William H. Frist: “last Thursday, a series of four explosions struck the heart of London during the morning rush hour. At least 49 innocent…”

“last Thursday, a series of four explosions struck the heart of London during the morning rush hour. At least 49 innocent victims were killed and 700 others were injured. A previously unknown group called the ``secret group of al-Qaida's jihad'' in Europe claimed responsibility in the name of al-Qaida for the attacks. On behalf of the U.S. Senate and the American people, we express our heartfelt condolences to the victims, their families, and to the British people, our cousins across the Atlantic. We share in your grief and in your determination to hunt down the criminals who carried out this despicable act. We consider the attack last week on British soil an attack on the civilized world. We stand with the British people just as they have long stood with us. For nearly two centuries, the United States and the United Kingdom have enjoyed a special relationship. We speak the same language. We share a heritage of freedom and our economies are inexorably intertwined. Our militaries, our intelligence services, our great corporations, and our distinguished universities share deep relationships. Today, our forces fight side by side in Iraq and Afghanistan, sharing the sacrifices and the victories. As we learned on 9/11, our enemies are coldblooded killers who deliberately target innocent victims--women and men on their way to work, schoolchildren starting the new school year, and vacationers at the beach. Our enemies pervert religion. They despise freedom.…”