Posted on 07/07/2005 12:59:15 PM PDT by Mensch
Londoners have paid the price for Iraq and Afghanistan, says George Galloway.
The Respect MP, whose Bethnal Green and Bow constituency includes the site of at least one of the bomb attacks, said the attacks were "despicable".
But he told MPs it was the US-led coalition's actions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo which had inflamed hatred of the West in the Muslim world.
In response, minister Adam Ingram accused Mr Galloway of "dipping his poisonous tongue in a pool of blood".
The armed forces minister added that Mr Galloway's comments were "disgraceful".
Same mistakes?
Earlier Mr Galloway said he was absolutely clear the bombings had been carried out by Islamic extremists inspired by Osama Bin Laden's world outlook.
He argued that the bombings had not come out of the "clear blue sky" - the background was the invasion of Afghanistan, Iraq, photographs of abuses by US troops at Abu Ghraib prison and the continuing confinement of people by America at Guantanamo.
Mr Galloway said the West was in danger of making the same mistakes over and over again, continuing with "war and occupation as the principal instrument of our foreign and defence policy".
He added: "And if we do then some people will get through and hurt us as they have hurt us today."
Paid the price?
Mr Galloway who was expelled from the Labour Party over his outspoken comments on the Iraq war, linked the deaths of people in London to the deaths of those in Falluja at the hands of coalition forces.
Earlier, in a statement, the MP said: "The loss of innocent lives, whether in this country or Iraq, is precisely the result of a world that has become a less safe and peaceful place in recent years.
"We have worked without rest to remove the causes of such violence from our world.
"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."
He urged the government to remove people in the UK from "harm's way" by ending the occupation of Iraq and focusing on finding a real solution to conflicts in the Middle East.
Downing Street declined to comment on Mr Galloway's comments.
No one knew who he was until he started bashing America. Now the media thinks his opinion is relevant.
His view was the same as Galloway.
He blamed Tony Blair for the bombing and said now London has a "taste of it" referring to bombings in Muslim countries. He did not condemn the bombings instead avoided the question by going on about "you would not say Christians were terrorists" because of, I think he mentioned the IRA
He claimed that there was no evidence yet it was Muslims, so could not condemn it. His big concern was being discriminated against for being a Muslim or coming out of his mosque, can't remember exact words.
He did provide a picture of a victim (walking wounded so to speak) whose family might have been looking for her.
I am still sick and angry no one challenged him. This was live on British TV.
I watch Sky, not GMTV.
Regards, Ivan
Put into simple logic, Galloway thinks that if the coalition would pull out of Iraq this morning then the world could breathe easy and there would be no more Muslim atrocities. Not!!!!!!
I was going to post that Galloway should be arrested. I have changed my mind. I think I would even fund his ability to get this message out. It would turn the entire civilized world against liberals so utterly that they, too, would be -- properly -- thought of as a legitimate target in the War on Terror.
I have only seen it twice, today and yesterday. Don't have Sky!
You may not. G-d wants him to remind the world that evil... utter, despicable evil... comes in many forms and may even look like you. He wants this message to be heard far and wide, that many Britons who may have wavered will become filled with greater resolve.
Remember, even in WWII, there were fans of Hitler in Britain.
Rounded up and sent to Islamic countries.
Iran and Syria, the price for bombings.
They hanged Lord Haw Haw.
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Who?
William Joyce. Irish-American who worked for German propaganda in World War II
**
Thanks for setting me straight. So much for my public school education. I had never heard of him. :)
Yes, he is a POS.
By the way, Christopher Hitchens did a very good interview on a UK radio station this morning about the motives of the London bombers and he was very critical of Galloway. If you're interested in what he had to say you can listen to the interview using RealPlayer by clicking on the '4th Hour' hyperlink under the 'Sat, 9 Jul 2005' title on this webpage. (The interview starts at the 10:50 minutes point). You can also download the audio file from here
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