"some have" is WP:WEASEL wording. It was Boris Johnson who said this, and in the video he says "it obviously too early to have all the facts" |
76.189.109.155 (talk) →Response: added Obama statement/citations |
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Although British MP [[George Galloway]] stated that the attacks were "indefensible", he also [[Twitter|tweeted]] that "This sickening atrocity in London is exactly what we are paying the same kind of people to do in Syria". Galloway added that similar attacks are likely to occur "as long as we are, as a country, involved in spreading murder and mayhem across the Muslim world."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/470541/20130523/woolwich-beheading-murder-edl-george-galloway.htm|title=George Galloway: Woolwich Beheading Attack will be Repeated, EDL are 'Moral Dwarves'|date=23 May 2013|newspaper=IBT}}</ref><ref>Fisher, Max (22 May 2013). [http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/05/22/british-politician-compares-london-attack-to-u-k-policy-in-syria/ British politician compares London machete attack to U.K. policy in Syria]. ''[[Washington Post]]''.</ref><ref name=colonialpast>[http://rt.com/news/woolwich-the-attack-uk-666/ UK’s colonial past a possible factor in brutal Woolwich killing], [[Russia Today]], 23 May 2013.</ref> Galloway made similar comments in a subsequent interview with [[Russia Today]].<ref>[http://rt.com/op-edge/woolwich-attack-radicalized-muslims-galloway-718/ ‘We built Frankenstein monsters, spawned millions of radicalized Muslims’ – MP George Galloway], [[Russia Today]], 24 May 2013.</ref> In an interview with Russia Today, Brian Becker, national coordinator of the anti-war coalition [[ANSWER]], agreed that British foreign policy towards the Middle East had created an "escalating cycle of violence." Becker also stated that "The British colonial past and its current legacy of intervention and war is undoubtedly a factor" in the motivations behind the attack.<ref name=colonialpast/> |
Although British MP [[George Galloway]] stated that the attacks were "indefensible", he also [[Twitter|tweeted]] that "This sickening atrocity in London is exactly what we are paying the same kind of people to do in Syria". Galloway added that similar attacks are likely to occur "as long as we are, as a country, involved in spreading murder and mayhem across the Muslim world."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/470541/20130523/woolwich-beheading-murder-edl-george-galloway.htm|title=George Galloway: Woolwich Beheading Attack will be Repeated, EDL are 'Moral Dwarves'|date=23 May 2013|newspaper=IBT}}</ref><ref>Fisher, Max (22 May 2013). [http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/05/22/british-politician-compares-london-attack-to-u-k-policy-in-syria/ British politician compares London machete attack to U.K. policy in Syria]. ''[[Washington Post]]''.</ref><ref name=colonialpast>[http://rt.com/news/woolwich-the-attack-uk-666/ UK’s colonial past a possible factor in brutal Woolwich killing], [[Russia Today]], 23 May 2013.</ref> Galloway made similar comments in a subsequent interview with [[Russia Today]].<ref>[http://rt.com/op-edge/woolwich-attack-radicalized-muslims-galloway-718/ ‘We built Frankenstein monsters, spawned millions of radicalized Muslims’ – MP George Galloway], [[Russia Today]], 24 May 2013.</ref> In an interview with Russia Today, Brian Becker, national coordinator of the anti-war coalition [[ANSWER]], agreed that British foreign policy towards the Middle East had created an "escalating cycle of violence." Becker also stated that "The British colonial past and its current legacy of intervention and war is undoubtedly a factor" in the motivations behind the attack.<ref name=colonialpast/> |
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A statement by [[President of the United States|U.S. President]] [[Barack Obama]] said, "I condemn in the strongest terms the appalling attack against a British service member in Woolwich on May 22. The United States stands resolute with the United Kingdom, our ally and friend, against violent extremism and terror. There can be absolutely no justification for such acts".<ref name="White House Obama statement">{{cite web|title=Statement by the President on the Attack in London|url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/05/23/statement-president-attack-london|publisher=Whitehouse.gov|accessdate=May 24, 2013}}</ref><ref name="Washington Times Obama condemns">{{cite news|last=Crabtree|first=Susan|title=Obama condemns London attack but uses word 'terror' passively|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/inside-politics/2013/may/23/obama-condemns-london-attack-uses-word-terror-pass/|accessdate=May 24, 2013|newspaper=The Washington Times|date=May 23, 2013}}</ref> |
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==Investigation== |
==Investigation== |
Revision as of 07:02, 24 May 2013
51°29′19″N 0°03′45″E / 51.4885°N 0.06255°E
2013 Woolwich attack | |
---|---|
Location | Woolwich, Royal Borough of Greenwich, London, England |
Date | 22 May 2013 14:20 BST (UTC+01:00) |
Weapons | |
Deaths | 1 |
Injured | 2 (the suspects) |
On 22 May 2013 at approximately 14:20 local time, a man was run down by a car[1] before being stabbed and hacked to death by two men with knives and a meat cleaver.[2] They then dragged his body on to the road and waited for police to arrive, telling passers-by that they had attacked a soldier to avenge the killing of Muslims by the British military.[3]
The killing took place on a street in Woolwich in southeast London.[4][5] The deceased man was identified as Lee Rigby, an off-duty bandsman in the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers of the British Army.[6] The two alleged assailants were shot by police officers who arrived at the scene, and taken to hospital in serious condition.[3] One of the men is a British citizen of Nigerian descent and the other is also believed to be a British citizen.[7] Politicians and religious leaders condemned the attack.[8]
Attack
