British Prime Minister Tony Blair said today Britain would not "give one inch" to terrorists on his government's policy on Iraq and the Middle East.
Mr Blair made his comments after holding a rare meeting with opposition party leaders to discuss new anti-terror legislation aimed at preventing a repeat of the July 7th suicide bombings that killed 56 people, including four attackers.
At his monthly news conference, Mr Blair said the response by Londoners to the July 7th bombings and the failed July 21st attacks against identical targets had been "magnificent."
"London is being tested but standing firm," he said.
Tony Blair
Asked whether the British-backed and US-led invasion of Iraq had fuelled terrorist attacks around the world and in London, Mr Blair said "there was no excuse or justification" for their actions of the bombers.
"Whatever excuse or justification these people use, I do not believe we should give one inch to them, not in this country and the way we live our lives here; not in Iraq; not in Afghanistan; not in our support for two states, Israel and Palestine; not in our support for the alliances we choose, including with America. Not one inch should we give to these people," Mr Blair said.
"September 11 for me was a wake-up call," he said. "Do you know what I think the problem is? A lot of the world woke up for a short time and then turned over and went back to sleep again."
However, a new poll revealed a majority of British Muslims surveyed believe Mr Blair's decision to join the US-led war in Iraq was one of the reasons behind the bombings.
The ICM poll for The Guardiannewspaper said 58 per cent of British Muslims responding agreed "a lot" with the suggestion that the decision to join the invasion of Iraq was a reason for the attacks.
One in five British Muslims said they or a family member had faced abuse or hostility in their communities since the July 7th attacks, according to the poll.
The Home Office said one of the suspects in the July 21st bombings, Yasin Hussan Omar (24), had arrived in Britain in 1992 from Somalia. He is suspected of trying to blow up a subway train near Warren Street station.
Muktar Said-Ibrahim, also known as Muktar Mohammed-Said (27), who is suspected of trying to bomb a bus, is a naturalised British citizen who arrived from Eritrea in 1992, the Home Office said.
Both men came as dependants of refugees.
Police are questioning five suspects arrested in connection with the July 21st attacks.
AP