So, no more five times a night for him then?
Blair's Attack On Terrorists' 'Warped Logic'
The Prime Minister has said Iraq is just an excuse for terrorists, insisting there is no justification for what they do.And he said he wants to "expose the obscenity" of the terrorists' "warped logic".Speaking passionately at his monthly news briefing, he said the roots of terrorism go much deeper than Iraq or Afghanistan."Let us expose the obscenity of these people saying it is concern for Iraq that drives them to terrorism. "If it is concern for Iraq then why are they driving a car bomb into the middle of a group of children and killing them? "Why are they every day in Iraq trying to kill people whose only desire is for their country to become a democracy?" And he asked why they are killing people in Afghanistan, Turkey and Egypt and wrecking hopes of a peace deal in the Middle East. "They will always have a reason and I am not saying any of these things don't affect their warped reasoning and warped logic as to what they do or that they don't use these things to try and recruit people. "But I do say we shouldn't compromise with it. I'm not saying anyone says any of these things justify it but we shouldn't even allow them the vestige of an excuse for what they do."
Mr Blair also accused the world of going back to sleep on terrorism since 9/11. He said: "September 11 for me was a wake up call. Do you know what I think the problem is? That a lot of the world woke up for a short time and then turned over and went back to sleep again. "We are not going to deal with this problem, with the roots as deep as they are, until we confront these people at every single level. "And not just their methods but their ideas." He added: "It is time we stopped saying, 'Okay, we abhor their methods but we kind of see something in their ideas of maybe they have got a sliver of excuse or justification'. They have got no justification for it." Mr Blair also gave an update on the anti-terror Bill being put together by the Home Office, which will create a new offence of acts preparatory to terrorism. He said that an increase in the length of pre-charge detention is a possibility as well as a specific offence of attending a terrorist training camp. And he said the terms of the Bill are being fine tuned and he expects it to be before the Commons in the Autumn.
2.30pm update
Blairs at odds over anti-terror measures Matthew Tempest, political correspondentWednesday July 27, 2005 Cherie Booth, the prime minister's wife, last night warned Britain must not "cheapen" its reputation for civil liberties in response to the London bombings, while her husband called for tougher judicial attitudes. In a speech in Malaysia, Ms Booth told an audience it would be "all too easy" to undermine Britain's "deeply held values" with an unduly hasty response to the attacks. The remarks could be interpreted as a shot across the government's bows as it drafts emergency anti-terrorism measures. Last night in a speech to 1,000 lawyers, diplomats and civil servants in Malaysia, Ms Booth - who uses her maiden name when appearing in her professional capacity as a barrister - said: "It is all too easy for us to respond to such terror in a way which undermines commitment to our most deeply held values and convictions and which cheapens our right to call ourselves a civilised nation." However, she prefaced her remarks by saying: "Nothing I say here could possibly be construed as making light of those horrible acts of violence" - the London bombings - "or of the responsibility imposed on the UK and other governments to keep the public safe, or of the difficult and dangerous task performed by the police and intelligence services." Ms Booth said judges made rulings in a way that taught citizens and government about the "ethical responsibilities" of participating in a true democracy committed to "universal human rights standards". She went on to praise the way the House of Lords blocked recent anti-terror legislation which could have seen foreign suspects detained without trial. "What the case makes clear is that the government, even in times when there is a threat to national security, must act strictly in accordance with the law," she said.
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