Posted on 07/07/2005 11:56:51 AM PDT by phoenix_004
Tony Blair on Thursday united with the leaders of the Group of Eight industrial nations and the world’s big five emerging economies to condemn the London bombings.
The prime minister said they were “not an attack on one nation but on all nations and on civilised people everywhere”.
In a declaration delivered before all the world leaders gathered in Gleneagles for the G8 summit, Mr Blair said that “all of our countries have suffered from the impact of terrorism”.
Flanked by George W. Bush, the US president, on one side and Jacques Chirac, the French president, on the other, the prime minister declared: “We shall prevail and they shall not.”
Mr Blair said: “It is important that those engaged in terrorism realise 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 civilised nations throughout the world.”
Mr Blair delivered the statement shortly before flying back to London for several hours to take stock of the situation in the capital. In Gleneagles, the remaining G8 leaders continued discussions on climate change and Africa. Jack Straw, the foreign secretary, flew up to the summit from London to take over from Mr Blair temporarily in chairing the talks.
Mr Blair was expected to return to Gleneagles later Thursday night, determined the terrorists should not gain a symbolic victory by appearing to disrupt the summit seriously.
However, British officials postponed publication of the agreed G8 communiqué on climate change until Friday, mindful that media coverage of the summit resolutions was bound to be drowned out in the aftermath of the bombings. As the first full day of the summit got under way, Mr Blair and President Bush held a bilateral meeting and signalled that a G8 accord on climate change had been agreed. The bulk of the G8 work on Africa had been finalised by senior diplomats earlier in the week.
Even so, the prime minister was not prepared to suspend or abandon the summit after the terrorist outrage.
“We will not allow violence to change our societies or our values. Nor will we let it stop the work of this summit,” he said. “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.”
Mr Blair first became aware of the explosions at about 9.30am on Thursday, shortly after the start of the first G8 session on climate change. Soon afterwards he was given a telephone briefing on the situation in London by Charles Clarke, the home secretary, who had chaired a meeting of Downing Street’s emergency Cobra committee – essentially the government’s emergency response team.
At midday, the prime minister, looking shocked by the events of the morning, gave the first of two statements in the foyer of the Gleneagles Hotel. After giving his joint statement with the G8 leaders he left for London at about lunchtime to chair a meeting of senior ministers and officials.
The G8 leaders later went on to give strong messages of support for Mr Blair, with President Bush praising Mr Blair’s “steadfast determination and strength”.
Mr Bush said: “The contrast between what we see on the TV screens and what’s taking place here is incredibly vivid to me.
“On the one hand, you’ve got people here who are working to alleviate poverty, help rid the world of the pandemic of Aids, and are working on ways to have a clean environment, and on the other hand you’ve got people killing.
“The contrast couldn’t be clearer between the intentions and the hearts of those of us who care deeply about human rights and human liberties and those who kill, who have such evil in their hearts, they will take the lives of innocent folks.”
Go gettim' Tony!
I hope the freaks who are protesting the meeting have enough sense to go home.
Hey Tony, what does your wife say?
Does she feel the same way as she does about terrorist bombings in Israel?
W is not fighting the "Religion of Peace."
This is a perfect opportunity for the G8 nations to discuss global terrorism and ways to fight the fanatic islamics that are waging this war. Instead, the world is treated to subjects like the Kyoto treaty, protestors, give Africa more handouts to name a few.
Islam is not "religon of peace" it's stated mission is to convert all to Islam by any means, war is only one of them, Mohamed was a worrior/highwayman robber
To which Chirac immediate retorted, "What do you mean by 'we'?"
Me and Dubya, Jacques! You're on the OTHER side of this battle...whether you admit/realize it or not!
I know that & you know that, but W called islam a "Religion of Peace". He is not engaged against islamic religious teaching or culture and because of that the best we can hope for is a stalemate.
I suspect you and I agree that we must engage and destroy islamic teaching and culture for our posterity, and the world, to live in peace and stability.
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