At least 33, but almost certainly more, died amidst a series of coordinated bombings in Britain today. Al Qaeda has taken credit for the attack, and most think it was timed to coincide with the G8 Conference.
The first bomb detonated at 8:51am, destroying a train in London's financial district. The second -- and deadliest -- bomb ripped through a tube train traveling between King's Cross and Russell Square at 8:56 am. At least 21 were killed. The next tore through a train as it entered Edgward Road station at 9:17am. The last, at 9:47am, mangled a double-decker bus.
There's not a whole lot to say about this. Wordy paeans to our sorrow and sympathy are generally more about the writer than the event, and today, the event should remain in front. What should be said is that terrorism is not gone. Al Qaeda is not gone. America has been lucky to have escaped further attacks thus far, but there's little doubt that the future will bring more. As it is, our continuing distance from 9/11 has allowed us to move onto other things, even other foreign policy issues. Iraq has become the dominant domestic battleground for national security, even as we have little idea and less information on how the fight against terror progresses. But Iraq doesn't threaten us. Terror does.
We're all Londoners today, if only because we may all be Londoners tomorrow. Remembering that would serve us well.
