London terror.

On the afternoon of July 6, Londoners gathered in the streets to celebrate: London had just been chosen to host the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. Within hours, however, feelings of joy turned to fear and sorrow. Just before 9 a.m. on July 7, three bombs exploded in rapid succession on the London Underground (subway). Less than an hour later, a fourth bomb tore through a bus.

Simon Tonkyn was on the Underground at the time of the attacks. "A group of us got fire extinguishers," he told a British radio station, "and were able to smash through the carriage door." Others were not so lucky. The bombs killed 56 people, including the four bombers, and injured more than 700.

All of the attackers were said to be members of an extremist Islamic group. They may have been angered, British officials said, by conflict in the Middle East and the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

On July 21, four more explosions rattled London's transportation system. This time, the bombs did not detonate (explode) fully, and no one was injured. Police quickly arrested their suspects.

After the attacks, British Prime Minister Tony Blair proposed new antiterror measures, including deporting (expelling) foreigners who openly support terrorism. But many Britons warned that finding a balance between security and civil liberties (individual rights) would be difficult.

"Confront This Evil"

Over the summer, Islamic extremists also struck in Egypt. Shortly after midnight on July 23, three bombs exploded in a resort area along the Red Sea. At least 88 people were killed, and about 200 were wounded.

The U.S. and other nations have since heightened security measures. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Blair has pledged to work with London's Muslim leaders "to confront this evil ideology [way of thinking], take it on, and defeat it by the force of reason."