The attack occurred at 14:20 in Wellington Street, near its junction with John Wilson Street, part of the South Circular Road (A205) in Woolwich. Drummer Lee Rigby, a soldier of the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, was off duty at the time and reportedly wearing a "Help for Heroes" T-shirt.[9] He is believed to have been deliberately hit by a Vauxhall car,[10] then attacked by two men with knives and a meat cleaver.[3][1] Women later stood over the body of the man, trying to protect him from further attack.[10] The attackers, who were 22 and 28 years old,[11] later stood around, waving knives and a gun, and asked people to take pictures of them. Ingrid Loyau-Kennett, a passenger on a passing bus, was one of the first people on the scene. While the two men were awaiting a police response, Loyau-Kennett tended to the victim, who later died. She engaged in a conversation with the attackers, one of whom said to her: "We want to start a war in London tonight." She asked the men to hand over their weapons, which they refused.[12]
The attackers waited for 15 to 20 minutes for armed police to arrive and reportedly danced over the body, while one of the men asked passengers on a bus to take photographs of him.[10] When armed police arrived, the man with the machete charged at police and was shot by a female officer, while the other did the same with a gun and was also felled by police marksmen.[10] Channel 4 News had broadcast footage showing the two perpetrators having shouted "Allahu Akbar".[13] Greenwich and Woolwich MP Nick Raynsford said that the victim was a soldier at the nearby Royal Artillery Barracks.[3] He also said: "The situation is clearly a very very serious one indeed. One individual is dead and two others are seriously injured and apparently in hospital." The Guardian newspaper reported that the Ministry of Defence was frustrated with the comment as it would have preferred to have told the family of the victim before the media.[14] The attack took place 300 to 400 metres (980 to 1,310 ft) from the barracks perimeter.[1]
A gun, knives and a machete were later seized at the scene. Police officers, including firearms officers who arrived later, were at the scene. The victim was later pronounced dead.[3]
Victim
The soldier killed in the attack was later named as 25-year-old Lee Rigby of the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. Rigby, from Middleton, Greater Manchester,[15] had served in Cyprus, Germany,[16] and Afghanistan before becoming a recruiter and assisting with duties in the Tower of London. He had a two-year-old son.[6]
Suspects
One of the attackers, who was captured on video by a passer-by, said:
The only reason we have killed this man today is because Muslims are dying daily by British soldiers, and this British soldier is one, is a eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. By Allah, we swear by the Almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you until you leave us alone. So what if we want to live by the Sharia in Muslim lands. Why does that mean you must follow us and chase us and call us extremists and kill us? Rather you lot are extreme. You are the ones. When you drop a bomb, do you think it hits one person or rather your bomb wipes out a whole family. This is the reality. By Allah, if I saw your mother today with a buggy I would help her up the stairs. This is my nature. But we are forced by the Qur'an in Sura at-Tawba [Chapter 9 of the Qur'an], through many, many ayah [verses] throughout the Qur'an that [say] we must fight them as they fight us, a eye for a eye and a tooth for a tooth. I apologise that women had to witness this today, but in our land our women have to see the same. You people will never be safe. Remove your governments. They don’t care about you. Do you think David Cameron is gonna get caught in the street when we start busting our guns? Do you think the politicians are going to die? No it's going to be the average guy, like you, and your children. So get rid of them. Tell them to bring our troops back so we ca.., so you can all live in peace. Leave our lands and you will live in peace. That's all I have to say. Allah's peace and blessings be upon Muhammad.[17]
One of the men has been confirmed as a British citizen of Nigerian descent, and the other is also believed to be British. One man has been named as Michael Adebolajo, a 28-year-old, born in Lambeth, London, of Nigerian descent.[7] He studied sociology at the University of Greenwich and converted from Christianity to Islam.[18][19]
Two additional persons, a man and a woman, were arrested on 23 May on suspicion of conspiracy to murder.[11]
Response
In addition to condemning the attack, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe called for calm and a "measured response" while adding "we have met with community representatives, and extra officers remain on duty there tonight. Across London our officers are in contact with their communities too." Metropolitan Police Commander Simon Letchford later issued a statement that read: "I can understand that this incident will cause community concerns, and I would like to reiterate that we are investigating what has taken place today. ... I am asking people to remain calm, and avoid unnecessary speculation."[14]
Prime Minister David Cameron cut short a visit to Paris to chair a COBRA meeting.[1] The Ministry of Defence issued a statement that it was urgently investigating the incident. Home Secretary Theresa May subsequently chaired a meeting of the COBRA committee.[20] The COBRA meeting was attended by the Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, Mayor of London Boris Johnson, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick and other unnamed members of the intelligence agencies.[14]
After Cameron's arrival, a second COBRA meeting was held, following which he said:
This country will be absolutely resolute in its stand against extremism and terror. This action was a betrayal of Islam and the Muslim communities that give so much to our country. We will defeat violent extremism by standing together. We will not rest until we know every detail. [The attackers told Ingrid Loyau-Kennett that] they wanted to start a war in London and she replied, 'you are going to lose, it is you against many. She speaks for all of us.
