a damned long road ahead of us.
Update: Bryan has his usual excellent round-up of responses and adds his own thoughts. Be sure to read the response from the British Council of Muslims. Wizbang has extensive information on the attack.
Across the Atlantic has a timeline of events as they watched them unfold.
Comments & Trackbacks
I know it wasn’t related (since these attacks were obviously planned for weeks) but I find it eerie that this happened the day after London was awarded the Olympics.
Am I still allowed to say this? If this was a “blessed attack,” then fuck Allah and his Jihad and his mujahedeen.
in response to the massacres Britain committed in Iraq and Afghanistan
As Christopher Hitchens said on the radio this morning, the terrorist understand that Iraq and Afghanistan are part of the same war, yet the Anti-war Left can’t seem to figure that out. I thought Afghanistan was the “good war” and if we had only focused on the fight there that would have been acceptable!
re: the Olympics
I was thinking that this morning, too. I mean, there can’t be much (if any connection) but the timing is pretty odd.
And, yeah, it is amazing that the far left can’t see what our enemies so easily see: it really is all part of the same war. I wish I’d heard what Hitchens had to say; he’s always thought provoking.
I’m pretty-much going to stay silent on this issue. This attack hasn’t changed a single opinion of mine, it has simply reinforced all of them. There is nothing that I can say that I haven’t already said a hundred times. I’m just going to watch Sword of Gideon again and dream of crack SAS troopers killing jihadists…
I think there’s some difference of opinion on the Left about whether or not Afghanistan was a “good war”. “Respect MP George Galloway says: We argued, as did the security services in this country, that the attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq would increase the threat of terrorist attack in Britain. Tragically Londoners have now paid the price of the Government ignoring such warnings.’” (emphasis added)
Galloway’s statement is true to an extent, as long as you set aside any sort of morals you might have. It’s like saying “cracking down on the Mafia will result in judges and cops being killed by the Mafia”. Oh well, guess we should just let those criminals do whatever they please.
Jerry, I think I’ll try to rent that on the way home. It seems like a hell of an appropriate response.
Dork, I think that’s exactly Galloway’s thought: if we just let them do as they please in countries far away from the UK, maybe they won’t bother the people at home. Of course, not only is that short sighted, but it’s also reprehensible.
I found out about the bombings by reading the blog of a guy in London. He’s a very liberal sort of blogger. Hates Bush. Hates Blair. Hates the war in Iraq. I’m not sure he’d support any war unless his man was in power. Not sure even then. Anyway, his posts lack any sort of sorrow, concern, or reflective thought. They’re all about how Bush and Blair will use this to detract from the G8 summit and make it all about terrorism, etc. I’m really at a loss as to how to respond to it. I’ve sent an email, but I doubt it will be well-received. I have culitvated a sort of friendship with this individual, but I fear that the events in London will only serve to make him more entrenched in his anti position. Anti everything and never a real solution or idea. Should I even try to understand him? Probably not.
Z-boy. I’m just “sharing” here.
Sharing is good.
Yet more glory for Allah today, boy I bet he is walking with a spring in his step.
(holding down sarcasm key)
You’ve got a pretty good sarcasm key, there…
It does sadden me greatly and deeply insult me that there are those who attempt to say that Allah, at least the concept of Allah as held by Islamic Extremist Terrorists, is the very same God of the Jewish and Christian faiths.
Uh-uh.
Jerry, Sword of Gideon?
P.S. Jerry, I have been seriously considering conversion to the Catholic faith, but have recently lost my reliable “source” (read: trusted, knowledgable friend of the Catholic faith) of insight into The Church. I have some questions....
Rae:
Sword of Gideon is a 1986 Made for TV movie (I believe that it aired on HBO) about Isreal’s response to the 1972 Munich Olympic massacre. Basically, they sent a hit squad to hunt down and kill the perpetrators one by one. I haven’t seen it since it originally aired so I don’t remember too may details. I also don’t know how true the movie is with respect to the real events. Right now, the idea of covert assassination operations against known terrorists sounds pretty darn good to me.
As to the Catholic thing - feel free to email me any time. I will gladly answer your questions to the best of my ability.
Thanks for the explanation (on the flim). And I will email…
I remember that, it wasn’t bad. Sort of a low-rent “Day of the Jackal” feel to it. Based on true events, but I think it takes quite a few liberties. (Israel really did send hit teams after the Munich terrorists and got into an international row when one team mistook a Swiss waiter for a terrorist and “hit” him.)
I was in London Thursday morning and i heard the bus bomb go off. There were cops and injured people everywhere. Massive areas cordoned off. London’s transport was obviously in total disarray yesterday, since i dont live in London i wasnt able to get home until early this morning.
On another note, I think the Islamic fundamentalist scum who did this should note that they killed and injured MUSLIMS in these attacks.
We’re glad you’re safe and hope you stay that way. Honestly, our thoughts are with London today.
Unfortunately, as we watched the twin towers fall again and again on our screens I reached the horrible conclusion that Bush, or whoever is actually controlling this empty headed cowboy, had either knowingly allowed terrorists to carry out their dreams or had deliberately organized or encouraged this madness.
In my mind and the mind of Ken Livingston (Mayor of London), the senseless bombing of London is an act of deliberate mass murder.
This is mass murder that I believe was carefully organized by agents, paid assassins or even military personnel who are in the pay of what I call the Bush-Blair project.
It no longer maters to me if Blair is aware of the insane plans and intentions of the current American administration. What is certain is that in the so called west, we have lost sight of democracy.
The Bush-Blair project must be stopped because they are guilty of mass murder. We will not forget that they sent troops to murder the people of Iraq. There were no weapons of mass destruction.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..........
That kinda talk will get you banned over at the DailyKos. That means it’s craaaaazy.
I’ve considered responding to Zorg’s comment, but I really can’t think of much to say. My final response is this: I’ll happily leave it in place so that people can see the insane mental gymnastics some people will go through to avoid laying the blame for terrorism at the feet of the terrorists.
Thanks for providing that object lesson, buddy.
But but… ChimpyMcBu$Hitler is the real terrorist!
He knew! He knew, I tell you!
And he told those ugly Jooooos, too. Because they are the ones that really run AmeriKKKa.
Isn’t it obvious to everyone? Bush and Blair are both Hollaback Guys!
They’re gonna make you fall, they’re gonna sock it to you.
I ain’t no hollaback guy.
And you don’t have a boyfriend who looks like a girlfriend that I had in February of last year, so that’s pretty cool, too.