Initial British response, Blair calls for eradication

[GCSmith]

BBC News On-line seems to be down, so no link for any of this - it's all off TV.

Coverage of these attacks is dominating BBC News 24 and most terrestrial channels, and has been for a couple of hours. It's been fairly up to date - and cries of shock were audible in the news room when the pictures of the first tower collapsing were received.

The prinicple development in the UK is that the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, cancelled his speech at the Trade Union Conference and made a brief statement before returning to London. He expressed condolences to the American people and offered support to President Bush.

Blair: "This mass terrorism is the new evil in our world today. It is perpetrated by fanatics who are entirely indifferent to the sanctity of life. We, the democracies of the western world are going to have to come together, to fight it together, and eradicate this evil completely from our world."

The London Stock Exchange has been evacuated. I've had an uncomfirmed report on the phone that the government building where I usually work has also been evacuated. There are also reports that the Israeli embassy in London has been evacuated. Police are visible around government buildings, and outside 10 Downing Street (where the PM is expected to arrive soon for meetings with our security services).

The BBC has also shown an interview with Yassa Arafat. He expressed shock and sadness and looked incredibly shaken - he looked like he could barely believe what has happened. An anonymous claim of responsibility from the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine was received earlier, but was subsequently denied by the Front's official spokesman.

[MadIvan]

Latest from the UK: City of London and important government buildings evacuated. Police leave has been cancelled, on heightened state of alert.

We are with you on this. As dear old Winston said, "Let us go forward together."

Regards, Ivan

FREE BRITANNIA chat room open for discussion of news.

[mattdono]

Why don't you just shut up, man! Stop the partisanship crap and your snide ass mouth. Our country needs unity right now, not division, you punk!

[The Duke]

Blair: "This mass terrorism is the new evil in our world today. It is perpetrated by fanatics who are entirely indifferent to the sanctity of life..."

Sounds like a case of the pot calling the kettle black...

[BurkeanCyclist]

Tony Blair has spent his entire Premiership sucking up to terrorists in Northern Ireland.

The IRA and Sinn Fein leadership--including Gerry Adams--should be on our list, along with every other known terrorist in the entire world.

[Paradox]

I think I speak for many of us here... F*CK YOU..

Sheesh, opportunists like you are lower scum then these terrorist *ssholes.

[Nonstatist]

douchebag

[doug from upland]

Your comments are stupid and not helpful. Add something to the discussion of value or get the hell out of here.

[hope]

It's times like these that tend to make real asses out of people. If you cannot pray for your country, just shut up...or better yet, catch a plane to NY.

[LarryLied]

Bush didn't gut our military. Bush didn't shut down the US oil industry to the point where we import nearly 60% of our needs from the mideast and fund the animals which did this.. Bush didn't turn the DOJ into a lunatic asylum more interested in ferreting out racist sports team names than protecting our country.

[DainBramage]

You are showing your colors asshole. We will remember.

[Paradox]

I'll refer you back to post #7, and leave it at that.

[monkeyshine]

We, the democracies of the western world are going to have to come together, to fight it together, and eradicate this evil completely from our world."

Yep.