Editorial: London Hit Again

Despite all the security, despite the intensive activity of the police, the intelligence services and the authorities in the past few days, terrorists have struck again in London. Exactly two weeks after the underground and bus bombs that killed 56 people and left 700 injured, bombers have gone for the exact same targets — the transport system. It almost beggars belief. It was bad enough that terrorists managed to strike in the first place. That they could do so again 14 days later, even though they did not manage to kill anyone, is no less horrifying. Londoners are understandably in shock. When it wears off, they will be angry as well — not just at those responsible, but at the fact that a fresh attack could have been allowed to happen. The frightening reality is that yesterday’s blasts could have been as devastating as the earlier ones. That they were not is no thanks to the efforts of the British police and or the authorities. It is thanks to the fact that those who carried them out did not have sufficient explosives. They had only detonators. The intention to kill was there; what was lacking was the means…

This Arab News editorial is worth reading. It does not bash the British by claiming that government policies were the cause of this latest attack. Instead, it blames the bombers.

It goes on to note that security will need to become even tighter if these attacks are to be prevented. Additional measures might even go as far as “profilling” (the article demurely calls it “screening”).

…It has gone beyond the days of asking passengers to be vigilant or watch out for unattended bags. That is no good when people are prepared to blow themselves up. Better security systems have to be developed. It may mean armed police in disguise on every train; it may mean screening. It is time to think the unthinkable.

This is a far cry from the lamentations that filled the Saudi media when Saudi visitors were being inconvenienced post-9/11, but it’s welcomed nonetheless.