Britain is facing a war against "evil" Islamist extremists, UK Defense Secretary John Reid was quoted as saying in yesterday's Daily Express newspaper.
Reid warned that modern terrorists wielded dangerous weaponry and would stop at nothing to destroy every non-Muslim.
He also highlighted the dangers confronting British troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, where remnants of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terror network are lingering.
War against evil
"This is a war against evil, make no mistake," the Scot told the British tabloid daily.
"Evil is the same, whether it is dressed in Nazi uniforms, the supposed socialists of the Red Brigades and so-on, or the IRA [Irish Republican Army] in Northern Ireland. The terrorists want to commit mass extermination. And if they can get their hands on the material to do it, they will. These people want to destroy the state of Israel. They want to destroy every Jew they can, and every non-Muslim they can," Reid said.
"These evil terrorists are intent on gaining the technology of mass destruction. The terrorists today have the Internet and chemical and biological weapons. They are an absolute threat to our wellbeing, to our civilization and our society. The only people who stand between them and us are our soldiers. They need the maximum support we can give them," he said.
Britain currently has about 8,900 personnel stationed in the four southern Iraqi provinces and has committed an extra 3,300 troops to the reconstruction and anti-narcotics effort in Afghanistan.
Reid vowed to stand by moderate Muslims who understood that Western freedoms could be incorporated into Muslim culture.
"There is a big struggle going on with Islam," he said. "There is a twisted minority who simply want to take the world back to the seventh century, to build an absolute dictatorship where everyone is told exactly what to do and how to think. They even have little regard for the lives of Muslims. Children are murdered in Iraq for talking to US soldiers."
Iran
Turning to Iran, Reid said the international community was taking the country and its nuclear ambitions more seriously than ever before.
His comments came as crucial talks on a Russian plan to break the international deadlock over Iran's nuclear programme ended with no clear sign of a breakthrough and time running out for a deal.
"We are trying to use every diplomatic means available to ensure that there is no need for military action," Reid said. "But a nuclear-armed Iran would be a disaster for the world."
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