Response to the 2005 London bombings
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The 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of
suicide attack A suicide attack is any violent Strike (attack), attack, usually entailing the attacker detonating an explosive, where the attacker has suicide, accepted their own death as a direct result of the attacking method used. Suicide attacks have oc ...
s carried out by homegrown terrorists on London's public transport network during the morning rush hour. The bombings, three on the London Underground and one on a bus, killed 52 people and prompted a massive response from the
emergency service Emergency services and rescue services are organizations that ensure public safety and health by addressing and resolving different emergencies. Some of these agencies exist solely for addressing certain types of emergencies, while others deal wit ...
s, and in the immediate aftermath the almost-complete shut down of the city's transport system. Over the following hours and days there were several security alerts throughout the United Kingdom, and in some foreign cities. London largely returned to normality in the following days, though with several further security alerts and a reduced service on the Underground.


Security alerts


Security responses in the UK


London

* Cabinet Office Briefing Room A (COBRA) was activated within minutes of the first reports of explosions, and remained open round the clock for over a week. * The London Underground was closed in the hours following the attacks, and did not re-open until the following day, with a reduced service. The Circle line, and the
Piccadilly line The Piccadilly line is a deep-level London Underground line running from the north to the west of London. It has two branches, which split at Acton Town, and serves 53 stations. The line serves Heathrow Airport, and some of its stations are n ...
between Hyde Park Corner and
Holloway Road Holloway Road is a road in London, in length. It is one of the main shopping streets in North London, and carries the A1 road as it passes through Holloway, in the London Borough of Islington. The road starts in Archway, near Archway Under ...
, remained closed. Several other lines remained disrupted in the areas affected. Security alerts were also causing disruption. * The entire
London Buses London Buses is the subsidiary of Transport for London (TfL) that manages most bus services in London, England. It was formed following the Greater London Authority Act 1999 that transferred control of London Regional Transport (LRT) bus se ...
network was suspended on 7 July, with all buses sent back to depot for security checks. Eventually, services outside Zone 1 in central London returned to operations, and a reduced Zone 1 service operated in the evening of 7 July. Services returned to normal on 8 July, except through affected areas. * All major Network Rail stations in London closed on the morning of 7 July, re-opening in late afternoon. King's Cross remained closed until 8 July. Most National Rail services terminated outside London, with Great North Eastern Railway trains stopping at Peterborough and Virgin Trains West Coast stopping at Watford Junction. * The
London Ambulance Service The London Ambulance Service NHS Trust (LAS) is an NHS trust responsible for operating ambulances and answering and responding to urgent and emergency medical situations within the London region of England. The service responds to 999 phone cal ...
reported that they would "only be sending ambulances to patients across the capital with life-threatening illnesses or injuries". * The
Metropolitan Police Service The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police (and informally as the Met Police, the Met, Scotland Yard, or the Yard), is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and ...
urged people not to enter London, and to limit their usage of public transport. * Schools in the capital did not close on 7 July, as police thought it safer for children to remain in classes. On 8 July, most schools in central London were closed due to transport difficulties. * In London, security responses saw major buildings such as the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace sealed off. Most landmarks such as the London Eye and Westminster Abbey were closed. All theatre productions in the West End were cancelled, as were several concerts. The Bank of England commenced financial continuity plans, to keep the financial system operational. * East Croydon station was closed due to a suspect package, but was later re-opened. There were reports of Victoria station being cordoned off by police amid reports of a "suspicious package" on a bus near the station.


Nationwide

* Security alerts were reported in Edinburgh, Cardiff, Birmingham, Sheffield, Southampton, Portsmouth,
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,
Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
and
Poole Poole () is a large coastal town and seaport in Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester and adjoins Bournemouth to the east. Since 1 April 2019, the local authority is Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Counc ...
. * In Edinburgh, two controlled explosions were carried out on a Lothian Buses double-decker on
Princes Street Princes Street ( gd, Sràid nam Prionnsan) is one of the major thoroughfares in central Edinburgh, Scotland and the main shopping street in the capital. It is the southernmost street of Edinburgh's New Town, stretching around 1.2 km (three ...
in the centre of Edinburgh at around 17:30; neither of the objects destroyed contained explosives. * In Cardiff, the Central railway and Central bus stations were closed after a security alert. * In Birmingham, 20,000 people were evacuated from the city centre on 9 July while police carried out four controlled explosions. * There were bomb scares in Sheffield City Centre on 5 July. * In Southampton, the main coach station and the surrounding area was cordoned off after a suspect package. * In Portsmouth the Portsmouth Harbour railway station and the nearby Hard bus interchange were closed for a few hours following a hoax bomb threat. Ian Tebbut was subsequently jailed for 6 months. * In Swindon, a suspicious package was spotted at the town's station. The area was evacuated and bomb disposal experts carried out a controlled explosion, but the parcel was found to contain two gifts and a bag of washing. * In Brighton there was a controlled explosion of a suspicious briefcase at approximately 12:55 in a
telephone box A telephone booth, telephone kiosk, telephone call box, telephone box or public call box is a tiny structure furnished with a payphone and designed for a telephone user's convenience; usually the user steps into the booth and closes the booth ...
outside Brighton station. The briefcase was later found to be harmless, and the station was re-opened. * Poole railway station was also closed in response to the discovery of a suspicious package. The package was later detonated by police in a controlled explosion. * At the G8 summit in Gleneagles, armed police patrolled the surrounding villages, and over 1,000 Metropolitan Police officers were re-deployed back to London.


