Britain: Mr Tony Blair vowed he would not flinch in the face of terrorism yesterday as the attack on British interests in Istanbul cast its shadow over President George Bush's state visit to the United Kingdom, writes Frank Millar, London Editor
The defiant British Prime Minister again stood "shoulder to shoulder" with his American ally as tens of thousands of British anti-war demonstrators cheered the symbolic toppling of the President's effigy in Trafalgar Square.
Amid growing fears that Britain had suffered its first direct al-Qaeda-type attack, the Prime Minister declared: "There must be no holding back, no compromise, no hesitation in confronting this menace, in attacking it wherever and whenever we can, and in defeating it utterly."
And he told those marching through the heart of London: "America did not attack al-Qaeda on September 11th , al-Qaeda attacked America, and in doing so attacked not just America, but the way of life of all people who believe in tolerance and freedom, justice and peace."
Mr Blair was speaking alongside President Bush at a news conference midway through a Downing Street summit suddenly dominated by the news of the terror attacks in Turkey which the British Foreign Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, said bore every hallmark of al-Qaeda and its associates.
The second full day of the President's controversial visit had begun at Westminster Abbey where he and the First Lady watched two American service personnel lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior.
The President then met the families of some of the British victims of the war in Iraq before travelling to Downing Street for a summit expected to be dominated by plans for the handover of power in Iraq and the contentious issues of steel tariffs and the treatment of Britons held in Guantanamo Bay.
By the time Mr Bush arrived at No 10, however, the casualty count was rising following the suicide attacks on the Istanbul branch of HSBC Bank and on the British consulate, where the consul general, Mr Roger Short, was among those believed to have died.
So the official script was torn up as Prime Minister and President placed terror in Turkey in the context of the ongoing allied commitment in Iraq and their "war on terror" worldwide.
Joining Mr Blair in expressing sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Turkey, President Bush said: "The nature of the terrorist enemy is evidenced once again. We see their contempt, their utter contempt, for innocent life.
"They hate freedom, they hate free nations. Today once again we saw their ambitions of murder. The cruelty is part of their strategy.
"The terrorists hope to intimidate, they hope to demoralise, they particularly want to intimidate and demoralise free nations. They are not going to succeed."
Britain, the US and other free nations were united in grief and in their determination "to fight and defeat this evil wherever it is found."
The allied mission in Iraq was noble, the President said. "No act of thugs or killers will change our resolve or alter their fate. A free Iraq will be free of them. We will finish the job we have begun."
Returning to the underlying theme of this week's historic state visit - the "special relationship" - the President continued: "Together Great Britain and the United States met the defining challenges of the last century.
"Together we are meeting new challenges, challenges that have come to our generation. In all that lies ahead in the defence of freedom, in the advance of democracy, our two nations will stand together."
Mr Blair echoed the President's message that there would be no lessening of their commitment to Iraq, saying: "On the contrary it shows how important it is to carry on until terrorism is defeated there as well.
"Because it is in a free, democratic and stable Iraq that not just the violence, but the wretched and backward philosophy of these terrorists will be defeated and destroyed."
Praising Mr Bush's speech on Wednesday "extolling the virtues of freedom, justice, democracy and the rule of law" Mr Blair said: "There may be some who think that Britain would gain from standing back from this struggle, even some who believe that we and the United States and our allies have somehow brought this upon ourselves."
Asked if he saw yesterday's Istanbul attacks as attacks on their alliance, Mr Blair replied: "It is directed at anybody who stands in the way of this fanaticism.
"That is why our response has got to be to say as clearly as we can, 'You are not going to defeat us because our will to defend what we believe in is actually in the end stronger, better, more determined than your will to inflict damage on an innocent people'."
That was why, Mr Blair said, the Anglo-American relationship was "a real living alliance about the struggle going on in the early 21st century.
"And if they think that when they go and kill people by these terrorist attacks they are going to somehow weaken us, or make us think 'Well, let's shuffle to the back of the queue and hide away from this', they are wrong.
That is not the tradition of my country and it is not the tradition of the British or American people."
Asked what he would say to those who thought British people had died as a result of his relationship with President Bush, Mr Blair said there was "something truly bizarre" about their critics "when the effect of us not doing this would be that the Taliban was still in Afghanistan and Saddam was still in charge of Iraq."
Asked why so many free Britons apparently feared and even hated him, President Bush replied: "I would say freedom is a beautiful thing."