Just read this sad tweet

Mishap - excellent post. And for those wanting vengeance, at any price, I can't believe for one minute that David Haines would have wanted that - I saw his brother being interviewed tonight and again, he certainly isn't calling for that.

This sort of thing, obscene. Done in the name of religion? Doubly obscene.

rosesarered - how exactly do we "bomb them"? Where do we target the bombs? How do we know they are hitting the right people? How many innocent people are we prepared to wipe off the face of the planet in trying to get to them? How do we deal with the martyr status that will be conferred on those terrorists we kill? How will that influence others at risk of becoming radicalised?

We cannot risk inflaming the situation. We are all angry and sad, but the long term future has to be the focus of planning.

We wade in with bombs at the peril of everyone. Peaceful people and governments all round the world are being deliberately goaded to inflame the situation and inflate the terrorists' perceived importance.

There are subtleties here that we cannot know and we must rely on intelligence services and experts to understand the bigger picture.

We can only hope that governments will act with restraint and stop and think about what really is the best way forward. Instant reactions are dangerous. I cannot imagine how the politicians are going to resolve this and my heart goes out to all of them.

I've just had an unexpected feeling of sympathy for David Cameron, and in fact all the politicians trying to do the least worst thing in this awful situation. Military intervention seems to be under discussion. The idea scares me. Our experience in Iraq, Afghanistan etc aren't encouraging are they.

Today's Observer had a piece about Imams writing to DC asking him not to call these people Islamic State. They fear it's inflaming anti Islamic feeling, and say these people are neither Islamic, or a State. They also refer to the need for the British Muslim community to be effective in preventing radicalisation of the young.

I don't think you are rambling Coolgran. I think you are just like the rest of us, simply unable to fathom out how to combat these monsters. I think all we can do is bomb and bomb them again and again and try to wipe them off the face of the earth. I think too that realistically we are going to have to have conversations with leaders that we deeply disapprove of ie Assad, Iran, whoever, in order to get some sort plan of action to combat these appalling ogres.

I feel so much at a loss and so angry and sad.
The poor families of the two journalists and the aid worker.

There are so many Muslims all over the world who will be good people. I think they will be afraid to speak up. I wonder how many of these fanatical people are quietly living here in UK (and all over the world) amongst the normal Muslim community and watching and keeping note.
I said to my husband, what about uplifting the known fanatics here in the UK and ..... some form of internment .... yes, I know this is extreme.... I'm just thinking aloud. No doubt the innocent would be uplifted along with the fanatics, turmoil and protest or worse coming to our own streets.

Don't mind me, I'm just at a loss and rambling.

Russia backs Isis ( and Syria and Iran of course)

What is happening at the UN? Surely there isn't a country who has any sympathy with this barbarity? So why is nothing being done?

The point is that not only are these high profile killings being carried out but also dreadful stuff to the different inhabitants of these countries.

I am of the same view point, rosesarered

The only answer is to bomb them . Air strikes all the time. No other answer to this.

Whatever our political persuasion surely we must all feel how hard it must be for David Cameron to have to stand up and speak about this knowing that we cannot agree to ransom while also knowing how the families and friends are suffering. What a hard thing for anyone to have to do. To know that it was quite likely the murderer was a Brit and that more are held and could face the same fate. I am in pieces just thinking about it.

They ARE cowards and thugs, but what in God's name do we DO about them? Backing off leaves them free to murder and terrorise anyone who differs from them in any shape or form, continue to support those who challenge them and there will be more of these dreadful murders. It is just a shocking dilemma for governments and seemingly insolvable.

They are cowards. If they think they are so right in what they are doing why do they cover their faces? Deep down they know they are just hugs.

I sometimes wonder if perhaps ordinary (what word can I use?) Muslims simply dare not speak out against these monsters as they could be targeted anytime anywhere. A bit like the IRA during the troubles. These 'people' are very frightening, and as we see will literally stop at nothing, and it's a brave (foolish?) person who will put their family from the smallest baby to the oldest granny in mortal danger. I don't know, it's just a theory.
These poor men, it doesn't bear thinking about, but even an idea of what you do and how you handle it is beyond me.

Ordinary Muslim speaking up.

I wonder how many other Britons are being held? Unlike France and other countries we do not pay ransom money to buy weaponry etc. for these barbarians. I rarely say it but in this instance "an eye for an eye" etc. I would love to give out a dose of their own medicine. The poor families.

I think some have spoken out against the barbarity. Let there be more of them speaking louder soon. And ordinary civilised Muslims.

Barbarians! We need Muslim leaders to come out publicly and condemn these acts and talk about the real teachings and meaning of the Koran.

It is all very well politicians and religious leaders in the West decrying this barbarity, we also need Muslim leaders and religious men to speak out and condemn. As it stands attitudes can only harden between Muslims and non-Muslims.

words fail me

Cowards, cowards. How can killing a defenceless human-being be justified. Their murderers pure and simple. My heartfelt condolences to his family.

How dreadful. His poor family. It does look like deliberate provocation. I am glad that I am not the one who has to take these decisions. Such evil in the world. It makes me despair for the future for my very dear GC.

Very sad.

Oh how awful. Desperately sad for him and his family

Very sad news. Nothing they do can surprise me anymore.