UAE Press: London attack is unpardonable

Terrorism is a language of cowards. Violent attacks on innocent and vulnerable people do not demand bravery, but are an obvious sign of spinelessness, a Sharjah-based daily said in an editorial on Saturday.

"Time and again terrorists engage in monstrous acts with the wrong notion that they can throttle social harmony and break the unity of peace-loving people. They are doomed to fail. The world remains more united now than ever before against the bane of terrorism.

"The blast in a crowded train at Parsons Green station in west London that left several passengers injured is another heinous act by cowardly terrorists," The Gulf Today continued.

The paper went on to say that the fifth terrorism incident this year implies that Britain’s counter-terrorism strategy needs to be swiftly strengthened and countries around the world should unify efforts more effectively to tackle the scourge of extremism. "A total of 35 people have been killed in four previous attacks in London and Manchester this year. Three of those involved a vehicle ploughing into pedestrians. The other attack was a bombing in May at a pop concert by US star Ariana Grande in Manchester, which killed 22 people, including several children," it added.

The English language daily said that US President Donald Trump was correct in calling those behind the attack 'loser terrorists', but he could have shown patience in tweeting his reaction wherein he mentioned that the attackers were already 'in the sights' of British police.

Trump’s reaction prompted the London’s Metropolitan Police to dismiss the tweet as 'unhelpful speculation', while Prime Minister Theresa May felt that 'it’s not helpful for anybody to speculate on what is an ongoing investigation.' "The fact that in the three years until March this year, British police foiled 13 potential attacks is an encouraging signal. Nonetheless, extreme caution and continuous vigil need to continue.

"The UAE, on its part, has always maintained an unequivocal position of denouncing terrorism in all its forms and manifestations regardless of their motivations, justifications and sources. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has rightly stated that the targeting of civilised societies by terrorists cannot be accepted or underestimated, and will require further serious work and a comprehensive approach, to counter extremist ideologies that promote and justify terrorism," the paper continued.

"All those behind the ghastly attack should be brought to book and made to face justice. The latest incident once again reinforces the need for concerted efforts to effectively address extremism and terrorism, which threaten the security of all citizens in their daily lives," The Gulf Today concluded.