BRITAIN: British prime minister Tony Blair has vowed he will give "not one inch" to terrorists amid growing fears of a protracted terror campaign in the UK. Furthermore he has insisted there can be no moral "equivalence" between UK, US or Israeli forces and those visiting terror on countries around the world.
However, Mr Blair appeared to get himself in something of a tangle when he attempted to draw a distinction between terror of the type previously perpetrated by the Provisional IRA and that of Islamic extremists.
And his comments drew an angry response from unionist politicians in Northern Ireland last night, who warned him against getting into distinctions that were really only a matter of scale.
At his regular monthly press conference in Downing Street yesterday, Mr Blair insisted no negotiation was possible with those who had attacked London's transport system twice in the last three weeks.
When asked about complaints that he continued to pull his punches and ignore residual IRA violence, Mr Blair explained that - while he totally condemned the IRA campaign - he did not think the IRA "would have attempted to kill 3,000 people".
This was in reference to the terror attacks on the United States on September 11th, 2001. Mr Blair said for him 9/11 had served as "a wake up call" about the nature of the threat posed by Islamic terrorism, while unfortunately "a lot of the world woke up for a short time and then turned over and went back to sleep again".
Mr Blair stressed it was "invidious" to compare forms of terrorism, and emphasised that he was working to bring the IRA's ongoing activities to an end.
However, he said he did not think it was possible to compare the political demands of the IRA, which were shared by many other citizens, with those elements now attacking the global community.
"I think this is a different form in the way it operates and the numbers it is prepared to kill. There are dimensions to this that do not fit politics," the prime minister said.
DUP MP Sammy Wilson said Mr Blair's comments were "an insult" to every victim of terrorism: "Whether a terrorist sets out to murder one person or 100, they are a terrorist and no difference should be drawn."
UUP leader Reg Empey said he had warned Mr Blair against "creating double standards between terrorists". But he continued: "If Mr Blair wants to use a crude stratification process in order to establish a hierarchy of terror, he will find that the number of those murdered and maimed in Northern Ireland is greater."
Mr Blair signalled the likelihood of a recall for parliament, possibly in September, to consider new anti-terrorist laws which the government discussed again yesterday with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.
While the prime minister's own holiday plans have not been disclosed, he confirmed that he travels at all times with secure communications available. Mr Blair also made it clear that he would return immediately should the situation demand it.
The prime minister welcomed the current political consensus, saying it sent an important message to the terrorists.
However, Conservative Party leader Michael Howard said he would have "very considerable difficulty" with police proposals to enable terrorist suspects to be held for up to three months rather than the present 14 days.
Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy also stressed he did not want to "surrender civil liberties" and that his party was working with the government and the Conservatives on that basis.