'We will not yield to these people,' Bush says

GLENEAGLES, Scotland - President Bush vowed on Thursday "we will not yield to the terrorists" after a series of deadly bombings ripped through London's transportation network at the heart of the morning rush hour.

“The war on terrorism goes on,” he said from Gleneageles, Scotland, where he was attending the Group of Eight summit. "We will not yield to these people, we will not yield to the terrorists."

Minutes before, British Prime Minister Tony Blair had read a joint statement from all the leaders gathered at the summit being held at a posh resort here.

“I was most impressed by the resolve of all the leaders in the room,” Bush said. “Their resolve is as strong as my resolve.”

Blair then rushed to London, and Bush said the British leader would “carry a message of solidarity” with him from his fellow world leaders.

'Heartfelt condolences'

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The president offered the “heartfelt condolences” of the American people to the victims and their families in London.

A half-dozen blasts rocked the London subway and tore open at least one packed double-decker bus in nearly simultaneous explosions during Thursday’s morning rush hour. Deaths and injuries mounted and officials shut down the entire underground transport network.

Security at the summit was not affected, and Bush had no plans to return to Washington early. But G-8 leaders took a long break in their morning opening session so they could get individual briefings on developments.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the president received frequent updates from Chief of Staff Andrew Card and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley. Card also notified Vice President Dick Cheney, McClellan said.

Bush warned Americans to be “extra vigilant” as they headed to work.

In Washington, the Homeland Security Department asked authorities in major cities for heightened vigilance of transportation systems, though the U.S. threat level was not raised.

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