OT: London has been attacked by terrorists

[N2FSU]

Sorry to go off topic, but this is big news.
London has been hit by multiple explosions this morning, Tony Blair calls it a terrorist attack.

[Miss Mary]

This is big news - breaking news. No need to apologize. I predict many who discuss topics on the OT will post their thoughts and condolensces as well. We just woke up to the tragic news. My 18 year old daughter was just in London, in early June, with a school group! That was our immediate family's thought - we are so glad her trip was a few years ago. Our next door neighbors are from England. Their 20 year old daughter is expected to leave to today, for London, with a close friend of hers also. They were going to be in England for 3 weeks! I'm not even sure they're flying out now...

Oops, my mistake. Didn't see the other London topic that was already started. My apologies.

Mary

[Janice]

Oh, this is so horrible. I am sure people all over the world are on alert or their lands too. England has been so good for the whole world, they, like us do not deserve this. I hope the people who are pressing the US government to release the prisoners from Cuba to think twice. Once they are loose, things will we worse.

God Bless America and England... Bobbysocks

[TexasStooge]

God bless the US and UK.

[donsutherland1]

It is terrible that the people of London have suffered from the savagery that terrorists continue to inflict on innocent civilians in many parts of the world, including but not limited to Russia, Indonesia, Israel, Spain, the United States, and Iraq. My thoughts and prayers are with the people of London and the families impacted by this most recent manifestation of barbarism.

The terrorists responsible deserve to be brought to justice and, equally important, the causes and ideologies that driven them to commit their inhuman acts should be vanquished.

In the aftermath of this most recent terrorist attack, policymakers and people should be able to agree on at least the following:

• Any cause that relies on terrorism--the deliberate targeting of civilians for death or injury--is a cause that does not deserve support.
• Terrorism, because it targets defenseless civilians, is among the gravest crimes against humanity. There is never any justification for such crimes and those responsible should be properly viewed as the criminals they are.
• Islamist terrorism seeks to impose a quasi-religious form of totalitarianism and cannot nor should not be appeased.

Given the above, those responsible for foreign policy should reject any cause or group that employs terrorism--deliberate attacks on civilians--in pursuit of its objectives regardless of the rationale or justification made for such attacks. Genocide is always and justly treated as inexcusable. Terrorism, which is also a crime against humanity, and those who commit it should be viewed no differently.