It now appears that the terrorists behind last week's London attacks were British citizens of Pakistani descent, rather than foreign nationals.

As the BBC notes, this development has a number of far reaching implications:

    So why does it make so much difference that the bombers are, as now suspected, British?

    In the hours after the bombings, Muslim leaders in the UK, joined by other faith leaders, senior police chiefs and ministers, launched an action plan long prepared for such an attack on British soil.

    That plan focuses on keeping communities together by very publicly and loudly saying all that can be said to differentiate between British Muslims and those who would seek to use a faith to justify atrocities.

    But the revelation that the four London suspects were British will confirm the worst fears of many Muslim leaders. . . .

    If the apparent British suicide bombers are of similar stock--young British-born men who are not driven by desperation, then British society's ability to deal with this may be severely tested.


In addition, if the British terrorists are "young British-born men who are not driven by desperation," then it seem to appear that their sole motivation is their religion, not any of the "economic" or "geographic" factors that many claim motivates the terrorists.

Last edited by the G-man; 2005-07-13 8:46 PM.