A calm response

IT SEEMS it will be only a matter of time before it is established beyond reasonable doubt that terrorists were behind the crash of a Russian Airbus A321 over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula in which all 224 people on board were killed .

Russian president Vladimir Putin yesterday ordered the suspension of all Russian passenger flights to Egypt until the cause of the crash is established. Britain and Ireland have already suspended flights to and from Sharm el-Sheikh airport.

The sight of European tourists trying to leave Egypt being forced to leave everything but hand luggage behind adds another layer of desperation to the situation and will encourage those behind the attack — if it was an attack — to launch others. The terrorists will, if they were involved, judge the success or otherwise of their operations on our response. If we panic and cower they will gloat. If we do what we should — remain calm, organise an international concerted and determined response and most of all, eradicate the causes of terrorism, they will not win.