Security responses abroad

* In other European countries, security was also tightened at major transport networks. *
Prime Minister of France The prime minister of France (french: link=no, Premier ministre français), officially the prime minister of the French Republic, is the head of government of the French Republic and the leader of the Council of Ministers. The prime minister ...
Dominique de Villepin announced that France had increased its level of terror alert to red, the second-highest level, in response to the events in London. * Meanwhile, Berlin transport officials indicated that security alert levels for the public transport system of the German capital had been raised to yellow, the second of four levels. *Spanish
Interior Minister An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...
José Antonio Alonso José Antonio Alonso Suárez (28 March 1960 – 2 February 2017) was a Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) politician, cabinet minister and judge. He was born in León. A jurist (judge since 1985 after graduating from the University of Leon ...
raised the level of antiterrorist prevention and protection alert to level three, the highest level. This implied the use of all security forces in the country patrolling public transports and others mass confluence sites. For example, military forces patrolled in commuter trains in Madrid. * Transportation security was also tightened in Canada, particularly in the Toronto Subway and the
Montreal Metro The Montreal Metro (french: Métro de Montréal) is a rubber-tired underground rapid transit system serving Greater Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The metro, operated by the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), was inaugurated on October 14, ...
. * In Singapore, where a major presence of British, American and Australian interests are located, security measures were enforced immediately on the public transport system. Armed police officers from the Special Operations Command began patrols at
MRT MRT may refer to: Transport Rapid Transit Systems * Mass Rapid Transit (disambiguation) * MRT (Singapore) or Mass Rapid Transit, Singapore * MRT (Bangkok) or Metropolitan Rapid Transit, Thailand * Manila Metro Rail Transit System, Philippine ...
stations, plans for CCTVs to be installed in all trains and buses were mooted, and the public was also updated on the progress of the planned MRT Security Unit of the Singapore Police Force. Security was also stepped up at the then on-going
117th IOC Session The 117th International Olympic Committee Session was held for the first time in Singapore from 2 to 9 July 2005. Two important decisions were made through voting during the session – namely the selection of the hosting city for the 2012 Summe ...
. * In Singapore, Liu Tze Yuen was behind Hougang bomb hoax on 7 July 2005 and 12 August 2005. Lin Zhenghang was arrested for posting bomb hoax at Toa Payoh Bus Interchange which is similar to the 2005 London bombings on 11 February 2007. * In the United States, the Department of Homeland Security raised the
terror alert level In the United States, the Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS) was a color-coded terrorism threat advisory scale created in March 2002 under the Bush Administration in response to the September 11 attacks. The different levels triggered spe ...
to orange, specifically for mass transit in large cities. In Seattle, to name just one example of a major American city in which security on public transit was increased after the London bombings, Seattle police and
King County King County is located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population was 2,269,675 in the 2020 census, making it the most populous county in Washington, and the 13th-most populous in the United States. The county seat is Seattle, also the st ...
sheriffs patrolled at each stop in the downtown Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel. * In Denmark, at least two controlled explosions were carried out in the week after the incident. Both incidents turned out to be left luggage. One of these controlled explosions took place on 11 July at Amalienborg Palace, the residence of the Royal Family. Generally, police patrol activity in public transportation areas was increased significantly after the incident. * On 11 July it became known that commanders at US airbases in
East Anglia East Anglia is an area in the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, a people whose name originated in Anglia, in ...
had issued orders immediately after the bombings forbidding servicemen from travelling within the
M25 motorway The M25 or London Orbital Motorway is a major road encircling most of Greater London. The motorway is one of the most important roads in the UK and one of the busiest. Margaret Thatcher opened the final section in 1986, making the M25 the lon ...
until further notice, and strongly discouraged family members not subject to their orders from doing so. The orders were revoked by higher authority on 12 July once they became generally known.


Media response

The first indication of the attacks came at 9:15 a.m., when
Sky News Sky News is a British free-to-air television news channel and organisation. Sky News is distributed via an English-language radio news service, and through online channels. It is owned by Sky Group, a division of Comcast. John Ryley is the hea ...
, during its '' Sunrise'' breakfast show, flashed a report of an explosion at Liverpool Street Station in the City of London. The main UK TV networks ( BBC One and
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
) dropped programming and carried news solidly within 30 minutes of the first reports. Initially, the BBC's response was slow. At 9:20 a.m., a graphic appeared on BBC News 24 reporting an explosion in the City of London, only for it to be removed and go unmentioned by the channel's presenters for a further five minutes. Around this time, BBC One broke into programming with a short news report, and then returned to regular programming, only to have to return to the news studio several minutes later when the gravity of the incident became clearer. The major television channels' coverage continued throughout the day with simulcasts of the channels' respective rolling news services BBC News 24 and the
ITV News Channel The ITV News Channel was a 24-hour television news channel in the United Kingdom which broadcast from 1 August 2000 to 23 December 2005. It was available on Sky, NTL:Telewest, ITV Digital (until 2002), Freeview (latterly only between 6:00 am a ...
. The length of this media coverage in the UK was unprecedented: for example it was the single longest broadcast in
ITN Independent Television News (ITN) is a UK-based television production company. It is made up of two divisions: Broadcast News and ITN Productions. ITN is based in London, with bureaux and offices in Beijing, Brussels, Jerusalem, Johannesburg, N ...
's history. There was total blanket coverage on all UK rolling news channels for several days. Radio stations toned down their programming with extended news and information throughout the day. BBC Radio 4 took rolling news programming from
BBC Radio 5 Live BBC Radio 5 Live is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that broadcasts mainly news, sport, discussion, interviews and phone-ins. It is the principal BBC radio station covering sport in the United Kingdom, broadcast ...
during the morning. GCap Media's London music radio stations – Capital Radio, Capital Gold, Choice FM and
Xfm Radio X is a British National commercial radio station focused on alternative music, primarily indie rock, and owned by Global. Radio X launched in 1989 as a pirate radio station, a licensed London-wide station in 1997 and nationally in 2015 ...
– simulcast rolling news coverage from the time the first reports came in. This coverage, aimed at Londoners struggling to get home or to work in the aftermath of the attacks, was much acclaimed within the industry and won the coveted Sony Gold Award. BBC Radio 4 pulled its scheduled Classic Serial without explanation; it was to have been
John Buchan John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir (; 26 August 1875 – 11 February 1940) was a Scottish novelist, historian, and Unionist politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 15th since Canadian Confederation. After a brief legal career ...
's '' Greenmantle'', about the revolt of Muslims against British interests abroad.
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
cancelled a broadcast of the film '' The X-Files'' at midnight on 9 July, which featured an explosion at a U.S government building caused by a bomb. Another film, ''
Stakeout Surveillance is the monitoring of behavior, many activities, or information for the purpose of information gathering, influencing, managing or directing. This can include observation from a distance by means of electronic equipment, such as c ...
'', was shown instead. The following evening, the terrorism-themed action film ''
The Siege ''The Siege'' is a 1998 American action thriller film directed by Edward Zwick. The film is about a fictional situation in which terrorist cells have made several attacks in New York City. The film stars Denzel Washington, Annette Bening, Tony ...
'', originally scheduled for a 10:15 p.m. broadcast on ITV1, was replaced by '' Gone in 60 Seconds''. Similarly, in Denmark '' Blown Away'' featuring Tommy Lee Jones as a bomber was replaced on national TV station Danmarks Radio by '' Rain Man''.
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postponed the showing of the '' CSI'' fifth-season finale by a week because it featured a suicide bomber. It was replaced with a repeat from an earlier season.
Sky One Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non-terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, ...
replaced the advertised episode of their documentary series ''Conspiracies'' on 10 July. The planned episode was due to focus on the Lockerbie bombing. It was replaced with an episode that focused on the Siege of Waco instead. Meanwhile, the network removed references to terrorism when broadcasting an episode of ''
WWE SmackDown! ''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes simulc ...
''. The episode was taped two days before the attacks. (However, this episode, in which The Undertaker was the subject of a mock attack by two Muslim wrestlers, was shown unedited in the United States, to the chagrin of many viewers and critics.)
BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...
's topical news quiz '' Mock the Week'' was cancelled – the episode had been the last one of the show's first series and was replaced instead by a clip show showing edited highlights and outtakes from previous episodes in the show's run. Channel 4's comic panel game '' 8 out of 10 Cats'' was edited to remove a section of the show in which the panellists discussed which news stories the public had been discussing that week, and that portion remained absent from most of the rest of the series. BBC Radio 1's programming proceeded as normal throughout the day but with regular reports and updates both from the incumbent DJs and the Newsbeat team generally including listener feedback on the transport situation.
Scott Mills Scott Robert Mills (born 28 March 1973) is an English radio DJ, television presenter and occasional actor. He is best known for presenting the '' Scott Mills'' show on BBC Radio 1 from 2004 to 2022 and since then, on BBC Radio 2. Mills has also ...
at the time usually had an afternoon slot but was standing in that morning for Chris Moyles' Breakfast Show (Moyles was on holiday), with Vernon Kay in turn due to stand in for Mills in the evening. Due to the transport disruption Kay was unable to make it into the studio and Mills (also unable to travel out from the studio) filled in his usual evening slot. He managed to speak to Kay on the phone, who assured listeners that he was OK and just stuck somewhere. Finally due to high listener demand (he claimed) Mills rounded off this show with " Tubthumping" by
Chumbawamba Chumbawamba () were a British rock band formed in 1982 and disbanded in 2012. They are best known for their 1997 single "Tubthumping", which was nominated for Best British Single at the 1998 Brit Awards. Other singles include "Amnesia", " Enou ...
. The lyrics ''"I get knocked down, but I get up again, you're never gonna keep me down"'' were meant to represent the defiant attitude of the tuned-in listeners. The
bbc.co.uk BBC Online, formerly known as BBCi, is the BBC's online service. It is a large network of websites including such high-profile sites as BBC News and BBC Sport, Sport, the on-demand video and radio services branded BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, t ...
website recorded an all time bandwidth peak of 11
Gbit The bit is the most basic Units of information, unit of information in computing and digital communications. The name is a portmanteau of binary digit. The bit represents a truth value, logical state with one of two possible value (computer sc ...
/s at 12:00 on 7 July. BBC News received some 1 billion total hits on the day of the event (including all images, text and HTML), serving some 5.5 terabytes of data. Press photographs of a victim of the attacks being assisted by former firefighter Paul Dadge became iconic of the attacks. R.E.M.'s concert in
Hyde Park Hyde Park may refer to: Places England * Hyde Park, London, a Royal Park in Central London * Hyde Park, Leeds, an inner-city area of north-west Leeds * Hyde Park, Sheffield, district of Sheffield * Hyde Park, in Hyde, Greater Manchester Austra ...
, scheduled for 9 July, was postponed until 16 July. Queens of the Stone Age were also obliged to call off their 7 July show at
Somerset House Somerset House is a large Neoclassical complex situated on the south side of the Strand in central London, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. The Georgian era quadrangle was built on the site of a Tudor palace ("O ...
.


