London's Mayor Ken Livingstone has responded to today's horrific bombings by stating:

"I want to say one thing, specifically to the world today — this was not a terrorist attack against the mighty and the powerful, it was not aimed at presidents or prime ministers, it was aimed at ordinary, working—class Londoners, black and white, Muslim and Christian ... young and old ... that isn't an ideology, it isn't even a perverted fate, it is an indiscriminate attempt at mass murder."

"They seek to divide London, they seek Londoners to turn against each other ... this city of London is the greatest in the world because everybody lives side by side in harmony. Londoners will not be divided by this cowardly attack."

However, Red Ken (so called because of his extreme leftist views) has long had a problematic history regarding terror. Recall that he has called Ariel Sharon a "war criminal" for his attempts to defend Israelis from terror. He defamed Israel by accusing it of "ethnic cleansing" and accused Israel of demonizing Muslims.

He has also accused decried Israel for its refusal (dare he say "obstinate"?) to permit Palestinians expelled for committing or assisting in acts of  terror to return. I cannot imagine a country that should be responsible for permitting terrorists to return to their lands to cause more mayhem. He accuses Israel of trying to distort the image of Muslims around the world.
 
Hmm...did Red Ken wake up to discover that he has had a Saul—like Conversion? Will he find that the old aphorism that a conservative is a liberal who has been mugged by reality applies to him? Not likely... his leftism is too deeply ingrained. He will be no Rudy Giuliani in responding so admirably against Islamic terror.

Ed Lasky   7 7 05

Note: this post, based on excerpts published online, originally said Livingston did not mention Jews as among the victims. In fact, viewers of his statement on live television informed us that he did so. We regret the error.