Blair waxes Churchillian in call for unity, defiance of terrorists
at
He rose to the occasion Thursday, delivering an almost Churchillian appeal for unity and vowing to defeat terrorism and root out the perpetrators.
In a solemn rallying cry, Blair said it was "a very sad day for the British people but we will hold true to the British way of life."
While those who set off the explosions "act in the name of Islam," he said, "we also know that the vast and overwhelming majority of Muslims here and abroad are decent and law-abiding people who abhor those who do this every bit as much as we do."
Blair was hosting a summit of G8 leaders in
"It is through terrorism that the people that have committed these terrible acts express their values and it is right at this moment that we demonstrate ours," said a sombre Blair.
Blair has long shown a sure rhetorical touch in times of crisis. When Diana, Princess of
Hours after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, Blair promised Britain would "stand shoulder to shoulder with our American friends in this hour of tragedy and we, like them, will not rest until this evil is driven from our world."
Blair has a talent for bouncing back from adversity. Just two months ago, he had appeared a spent political force after British voters returned him to office for a third term but with a sharply reduced majority.
But the chance to host the G8 summit and his recent assumption of the rotating EU presidency as the bloc struggles for a direction appear to have reinvigorated him. And Blair's poised performance on Thursday once again proved he is a leader who thrives in times of crisis.
In his address, Blair harkened back to the "Blitz spirit" that saw Londoners through the dark days of Nazi bombing during the Second World War - and, by association, to wartime prime minister Winston Churchill, whose determined, moving speeches helped steel the resolve of Britain and the Empire.
"There will, of course, now be the most intense police and security service action to make sure that we bring those responsible to justice," Blair said.
"I would also pay tribute to the stoicism and resilience of the people of
Blair promised "the most intense police and security service action to make sure that we bring those responsible to justice."
He said
"The purpose of terrorism is just that. It is to terrorize people and we will not be terrorized."
Text of British prime minister's statement on attacks in
British Prime Minister Tony Blair issued a pair of statements Thursday after explosions in the London transit system caused deaths and injuries; the first was an initial account of what happened, the second issued with other G8 leaders at their summit in Gleneagles, Scotland.
Blair's first statement:
I'm just going to make a short statement to you on the terrible events that have happened in
It's reasonably clear there have been a series of terrorist attacks in
It's my intention to leave the G8 within the next couple of hours and go down to London and get a report face to face with the police and the emergency services and the ministers that have been dealing with this, and then to return later this evening.
It is the will of all the leaders at the G8, however, that the meeting should continue in my absence, that we should continue to discuss the issues that we were going to discuss and reach the conclusions which we were going to reach.
Each of the countries around that table has some experience of the effects of terrorism. And all the leaders, as they will indicate a little bit later, share our complete resolution to defeat this terrorism.
It's particularly barbaric that this has happened on a day when people are meeting to try to help the problems of poverty in
Just as it is reasonably clear that this is a terrorist attack, or a series of terrorist attacks, it's also reasonably clear that it is designed and aimed to coincide with the opening of the G8.
There will be time to talk later about this.
It's important, however, that those engaged in terrorism realize that our determination to defend our values and our way of life is greater than their determination to cause death and destruction to innocent people in a desire to impose extremism on the world.
Whatever they do, it is our determination that they will never succeed in destroying what we hold dear in this country and in other civilized nations throughout the world.
Thank you.
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Blair's G8 statement:
We condemn utterly these barbaric attacks. We send our profound condolences to the victims and their families.
All of our countries have suffered from the impact of terrorism. Those responsible have no respect for human life. We are united in our resolve to confront and defeat this terrorism that is not an attack on one nation but on all nations and on civilized people everywhere.
We will not allow violence to change our societies or our values, nor will we allow it to stop the work of this summit. We will continue our deliberations in the interests of a better world.
Here at this summit, the world's leaders are striving to combat world poverty and save and improve human life. The perpetrators of today's attacks are intent on destroying human life.
The terrorists will not succeed. Today's bombings will not weaken in any way our resolve to uphold the most deeply held principles of our societies and to defeat those who would impose their fanaticism and extremism on all of us.
We shall prevail and they shall not.
http://www3.cjad.com/content/cp_article.asp?id=/global_feeds/CanadianPress/WorldNews/w0707143A.htm
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