Opinion and reaction

In '' The Guardian'' Tariq Ali and Robert Fisk in '' The Independent'', echoing earlier comments by
George Galloway George Galloway (born 16 August 1954) is a British politician, broadcaster, and writer who is currently leader of the Workers Party of Britain, serving since 2019. Between 1987 and 2010, and then between 2012 and 2015, Galloway was a Member o ...
in parliament, claimed that the Iraq War was the cause of the attacks, though both also ran opinion pages and letters responding that such claims were too oversimplified, and the general mood of the press was that Britain was always a terrorist target and at most the war made Britain a more prominent target. The American Fox News network was criticised for its response to the news. Brian Kilmeade claimed that the attacks worked to the advantage of conservatives, putting terrorism back on the political agenda at a time when the G8 were discussing climate change and poverty. Washington managing editor, Brit Hume, claimed his first response to the news was that it was "time to buy", referring to the
stock market A stock market, equity market, or share market is the aggregation of buyers and sellers of stocks (also called shares), which represent ownership claims on businesses; these may include ''securities'' listed on a public stock exchange, as ...
, and host John Gibson quipped that if the International Olympic Committee "picked France instead of London to hold the Olympics, it would have been the one time we could look forward to where we didn't worry about terrorism. errorists wouldblow up Paris, and who cares?"


Legislative reaction

On 19 July 2005, the Home Secretary Charles Clarke announced in parliament the fast-tracking of a trimmed-down anti-terror bill, for which cross-party support had been secured, to become law by the end of the year. The new law would make criminal 'acts preparatory to terrorism' (possibly to include the accessing of any websites offering knowledge of terror tactics and bomb-making information), seeking or providing terrorist training domestically or overseas, and 'indirect incitement to terrorism'. This law became the Terrorism Act 2006, which despite broad cross-party support for many of the new offences legislated, created controversy due to the governments desire to introduce 90-day detention, though this was later reduced to 28 days.


Community responses and remembrance services

Within hours of the explosions, several websites were established including You Will Fail, which celebrated Mayor of London
Ken Livingstone Kenneth Robert Livingstone (born 17 June 1945) is an English politician who served as the Leader of the Greater London Council (GLC) from 1981 until the council was abolished in 1986, and as Mayor of London from the creation of the office i ...
's defiant words and We're Not Afraid, inviting all people to express their resolution not to be 'afraid, intimidated or cowed by the cowardly act of terrorism'. The theme of the latter site was to post a picture of individuals or groups holding a note with the words 'We are not afraid'. While initially intended for Londoners, the site was soon receiving supporting messages worldwide. On Sunday 17 July around 1,000 people joined a ' peace' vigil in Russell Square called by the Stop the War Coalition (StWC) and the
Muslim Association of Britain The Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) is a British Sunni Muslim organisation founded in 1997. MAB has been well known for its participation in the protests opposing the Iraq War. More recently, it has been known for promoting Muslim partic ...
. Speaking at the rally the StWC national convenor Lindsey German condemned the bombings but added that “''The only way to end the bombings is to withdraw from Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine. When we have justice around the world we will have peace as well''”. The StWC also participated in vigils across the country.


