Political reaction: The leader of Britain's Liberal Democrats broke the cross-party consensus after last week's bomb attacks when he said yesterday that Tony Blair, the prime minister, should not be surprised if the public linked terrorist acts in Britain with the Iraq war.
Charles Kennedy said emphatically he was not implying "some causal link" between the four bombs that killed at least 52 people and Britain's role in the invasion of Iraq. But he went on to say that neither president Bush nor Mr Blair could be surprised if others did make a link, since both had sought to portray the removal of Saddam Hussein as a vital part of the war on terrorism.
Downing Street hit back, calling Mr Kennedy's view "naive". "I think people have to bear in mind that this kind of terrorism was active long before the Iraq war," said a spokesman.
Mr Blair has received cross-party praise for his handling of the attacks and has so far seen his political authority enhanced.
Anti-war campaigners and Labour left-wingers are holding back from criticising Mr Blair as a mark of respect for the victims.
Mr Kennedy said in a speech in London that the war and the mismanagement of the occupation had "fuelled the conditions in which terrorism flourishes".
He was careful not to echo the comments of anti-war MP George Galloway who said Londoners had "paid the price" for Mr Blair's decision to go to war.