Blair: Security measures alone will not protect UK
Tony Blair has said that security measures alone cannot protect the UK from terrorist attack and that the underlying causes of terrorism must be “pulled up by the roots.”
Speaking on Today following Thursday’s London bombings, which have killed at least 50 people, the prime minister said debate would continue over security measures such as identity cards, but added that the “underlying causes” of terrorism had to be dealt with too.
“Probably with this type of terrorism the solution cannot only be the security measures. I have never really doubted that myself,” said Mr Blair.
“The underlying issues have to be dealt with too in terms of trying to get rid of this dreadful perversion of the true faith of Islam,” he added.
The prime minister said that meant people within the Muslim community publicly denouncing the violence as being “wholly inconsistent” with their faith.
He added that there needed to be a drive to create a fairer and more just world and to secure peace in the Middle East.
Mr Blair, who also praised the “great inner resilience” of the British people, said he was proud the UK was an open, liberal and multi-racial society and warned that the terrorists would have won if the country subsequently became an illiberal society.
He said the government would proceed with caution and would not introduce tough new laws to restrict security in the wake of the attacks.
“I think that we will continue with our way of life, I genuinely believe that,” he said.
“Even as we mourn the lives of those people killed so brutally and unnecessarily the sense, I think, and I hope, within the country, is to pull together and to make sure people can’t divide us.”
As ministers prepare for further talks on the London terror attacks on Saturday, defence secretary John Reid said the government was doing “everything possible” to catch the perpetrators.
“I am utterly convinced that we are doing everything possible, not only to make sure this can’t happen again, or the chances of it happening again are minimised, but to catch the evil people who did this,” he told Channel 4 news.
Cobra, the civil contingencies committee, will meet again to discuss the aftermath of the bombings after the prime minister chaired a meeting of the group on Friday night.
Interior and justice ministers from the 25 European Union states have been invited to attend a Brussels summit on the attacks on Wednesday.
