Trump vows to do whatever necessary to protect US

Team Udayavani, Jun 5, 2017, 10:59 AM IST

Washington DC (USA): President Donald Trump has vowed to do whatever necessary to protect the US and its allies from a “vile enemy” that has “waged war” on innocent lives, his first public comments after the van and knife attack in London.

“America sends our thoughts and prayers and our deepest sympathies to the victims of this evil slaughter and we renew our resolve, stronger than ever before, to protect the United States and its allies from a vile enemy that has waged war on innocent life, and it’s gone on too long,” Trump said yesterday, a day after three knife-wielding men unleashed a grisly terror rampage in London, killing seven people and injuring 48 others.

It was his first public comments on the London attacks. He previously had commented via a series of Twitter posts.

“As president, I will do what is necessary to prevent this threat from spreading to our shores and work every single day to protect the safety and security of our country, our communities and our people,” he said yesterday.

“This bloodshed must end, this bloodshed will end,” he said, speaking at an annual fundraiser for Ford’s Theater, scene of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.

Trump said he had spoken with British Prime Minister Theresa May and offered the US’ “unwavering support” in investigating the terror attacks at the iconic London Bridge and Borough Market in the heart of the British capital.

Trump earlier slammed London’s Pakistani-origin mayor Sadiq Khan saying it was not the time to be “politically correct”, and touted his controversial Muslim travel ban in view of the London attacks.

“We must stop being politically correct and get down to the business of security for our people. If we don’t get smart it will only get worse,” Trump said.

In a series of tweets, Trump lashed out at Khan, who reportedly suggested there was no reason for alarm after three attackers drove a van into crowds on London Bridge and then went on a stabbing rampage in nearby Borough Market.

The mayor’s spokesman said he was too busy to respond to Trump’s “ill-informed” tweet.

Three knife-wielding attackers in fake suicide vests unleashed a terror rampage in the British capital, plowing a van into pedestrians on the iconic London Bridge before stabbing revellers in nearby Borough market, killing seven people for which Prime Minister Theresa May blamed the “evil ideology of Islamist extremism”.

British Police has arrested a dozen people in connection with the attacks.

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the London attacks.