"We are all Londoners Now"

[peterbirks]

The Salt Lake Tribune wrote in a leader (editorial comment) on Friday that "It is tempting to declare, in the spirit that the rest of the world showed us after 9/11, that we are all Londoners now. But that would be presumptuous of us. London will stand through this outrage, as it has stood through worse. And its courage will stiffen the upper lip of the civilized world.

It would indeed have been presumptuous. Look at this morning's news from the Press Association:

"Thousands of American servicemen and women based in Britain have been banned from entering London in the wake of the terrorist attacks. Members of the US Air Force stationed at two RAF bases in Suffolk were instructed not to go within the M25 until further notice. Matt Tulis, a spokesman at RAF Mildenhall, said the directive was issued to 10,000 personnel in the aftermath of the bombings and was considered the most effective measure to protect their troops."

So much for the "We are not afraid" banners. Pathetic.

Comments

[jellymillion.livejournal.com]

The Independent ran a two-page spread of contributions to wearenotafraid.com yesterday. I didn't see many from the US. Mostly from mainland Europe, actually. I wouldn't be too afraid if I lived in Delft either.

Of course, according to the Queen, the terrorists won't make us change our way of life. She, for one, will be travelling on buses and trains just as much as ever.

Mike (at work in the City of London)