Speeches and offerings of condolence


7 July 2005 London bombings


United Kingdom


=Royal Family

= * The Queen issued an official statement, saying "I know I speak for the whole nation in expressing my sympathy to all those affected and the relatives of the killed and injured. I have nothing but admiration for the emergency services as they go about their work". On 8 July, the Queen visited the Royal London Hospital, near Liverpool Street, where she visited some of the victims of the attacks, and emergency staff who responded to the attacks. She later made a speech described by the BBC as "unusually forthright", in which she called the bombings an outrage, and said that "those who perpetrate these brutal acts against innocent people should know that they will not change our way of life". On 10 July, the Queen again commented on the attacks, during the UK's commemoration services for the 60th anniversary of World War II. The Queen also ordered that the Union Flag on Buckingham Palace fly at half-mast. * The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall visited St Mary's Hospital in Paddington on 8 July. The Prince said "It's been one of the things that many of us have dreaded for a long time and now they have finally got through," and added, "What I can never get over is the incredible resilience of the British people who have set us all a fantastic example of how to react to these kinds of tragedies." The Duchess also commented "It makes me very proud to be British" in response to the efforts of the emergency services. *
Prince William of Wales William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. Born in London, William was educat ...
, on tour in New Zealand with the British and Irish Lions said, "At this time I'm sure that I'm joined by New Zealanders and Lions supporters alike in extending to the families and loved ones of all those directly involved, my heartfelt sympathies". *
The Duke of York Duke of York is a title of nobility in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of English (later British) monarchs. The equivalent title in the Scottish peerage was D ...
visited the Transport for London staff and the
Metropolitan Police The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police (and informally as the Met Police, the Met, Scotland Yard, or the Yard), is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and ...
at
CentreComm CentreComm, now known as the NMCC (Network Management Control Centre) is Transport for London's emergency control room for London Buses. CentreComm's primary purpose is to provide an emergency control centre for London Buses contracted bus networ ...
, the London Buses Command and Control Complex in Buckingham Palace Road on 8 July. The Duke met staff who co-ordinated the transport network in London following the attacks, and praised Londoners for their reactions, saying "The way that Londoners pulled together yesterday was quite extraordinary". * The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester visited the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on 9 July to meet victims of the attack and to thank staff.


=Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh responses

= *
First Minister of Scotland The first minister of Scotland ( sco, heid meinister o Scotland; gd, prìomh mhinistear na h-Alba ) is the head of the Scottish Government and keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland. The first minister chairs ...
Jack McConnell Jack Wilson McConnell, Baron McConnell of Glenscorrodale, (born 30 June 1960) is a Scottish politician who served as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Labour Party in Scotland from 2001 to 2007. McConnell served as the Minister ...
issued a statement in behalf of the Scottish Executive saying, "I had planned today (Thursday) to have a conversation with Mayor Ken Livingston to congratulate him on the success for London yesterday in Singapore in winning the Olympic Games for 2012. Instead I have sent a message of condolence on behalf of the people of Scotland to the people of London and the families of those who have been injured or deceased in the terrorist atrocities that were seen in different locations in central London today". *
First Minister of Wales , insignia = First Minister of Wales logo.png , insigniasize = 120px , insigniacaption = Logo , flag = Flag of Wales.svg , flagsize = 120px , flagborder = yes , flagcaption = Flag of Wales , image = File:Mark Drakeford (cropped).jpg , ...
Rhodri Morgan Hywel Rhodri Morgan (29 September 1939 – 17 May 2017) was a Welsh Labour politician who was the First Minister of Wales and the Leader of Welsh Labour from 2000 to 2009. He was also the Assembly Member for Cardiff West from 1999 to 2011 and t ...
issued a statement on behalf of the National Assembly for Wales, saying, "The whole of Wales will feel nothing but revulsion at these savage acts of terrorism targeted at commuters during London’s busy rush hour. On behalf of the people of Wales, I would like to express my deepest sympathies to the relatives of those killed and injured in this morning’s attacks". * The four major political parties in Northern Ireland condemned the attacks. William McCrea spoke on behalf of the
Democratic Unionist Party The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is a unionist, loyalist, and national conservative political party in Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1971 during the Troubles by Ian Paisley, who led the party for the next 37 years. Currently led by J ...
saying "I sympathise with those who have been bereaved as a result of this terrible atrocity and our thoughts are with the many families who have been so cruelly robbed of their loved ones". The DUP also used their statement to attack Sinn Féin and the IRA, whom they accused of "planting more bombs in London than anyone else". Sinn Féin also condemned the attacks, with the Mayor of Moyle District Council, saying "On behalf of Sinn Féin I offer my sincere condolences to the victims and the families of those killed and injured and to the people of London".


=Greater London

= * Mayor of London
Ken Livingstone Kenneth Robert Livingstone (born 17 June 1945) is an English politician who served as the Leader of the Greater London Council (GLC) from 1981 until the council was abolished in 1986, and as Mayor of London from the creation of the office i ...
delivered a message of defiance on behalf of the people of London, speaking directly to the bombers and their sponsors and saying that "That isn't an ideology, it isn't even a perverted faith, it is just indiscriminate attempt at mass murder". He also addressed the bombers, saying that people "flee you because you tell them how they should live. They don't want that and nothing you do, however many of us you kill, will stop that flight to our cities where freedom is strong and where people can live in harmony with one another. Whatever you do, however many you kill, you will fail".


Multinational bodies

* : The European Parliament held a
minute of silence A moment of silence (also referred to as a minute's silence or a one-minute silence) is a period of silent contemplation, prayer, reflection, or meditation. Similar to flying a flag at half-mast, a moment of silence is often a gesture of r ...
to mourn the victims of the explosions. * Commonwealth of Nations Secretary-General Don McKinnon issued a statement saying, "All of us throughout the Commonwealth family are shocked by these barbaric and cowardly attacks. Our thoughts go to all the victims and their families and friends. Terrorism cannot be allowed to succeed. The Commonwealth has spoken out loudly and clearly against this scourge. The killing and maiming of innocent men, women and children is unjustifiable". * G8 leaders prepared a statement, read on behalf of them all by Tony Blair, condemning the attacks as "an attack on civilised peoples everywhere", and saying that the G8 summit would proceed. * The Gulf Co-operation Council "condemns the terrorist attacks which hit the British capital in several locations this morning". * At NATO headquarters in Brussels, the North Atlantic Council met for an extraordinary session, and issued a statement saying "The Council condemned in the strongest possible terms terrorism in all its forms. NATO Allies reaffirmed their determination to combat this scourge, and to defend with all means at their disposal the Alliance’s values of freedom, tolerance and democracy". * The International Olympic Committee stated that "The IOC was appalled by the barbaric attack". The IOC also confirmed that the attacks would not affect London's successful Olympic bid for the
2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
, stating "Security is one of the 17 themes of evaluating the Olympics and we have full confidence in the London authorities for a secure Olympic Games". * : United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan described the bombings as "an attack on humanity itself", and joined other world leaders in condemning the attacks. He said that he was personally "devastated" by the events. * The Security Council condemned "without reservation" the terror attacks and urged nations to prosecute perpetrators of such "barbaric acts." In a resolution adopted by a 15–0 vote in an emergency meeting, the Council expressed condolences to the victims of the bomb blasts.


