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London terror attacks

Four Americans hurt in attacks

By wire services
Published July 9, 2005

Four Americans were injured in the bombings in London and two of them remained hospitalized Friday, State Department spokesman Tom Casey said. The other two also received hospital treatment and had been released, Casey said in a brief announcement that provided no details, except that all apparently were tourists. Casey cited privacy regulations that limit what the U.S. government can say about American casualties without permission from the injured or their families. However, in Knoxville, Tenn., the family of sisters Kathleen "Katie" Benton, 21, and Emily Benton, 20, said they were injured in the bombings and were recovering at a hospital in London. The women were on one of the London subway cars hit in the bombings.

Arab leaders condemn bombings

Islamic leaders condemned the London bombings, though many on Friday insisted the United States and Britain, with their wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, are ultimately to blame for fueling militant violence. Increasing voices, however, say the Arab world has to stop adding "but" to its denunciations of terrorism. Thursday's attack came as a double shock in the Middle East, occurring the same day that al-Qaida militants announced they had killed Egypt's top diplomat in Iraq. "If the British government committed crimes in Afghanistan or Iraq, that doesn't mean the British people are fair targets," said Tunisian Islamist leader Rached Ghannouchi, who lives in exile in London.

Queen Elizabeth II said Friday that the terrorist bombings in London "will not change our way of life." Speaking to staff at the Royal London Hospital, where a number of bombing victims were treated, the queen said: "Atrocities such as these simply reinforce our sense of community, our humanity, our trust in the rule of law. That is the clear message from us all." She expressed her admiration for all the Londoners who "are calmly determined to resume their normal lives."

In Rome, police stepped up the alert level around the Vatican, subway workers removed trash bins and an around-the-clock security monitoring system was installed Friday at Italian airports after the London bombings and threats that Italy could be the next U.S. ally targeted by terrorists. Premier Silvio Berlusconi said Italy would begin withdrawing 300 troops from its 3,000-strong Iraq contingent in September. He denied that the withdrawal was linked to any terrorist threats against Italy, but said he wasn't underestimating the danger. British installations in Italy were the top priorities. But 13,246 sites around the country - including U.S. and NATO bases, telecommunications centers and utilities - were also under special surveillance.

[Last modified July 9, 2005, 01:02:12]