Europe must stand firm in the face of terrorist evil

We knew that radical Islamism respected nothing.

We knew that the death cult would eventually, inevitably, strike once again in Europe.

That the excitement, the babble, the rush of one of our great cities would be broken by heart-stopping screams as terror struck one of its major arteries. This time Barcelona. The Catalan metropolis of Gaudi and Gaurdiola; Jose Carreras and Johann Cruyff; Miro and Messi.

A city which stood bravely against fascism more than once before, a symbol of a people’s independence.

To borrow a phrase from the football team who so proudly bear its name, more than a city.

As Barcelona comes to terms with an attack on its heart and soul we are reminded – all of us who value life and decency – that the battle with Islamic extremism must be our number one priority.

Forget Brexit and the other petty domestic squabbles.

Actually, if we could forget Brexit altogether that would only help.

Europe should be together as much as possible in dealing with this issue.

The fact that i ntel l igence sharing between Britain and foreign partners could even be up for debate seems wrong.

Sad ly, all the indications are that it is going to get worse before it gets better.

When local forces, trained by Western armies, remove the leaders of the hated caliphate IS from their Iraqi stronghold of Mosul, we don’t have the luxury of watching from our living rooms, seeing it happen in isolation, telling ourselves it will be all right, as other people thousands of miles away do the world’s dirty work.

As terrorism experts Kevin Toolis and Yannick Veilleux-Lepage warn today, events in Mosul today will have an effect on European cities tomorrow.

The emergence of Barcelona’s crown jewel, the La Sagrada Familia cathedral, as a terror target only demonstrates the callousness of Islamic State’s fanboy desperadoes, who are ready to kill children in the name of their warped ideology.

Every person on the continent has a role to play in f ighting these ideologies. To combat an evil within, percolating in cells in cities like Barcelona.

To be vigilant and brave and patient. To realise that this is a long haul and there are dark days ahead.

It’s a war which won’t be easy to win. But the good people of Europe have beaten tougher enemies in the past and will prevail again.

Every person has a role in fighting terror. To be vigilant, brave and patient