International responses


=Africa

= * Morocco – Communication Minister Nabil Benabdallah gave a statement on behalf of the government, saying that "these heinous attacks underline the need for the international community to...unite its efforts to fight these acts and abort their objectives". * Egypt – Foreign Trade and Industry Minister Rachid Mohamed Rachid, who lived in London until his appointment in 2004, condemned the attacks while at a conference in Brussels. "Everyone is following what's happening in London with great anxiety. It is important to be brave in facing up to the scourge of terrorism," the state news agency MENA quoted him as saying. * Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic – President of the Sahrawi Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz expressed his condolences on behalf of the Saharawi people to the British people and government, vehemently condemning "the terrorist acts" that stroked the British capital. * Saint Helena – Governor of Saint Helena, Michael Clancy said "On behalf of the people of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan Da Cunha I convey our sympathy to those who have suffered injury or trauma as a result of yesterday’s tragic events in London. We send our sincere condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives. While we are thousands of miles away, we feel very close to the people of Britain in spirit, and we know that they will respond with resolve and determination". * South Africa – President Thabo Mbeki has condemned the series of explosions on London's transport system: "As South Africa, we join the rest of the international community in condemning any acts of terrorism".


=Americas

= * Argentina – President Néstor Kirchner sent a press release that stated "We're convinced that the respect to life is the pillar of the democratic coexistence, and manifest our total condemn of any kind of terrorist act, such as the one suffered by the British citizenship, and hope for the people responsible to be apprehended and submitted to justice. The Argentine people feels deeply identified with the victims and their relatives, to whom we would like to express our deepest sentiments of consternation and solidarity." * Brazil – President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said that "Brazil expresses its harshest condemnation of this most recent, deplorable terrorist act" and voiced "solidarity with the suffering of the victims' families". * Canada – The Governor General of Canada, Adrienne Clarkson, said in a statement, "The world has once again witnessed the horrors of terrorism and we have all been shaken by these shocking and terrifying events. All Canadians are saddened to see this tragedy unfold and we give the people of Britain our heartfelt sympathy". ** Prime Minister Paul Martin offered his condolences to the families of the victims of the bombings also calling the bombings "an unspeakable attack on the innocent and on a way of life," as well as "our collective freedom has come under attack by those who would use violence and murder to force extremism on the world". Martin also requested Canadian flags on all
federal Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to: Politics General *Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies *Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...
buildings be lowered to half-staff. ** Deputy Prime Minister
Anne McLellan A. Anne McLellan (born August 31, 1950) is a Canadian politician and academic who served as the ninth deputy prime minister of Canada from 2003 to 2006. She was a cabinet minister in the Liberal governments of Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin, ...
said,"Acts of terrorism are completely without conscience...terrorism is a scourge on our civilisation. Those who commit the acts do not care whom they kill or how much damage they inflict on those who are truly innocent". **
Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...
leader
Stephen Harper Stephen Joseph Harper (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of Canada from 2006 to 2015. Harper is the first and only prime minister to come from the modern-day Conservative Party of Canada, ...
said,"We should not be under any illusion that we couldn't just as easily be a target, and certainly, obviously, we could be a basis from which terror could be launched", and "those who oppose the war in Iraq also oppose the war in Afghanistan, and Canada is very involved in that". **
New Democratic Party The New Democratic Party (NDP; french: Nouveau Parti démocratique, NPD) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic: * * * * * * * * * * * * t ...
leader Jack Layton felt,"repulsed by the violence we have witnessed today in London...we will not allow it to undermine Canadian society, our institutions or our beliefs in democracy, human rights, tolerance, and equality. Indeed, we must go forward today with greater determination to build a world that embraces these ideals". * Chile – President Ricardo Lagos said that "every Chilean repudiates what has happened today at dawn in London". * Cuba – President
Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (; ; 13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and president from 1976 to 200 ...
wrote, in a letter to the Queen, "I can assure you that the Cuban people, who have been a victim of terrorism for more than four decades, share your grief and condemn this unjustifiable attack on the British people". * Falkland Islands – Governor Howard Pearce sent a message of condolence to Elizabeth II, saying, "The people of the Falkland Islands are deeply shocked and outraged by the appalling attacks which took place in London earlier today. On behalf of all Falkland Islanders, I convey our sympathy to those who have suffered injury or trauma as a result of these events and our deepest condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives. While we may be many thousands of miles away in distance, we feel very close to all Londoners in spirit, and we know that they will respond with courage and fortitude". * Mexico – A spokesman for President Vicente Fox said that "on behalf of the people of Mexico, the president would like to express his solidarity and support to the people and government of the United Kingdom, terrorism and violence against civilian population have no possible justification, President Vicente Fox has already given his condolences to Prime Minister Blair". * Panama – President
Martín Torrijos Martín Erasto Torrijos Espino (; born July 18, 1963) is a Panamanian politician who was President of Panama from 2004 to 2009. He was fathered out of wedlock by Panamanian military ruler Omar Torrijos, the ''de facto'' head of Panama from 1968 ...
visited the British ambassador to Panama, James Ian Malcom, to express condolences and solidarity with the UK. * USA – President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
spoke at the
31st G8 summit The 31st G8 summit was held on 6–8 July 2005 at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland and hosted by Prime Minister Tony Blair. The locations of previous G8 summits to have been hosted by the UK include: London (1977, 1984, 1991); and ...
in Scotland, saying "I spent some time recently with the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, and had an opportunity to express our heartfelt condolences to the people of London, people who lost lives. I appreciate Prime Minister Blair's steadfast determination and his strength. He's on his way now to London here from the G8 to speak directly to the people of London. He'll carry a message of solidarity with him". **
Secretary of Defense A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...
Donald Rumsfeld Donald Henry Rumsfeld (July 9, 1932 – June 29, 2021) was an American politician, government official and businessman who served as Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under president Gerald Ford, and again from 2001 to 2006 under Presi ...
has said: "Before long, I suspect that those responsible for these acts will encounter British steel. Their kind of steel has an uncommon strength. It does not bend or break. The British have learned from history that this kind of evil must be confronted. It cannot be appeased. Our two countries understand well that once a people give in to terrorists' demands, whatever they are, their demands will grow. The British people are determined and resolute. And I know the people of the United States are proud to stand at their side". **
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...
Chairman Howard Dean stated, "I join all Americans today in offering my condolences to the victims of today's vicious terrorist attacks in London. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their friends and their families. We remain steadfast in our commitment to defeating those who threaten our freedom and values. At a time when world leaders were working together to help make our world a better place, these terrorists were plotting to disrupt that effort by killing and injuring innocent people. We will continue to stand with our allies around the world to defeat terrorism and protect our liberty and freedom".


