The British Have Backbones
If there was any doubt that the British are not a squeamish nation, here is an excerpt from an article entitled British terror police face shooting backlash:
On Sunday, ministers and senior police officers defended a policy of shooting dead individuals suspected of being suicide bombers, in spite of calls from British Muslim groups, human rights bodies and politicians for a public inquiry.
Since the shooting, police have confirmed that two years ago they secretly changed operational guidelines allowing officers chasing suspect suicide bombers to shoot them in the head.
Jack Straw, British foreign secretary, said he regretted Mr de Menezes’ death but it was important to appreciate “the very intense pressure under which police officers have to workâ€.
Sir Ian Blair, the chief of London’s Metropolitan Police, apologised to the family of the Brazilian man, but left open the possibility that more people could be shot as part of the war on terrorism.
Of course, this side of the Atlantic we have “civil libertarians” in New York whining about having their bags searched before getting on the subway. The contrast is striking and instructive.
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