London - Tony Blair made the world feel at G8 Summit that no one should allow terrorists to disrupt them or to deflect from their decisions over African poverty, debt and trade. The world leaders came forward hurriedly and pledged to stand shoulder to shoulder with Blair on such a time of  crises and promised to fight terrorim unitedly. 

Blair condemned the attack and said it was "barbaric". He left Downing Street to lead Govt. response to the attacks. He returned to Scotland last night to continue his talks in the Summit. He is expected to conclude the summit on a note of defiance - saying the attacks have only served to harden world resolve on terrorism.

Despite the issues at stake at the G8 meeting and his huge personal investment in the talks on Africa and climate change, Mr Blair made clear within hours of the first explosion that his place was in London.

Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, was immediately summoned to Gleneagles to stand in for the Prime Minister after Mr Blair set off to chair a meeting of COBRA, the Cabinet committee that handles terrorism and national emergencies. 

Mr. Blair was informed of the first explosion during a 10am meeting with Jack McConnell, the First Minister, and Hu Jintao, the president of China. Even though initial police statements had a different version of the blasts to a power surge on the London Underground, British officials were not sure whether the terrorists were responsible and they prepared for him to make a brief return to London.

Pale faced TONY Blair made two important and historic statements yesterday, some excerpts of both of his statement are:

"It is reasonably clear that there have been a series of terrorist attacks in London.
"There are obviously casualties, both people who have died and people who are seriously injured, and our thoughts and prayers, of course, are with the victims and their families.

"It is particularly barbaric that this has happened on a day when people are meeting to try to help the problems of poverty in Africa and the long-term problems of climate change and the environment.

"Just as it is reasonably clear that this is a terrorist attack or a series of terrorist attacks it is also reasonably clear that it is designed and aimed to coincide with the opening of the G8.

"There will be time to talk later about this. It is important, however, that those engaged in terrorism realize that our determination to defend our values and our way of life is greater than their determination to cause death and destruction to innocent people in a desire to impose extremism on the world.

Whatever they do, it is our determination that they will never succeed in destroying what we hold dear in this country and in other civilized nations throughout the world."

Making a statement on behalf of all the G8 leaders, he said:

"We condemn utterly these barbaric attacks. We send our profound condolences to the victims and their families. All of our countries have suffered from the impact of terrorism.

"Those responsible have no respect for human life. We are united in our resolve to confront and defeat this terrorism that is not an attack on one nation, but on all nations and on civilized people everywhere.

"We will not allow violence to change our societies or our values, nor will we allow it to stop the work of this summit.

"We will continue our deliberations in the interests of a better world. Here at this summit, the world's leaders are striving to combat world poverty and save and improve human life. The perpetrators of today's attacks are intent on destroying human life. The terrorists will not succeed.

Today's bombings will not weaken in any way our resolve to uphold the most deeply held principles of our societies and to defeat those who would impose their fanaticism and extremism on all of us. We shall prevail and they shall not."

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