=Asia

= * Bangladesh – Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia within hours of the attacks condemned the act of terrorism and expressed deep sorrow upon the deaths in the attacks. Foreign Minister
M. Morshed Khan Morshed Khan (born 8 August 1940) is a Bangladeshi politician who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh from 2001 until 2006. He served as a Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Chittagong-10 constituency in the 6th, 7th and ...
later visited the British High Commissioner
Anwar Choudhury Anwar Bakht Choudhury ( bn, আনোয়ার বখত চৌধুরী; born 15 June 1959) is a British diplomat of Bangladeshi origin. He was Governor of the Cayman Islands until he was recalled in June 2018 after less than three month ...
to convey the condemnation of the Government of Bangladesh upon the attacks. * India – Speaking at the G8 summit in Scotland, Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh Manmohan Singh (; born 26 September 1932) is an Indian politician, economist and statesman who served as the 13th prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He is also the third longest-serving prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indir ...
said, "Just a couple of days back, India faced a major terrorist attack and these incidents show that global terrorism does not recognise international boundaries and we all need to work together to counter it". * Indonesia – Foreign Ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa has said, "We're shocked to hear the bombing attacks. We condemned them," He also expressed condolences to the victims and their relatives, and pray for the wounded for their early recovery. * Japan – Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has said, "This terrorist action will never be forgiven, but remembered with great indignation. I offer Mr. Blair my full support to his response, and will gladly cooperate in any way possible". * Malaysia – Prime Minister
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Tun Abdullah bin Ahmad Badawi ( Jawi: عبد الله بن احمد بدوي; born 26 November 1939) is a Malaysian politician who served as the 5th Prime Minister of Malaysia from October 2003 to April 2009. He was also the sixth president of ...
said all Malaysians were saddened and distressed over the bomb attacks in London. He said every Malaysian hates violence and condemns it because violence is not the solution. He stated "I believe all countries and races condemn what had happened in London although we do not know yet who is responsible for the bombing". * Pakistan – Information Minister Sheikh Rashid said "We offer our heartfelt sympathies to those who suffered due to such acts". * People's Republic of China – Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao has said that "China is shocked" by this tragedy and "strongly condemns" any terrorist attacks targeted at civilians. ** Hong Kong – Chief Executive Donald Tsang said he was shocked and saddened by what has happened. He felt aggrieved, and had spoken to the Consul General of the United Kingdom in Hong Kong to convey condolences, saying that British nationals in Hong Kong would be protected. He added the government was not complacent, although Hong Kong is a low-risk area. Security arrangements were upgraded. The market had good foundations and fundamentals. Secretary for Security
Ambrose Lee Ambrose Lee Siu-kwong (; 17 August 1948 – 14 August 2022) was a Hong Kong politician, Secretary for Security of Hong Kong and a member of the Executive Council. He was appointed to his post on 5 August 2003, replacing Regina Ip. Backgro ...
also condemned terrorist attack. Necessary assistance was provided to Hong Kong people in the United Kingdom. * Philippines – President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Foreign Secretary
Alberto Romulo Alberto Gatmaitan Romulo (born August 7, 1933) is a Filipino politician and diplomat. He served in the Philippine in various capacities as Executive Secretary, Finance Secretary, Foreign Affairs Secretary, and Budget Secretary. His most recent o ...
offered condolences to the families of the victims. * Singapore – Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong condemned the terrorist attacks in London and expressed Singapore's sympathy to the victims of the attacks and their families, and to the British people and government.


=Europe

= * Cyprus – President
Tassos Papadopoulos Efstathios "Tassos" Nikolaou Papadopoulos ( el, Ευστάθιος (Τάσσος) Νικολάου Παπαδόπουλος; 7 January 1934 – 12 December 2008) was a Cypriot politician and barrister who served as the fifth president of Cyp ...
stressed that "the Government and the people of Cyprus strongly condemn such horrendous acts of terror and stand in full solidarity with the British people and the rest of the international community in the fight against terrorism of all kinds". * Czech Republic – President Václav Klaus wrote in a statement to the Queen: "We are jointly facing those who would like to destroy the values upon which our civilisation rests by their coward inhuman acts." "Along with you, we are determined not to yield to the forces which are seeking to destroy everything in which we believe through violence," Klaus wrote in the letter, in which he voiced his deepest sympathies. * Denmark – Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen stated: "Again we're witnessing scruples' and barbaric attacks against completely innocent people – civilians, women and children... Terrorists use fear and terror as political pressure. We can't – and will not allow that. We shall never give in to terrorists." * Finland – president Tarja Halonen expressed condolences in a letter to the Queen. In it she said "It is with profound sadness that we in Finland have received the news of the fatal bomb explosions in London, in which precious human lives were lost and many seriously injured". Foreign Minister
Erkki Tuomioja Erkki Sakari Tuomioja (born 1 July 1946) is a Finnish politician and a member of the Finnish Parliament. From 2000 to 2007 and 2011 to 2015, he served as the minister for foreign affairs. He was president of the Nordic Council in 2008. Tuomioja ...
also expressed condolences, stating: "I vehemently condemn these shocking and cruel acts". * France – president
Jacques Chirac Jacques René Chirac (, , ; 29 November 193226 September 2019) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. Chirac was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988, as well as Ma ...
, describing the attackers as "savages" said that "these attacks have without any doubt reinforced the solidarity between the eight eads of government at The G8 summit, adding that the attacks would also strengthen the fight against terrorism. ** Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin called the attack "a tragedy for Great Britain" and "a tragedy for Europe as a whole which had already been hit in Madrid in March 2004." In a letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair, De Villepin also offered "immediate, full and total collaboration of French services in helping you identify the authors of these crimes". * Germany – Chancellor Gerhard Schröder called the attacks "cowardly and perfidious", while Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer declared his "unswerving solidarity" with London. * Gibraltar – Chief Minister Peter Caruana, sent a message of condolence to the Queen, saying "Please accept the sympathy and solidarity of the people and Government of Gibraltar in the face of these cowardly and wicked attacks on London and its people. Please accept our condolences on the loss of life". * Greece – Prime Minister
Kostas Karamanlis Konstantinos A. Karamanlis ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Αλεξάνδρου Καραμανλής; born 14 September 1956), commonly known as Kostas Karamanlis ( el, Κώστας Καραμανλής, ), is a Greek politician who served as the ...
stated "On the part of the government and the Greek people, I would like to express my deepest condolences" and added "Our thoughts are with the families of the victims". * Hungary – Prime Minister
Ferenc Gyurcsány Ferenc Gyurcsány (; born 4 June 1961) is a Hungarian entrepreneur and politician who served as Prime Minister of Hungary from 2004 to 2009. Prior to that, he held the position of Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports between 2003 and 2004. He ...
called the attacks "lowly and inhuman", and expressed his "sincere sympathy" with the families of victims and with the inhabitants of London. Outgoing President Ferenc Mádl likewise condemned the attacks and expressed his condolences. * Iceland – president Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, says that terrorist attacks have paralysed the city. "The British nation has shown great courage and is resolved to deny the terrorists success in their attack on the open and free society". ** Prime Minister Halldór Ásgrímsson said it is the duty of all countries to stand together in the fight against the forces that organise attacks like the 7/7 bombings. He said that counter-terrorist preparations and surveillance would increase in European countries in the wake of the attacks, including Iceland. * Ireland – Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said that "after yesterday's outpouring of great joy, today is a tragic and difficult day for London." Mary McAleese, then President of Ireland also offered her condolences in a statement released from Áras an Uachtaráin. * Netherlands – Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende stated: "Continuous intensive attention is required in the war against terrorism. Terrorism is an evil that can hit each European country. Cooperation in the EU and worldwide is crucial to counter this evil". * Norway – King Harald V sent a message to The Queen saying "It was with great sorrow I received the shocking news about the horrible incidents that happened in London this morning, that have injured and claimed the lives of innocent humans". ** Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik said "On behalf of the Norwegian Government, I wish to express my deepest condolences and sympathy. My thoughts are with all those who were injured and the bereaved families, and with the people of the United Kingdom. We are mourning with you in this time of grief". * Poland – The Polish Parliament, Sejm lower house observed a moment of silence as 3 Polish nationals were killed in the bombings. * Portugal – Prime Minister José Sócrates said in a statement made from the national Parliament "The terrorist threat is global and demands for a global response. If any doubt would existed about the priorities of Europe, this dramatic attack obliges all the 25 European Union states to stay together in this fight". * Romania – President Traian Băsescu expressed his solidarity with the British people and authorities. * Russia – President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences over the attacks and called on all countries to unite in the fight against international terrorism. * Spain – Prime Minister
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (; born 4 August 1960) is a Spanish politician and member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). He was the Prime Minister of Spain being elected for two terms, in the 2004 and 2008 general elections ...
has stated "I want to express the condolences of the Government and the Spanish people to relatives of the victims of this horrible attacks. I absolutely share the sentiments stated by my colleague Tony Blair. Moral strength of democracy is far superior than such vile and cowardly methods of terrorism". * Sweden – Prime Minister Göran Persson stated: "It is an attack on our open society. It's an attack on a democracy that's hosting a meeting to discuss such difficult issues as the climate change and the poverty of Africa. In this situation it's important that we hold together, that we're steady in the fight against terror and that we give all the support that we can give to British authorities but also to the people who has been affected, and we of course also express our sympathy with the British people and all the single people who today have received messages that near and dear have been affected by serious injuries or death. ..The same icy feeling as after 9/11, the same definite opinion: this is not something that we'll give away for. If this will become the future norm for how to decide the political agenda, then we'll live in a whole other Europe, a whole other world, and that's something none of us wishes. Now we defend the open society".


