Faces of evil

Watching the news of the London Bridge and Borough Market terror attack, I was struck by the words of one of the many witnesses. He was asked what the terrorists looked like, the expression on their faces while they were going around stabbing people with long butcher knives. The reply was: "Evil, their eyes were evil, they looked evil." I know that look. I saw it once on the faces of two al-Qaeda suspects. They were squatting on the floor of a large police cell in Basra, southern Iraq. The other 30-40 prisoners in the cell were standing up as I was led in accompanied by three Iraqi police officers in balaclavers. I was being shown the facilities as a war reporter for The Times. There was an air of menace and anger in the large space but the two men sitting on the floor gave me a look of total evil. It was as if they were examining my face to remember it for the future. They were suspects in the bombing of an Iraqi oil well. I have no idea what became of them. But that evil stare has remained with me. So I know what that witness was talking about. Men engaged in murder for what they believe is a cause have a look of such evil that you know they have given up for ever the idea of playing a role in the world as a human being. They are there to kill and to die. The three terrorists on London Bridge and in Borough Market, both of which by the way are close to The Times, the newspaper I have worked for for more than 30 years, knew they were going to die. More than 50 bullets were fired by Metropolitan police to end their lives and thus snuff out their evil looks. It is a tragic and scary certainty that there are many more of these evil people lurking in our society. Since the rise of Isis, that's the future we all have to confront. But there have been so many uplifting moments amidst the slaughter and hatred that keep me sane: the brilliant resilience of the British people, the young man seen running from the terror, trying not to spill the pint of beer in his hand, the sensational Ariana Grande putting her arm around the choir girl at her side when she began to weep during the Manchester concert, the workers once again crossing London Bridge this morning and the sight of armed police, paramedics and so many others getting on with the business of saving lives and protecting the great city of London. Evil never survives for long!