=Middle East

= * Israel – Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon Ariel Sharon (; ; ; also known by his diminutive Arik, , born Ariel Scheinermann, ; 26 February 1928 – 11 January 2014) was an Israeli general and politician who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Israel from March 2001 until April 2006. S ...
said "In these moments, Israel entirely expresses its solidarity with the people of Britain, aching with their pain, and sending condolences to the families of the dead and wishes of fast recovery to the wounded". * Kuwait – denounced the attacks in a letter to British Prime Minister Tony Blair from Prime Minister Shaikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, who is in the United States. Shaikh Sabah expressed Kuwait's "strong condemnation" of the blasts that left a number of "innocent casualties," said the state news agency KUNA. "These terrorist attacks which target innocent lives are against all human norms and values," the Kuwaiti leader said. Shaikh Sabah also expressed "Kuwait's sympathy and support to friendly Britain and to all actions it will take to eradicate vicious terror in order to preserve security and stability". * Lebanon – President Émile Lahoud said that "Lebanon, which has been the victim of violence for years, shares with the British their pain". * Saudi Arabia – Social Affairs Minister Abdulmohsen al-Akkas said his country, battling a two-year wave of attacks by Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network, knew what London was suffering. "We understand. Since May 2003 we have been experiencing the horrors of terrorist acts" said Akkas, who was visiting London. * Syria – President
Bashar al-Assad Bashar Hafez al-Assad, ', Levantine pronunciation: ; (, born 11 September 1965) is a Syrian politician who is the 19th president of Syria, since 17 July 2000. In addition, he is the commander-in-chief of the Syrian Armed Forces and the ...
condemned the attacks in a cable sent to Prime Minister Tony Blair. * Turkey – Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (born 26 February 1954) is a Turkish politician serving as the List of presidents of Turkey, 12th and current president of Turkey since 2014. He previously served as prime minister of Turkey from 2003 to 2014 and as Lis ...
said that "we have always stressed that the fight against terror is something we all have to join into together. I believe especially that our mutual intelligence organisations need to pool their information and knowledge to be better able to support one another against attacks of this kind". * United Arab Emirates – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Shaikh Hamdan bin Zayed al-Nahayan said
The UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
government "condemns in the strongest possible terms these horrific crimes and declares full solidarity with the British government" and that the UAE also "supports any measures
he British government He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
may take to deal with" the attacks.


=Oceania

= * Australia – Prime Minister John Howard, in a live-to-air broadcast, expressed his "horror and disgust at this cowardly attack on innocent people." Mr Howard also stated that "It's important that we stand shoulder to shoulder with our British allies at a time such as this" and that "these types of attacks will not alter the determination of free countries to do the right thing". Recognising an Australian connection to the British capital, Mr. Howard said "Australians will feel very deeply about this because London is the city, above all others outside our own country, we know and identify with". In a radio interview with Australian Broadcasting Corporation on 8 July 2005, PM Howard commented "This attack will not cow the British. It will not cow free people anywhere in the world. It will in fact steel the determination of people who recognise the threat that terrorism poses to democratic societies, to go on with the fight against terrorism". ** Australian Labor Party leader Kim Beazley said the terrorists were "sub-human filth who must be captured and eliminated". He also stated: "The evil that they stand for must be confronted and they need to know that nothing they can do changes our values and nothing they do eliminates our resolve to deal with them". * New Zealand – Prime Minister Helen Clark has conveyed to the British government the "deep shock and sympathy and concern of the government and people of New Zealand", and has also requested New Zealand flags be flown at half-mast.


Religious reactions


=Muslim

= * The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh denounced the deadly blasts that rocked London, saying "Killing and terrorising innocent people and the destruction of property are not condoned by Islam". He also censured the terrorists for tarnishing the image of Islam by attaching their heinous crimes to the religion. * The Muslim Council of Britain said that it "utterly condemns" the "indiscriminate acts of terror". * The Australian Muslim Civil Rights Advocacy Network have issued a public statement condemning the attacks, offering their condolences to the British people, and pledging their support in bringing the terrorists to justice. * The Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the attacks, stating "We join Americans of all faiths, and all people of conscience worldwide, in condemning these barbaric crimes that can never be justified or excused. American Muslims offer their sincere condolences to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured in the attacks and call for the swift apprehension and punishment of the perpetrators". * The
Islamic Circle of North America Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) is an Islamic North American grassroots umbrella organization. History ICNA is an offshoot of the Muslim Students' Association (MSA), and was founded by immigrants from South Asia. In 1971, a number of South ...
released a statement saying, "The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) is shocked and horrified at the several attacks on the people of London during the rush hour mass transit. We join everyone in condemning such acts of terror and senseless violence. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their loved ones at this tragic moment. We trust that the authorities will determine those responsible for these barbaric acts and bring them to justice quickly". * Leading Lebanese
Shi'ite Muslim Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, mos ...
scholar Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah stated, "These crimes are not accepted by any religion. It is a barbarism wholly rejected by Islam." * Most British Muslims were deeply hurt and disgusted at these attacks, especially due to the fact that the bomb site by Aldgate station had a huge surrounding Muslim and Asian community. However, they cited the British government foreign policy as the main reason for the attacks. One in four British Muslims supports the reasons mentioned by the terrorists, whilst 6% felt the attacks were fully justified. *
Al Qaeda Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military targets in various countr ...
cleric
Omar Bakri Mohammed Omar Bakri Muhammad ( ar, عمر بکری محمد; born Omar Bakri Fostock; 1958) is a Syrian Islamist militant leader born in Aleppo. He was instrumental in developing Hizb ut-Tahrir in the United Kingdom before leaving the group and heading t ...
approved of the bombings and called them a "warning" for the British government. * The cousin of Shehzad Tanweer, one of the suicide bombers, approved of the suicide bombings by Tanweer and called him a "good Muslim". * About 2,000 villagers in Shehzad Tanweer's Pakistani village of origin prayed for him at his funeral. * Grand Imam Mohammed Sayyed Tantawi of Cairo's Al-Azhar University condemned the attacks and said that the attacks could be not justified as an attempt to force Britain out of Iraq. ''"This is illogical and cannot be the motive for killing innocent civilians"''.


=Christian

= * Church of England – The Bishop of London, Richard Chartres, issued a statement saying "The attack on London is not an attack on Presidents and men of power but an attack on ordinary Londoners travelling to work by bus and tube...On Wednesday evening
St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...
was packed with Londoners come to listen to the Secretary General of the UN and the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what can be done to tackle poverty in the world. The atmosphere was electric and the determination to do something practical to help was obvious. That is the real agenda in today’s world. By contrast this act of violence is a cruel irrelevance". **
Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Justi ...
, Dr Rowan Williams, spoke of his horror and grief. Amid widespread speculation that the bombings were the work of Islamic extremists, he said that, as it happened, he had "spent this morning with Muslim colleagues and friends in West Yorkshire; and we were all as one in our condemnation of this evil and in our shared sense of care and compassion for those affected in whatever way. Such solidarity and common purpose is vital for us all at this time of pain and sorrow and anger". On Friday he gave the " Thought for the Day" on BBC Radio 4 in which he spoke of the difference between shocked silence and calmness. *
Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
General of The Salvation Army
John Larsson John Alfred Larsson (2 April 1938 – 18 March 2022) was a Swedish Salvationist, writer and composer of Christian music and hymns, who was the 17th General of The Salvation Army. Biography The son of officer Sture Larsson and Flora Ethel Mild ...
sent out mobile relief teams and said to continue to pray for the people of London. * – Pope Benedict XVI has called the attacks "inhuman" and "barbaric acts against humanity."


Political forces

Organisations such as the Stop the War Campaign take the view that the fault for the bombings lies with the foreign policy decisions of Tony Blair, and particularly his decision to send troops to Iraq to attack the régime of Saddam Hussein, which he claimed harboured weapons of mass destruction. Journalist John Pilger in a column published in the '' New Statesman'' on 25 July 2005, ascribed blame to Blair, whose decision to support the invasion of Iraq, and the overthrow of the Saddam Hussein regime, generated the rage that he claimed precipitated those bombings. * Hamas – Moussa Abu Marzouk, a spokesman for
The Palestinian ''The Palestinian'' is a 66-minute TV documentary from 1977. It was produced by and starred Vanessa Redgrave, and directed by Roy Battersby. Controversy The movie was perceived by some critics as anti-Israeli The Anti-Defamation League's honorar ...
Islamist organisation Hamas, has condemned the bombings, saying "Targeting civilians in their transport means and lives is denounced and rejected". * – Mayor of Toronto David Miller stated, "residents of Toronto stand in solidarity with people around the world in their condemnation of this and every act of terror". * Bertrand Delanoë, the mayor of Paris: "Today, we're all Londoners".


21 July 2005 London bombings


United Kingdom

Tony Blair and Home Secretary Charles Clarke, among other ministers and key officials from government and the emergency services attended a meeting in
COBR The Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms (COBR) are meeting rooms in the Cabinet Office in London. These rooms are used for committees which co-ordinate the actions of government bodies in response to national or regional crises, or during overseas e ...
after the second wave of attacks occurred. Blair also interrupted a meeting with
Prime Minister of Australia The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister heads the executive branch of the Australian Government, federal government of Australia and is also accountable to Parliament of A ...
John Howard to attend a COBR meeting, although he and Howard would later gave a joint news conference in response to the attacks on both the London Underground and Bethnal Green (Howard was also in Washington, D.C., at the time of the
11 September 2001 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerc ...
.)


International reaction

*: The Pentagon raised its security level in response to the attacks. In addition, New York City Police announced that they would begin randomly searching backpacks on the
New York City Subway The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the government of New York City and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, an affiliate agency of the state-run Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Opened on October 2 ...
system, though they have said that this move had been under consideration before the events in London. *: John Howard condemned the attack on the London Underground and Bethnal Green stated that Australia stood by Britain and that people should "beware the minds of terrorists" during a press conference with Tony Blair.


References

{{reflist, 30em July 2005 London bombings 2005 in international relations
London bombings London attack may refer to any of the following attacks that have occurred within London, London metropolitan area, City of London, Lundenwic, Londinium, or County of London: ;Actuated attacks * List of terrorist incidents in London ** 1973 Old Ba ...
London bombings London attack may refer to any of the following attacks that have occurred within London, London metropolitan area, City of London, Lundenwic, Londinium, or County of London: ;Actuated attacks * List of terrorist incidents in London ** 1973 Old Ba ...
Foreign relations of the United Kingdom