London mayor Boris Johnson speculated that it was "overwhelmingly likely" to have been a terror attack.[20]
Queen Elizabeth II was said to be "concerned" by the report of the attack.[14] Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg,[21] Home Secretary Theresa May[22] and Leader of the Opposition Ed Miliband condemned the attack.[23][20]
British National Party leader Nick Griffin posted a series of Twitter messages blaming "mass immigration" for the attack and calling for a protest rally in Woolwich.[24] After the English Defence League called on its supporters to mobilise,[20] the same evening over 100[25] of its members staged a protest at Woolwich Arsenal station in which bottles were thrown at police. Individuals were also arrested in two separate incidents at mosques in Essex and Kent. Speaking in response to the incidents, Julie Siddiqi of the Islamic Society of Britain expressed fears the far-right would use the attack as a way of creating community divisions.[26] An additional 1,200 police officers were deployed across London to prevent revenge attacks on minority communities.[25]
Religious leaders expressed their concern: Bishop of Woolwich the Rt. Rev. Dr Michael Ipgrave said he was "deeply saddened and distressed".[14] Muslim leaders denounced the attack:[8] the Muslim Council of Britain said the attack "has no basis in Islam and we condemn this unreservedly";[3] the head of the Ramadhan Foundation Mohammed Shafiq also condemned the attack;[14] and the director of Faith Matters and co-ordinator of the government-backed anti-Islamophobic project "Tell MAMA" said: "We as the Muslim community will work against anyone who promotes such hatred."[14] Baroness Neville-Jones, a former security minister and chairman of the British Joint Intelligence Committee, and Colonel Richard Kemp, a former Army commander, suggested blame could be put on internet hate preaching. Neville-Jones told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme that "the inspiration that comes from internet hate preaching and jihadist rhetoric ... is a very, very serious problem now."[27]
BBC News political editor Nick Robinson quoted a government source that had described the perpetrators as being "of Muslim appearance" during the 22 May edition of the BBC News at Six. The BBC received 43 complaints after Robinson used the term; it was also picked up by other media outlets. Robinson issued the apology the following morning.[28]
Asghar Bukhari, of the UK Muslim Public Affairs Committee said the British government was "completely denying that it has anything to do with the political situation around the Muslim world".[29]
In an interview with Reuters, British Islamist Anjem Choudary assigned blame for the attack to British foreign policy, stating that the assailant "said it all in that clip.... He blamed Cameron and he blamed the army and the authorities, and he said that British public should do something about it because they're not doing anything in their names. From the statements that he's made himself, it's clear that that was being targeted. The cause is clear – it's the British foreign policy."[30]
Although British MP George Galloway stated that the attacks were "indefensible", he also tweeted that "This sickening atrocity in London is exactly what we are paying the same kind of people to do in Syria". Galloway added that similar attacks are likely to occur "as long as we are, as a country, involved in spreading murder and mayhem across the Muslim world."[31][32][33] Galloway made similar comments in a subsequent interview with Russia Today.[34] In an interview with Russia Today, Brian Becker, national coordinator of the anti-war coalition ANSWER, agreed that British foreign policy towards the Middle East had created an "escalating cycle of violence." Becker also stated that "The British colonial past and its current legacy of intervention and war is undoubtedly a factor" in the motivations behind the attack.[33]
A statement by U.S. President Barack Obama said, "I condemn in the strongest terms the appalling attack against a British service member in Woolwich on May 22. The United States stands resolute with the United Kingdom, our ally and friend, against violent extremism and terror. There can be absolutely no justification for such acts".[35][36]
Investigation
The Independent Police Complaints Commission said that it would investigate the incident as per normal circumstances. The IPCC investigate any incident in which police discharge a weapon.[14] Investigators said that they were searching six houses: three houses in Greenwich, south London; one house in Romford, east London; another house in north London and a property in Lincoln in central England.[25]
See also
- 2008 Exeter attempted bombing, an Islamist attempted attack
- 7 July 2005 London bombings, Islamist-enacted attacks
- 21 July 2005 London bombings, an Islamist attempted attack
- List of terrorist incidents in London
References
- ^ a b c d Dodd, Vikram (22 May 2013). "Man killed in deadly terror attack in London street". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
- ^ "Mum talked down Woolwich terrorists who told her: 'We want to start a war in London tonight'". Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f "Woolwich machete attack leaves man dead". BBC News. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
- ^ "Woolwich attack: Killed man 'was soldier'". BBC News. 23 May 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
{{cite web}}
: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=
(help) - ^ "Woolwich attack victim confirmed as serving soldier". Ministry of Defence, Prime Ministers Office, Home Office. 23 May 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ^ a b "Woolwich attack: Lee Rigby named as victim". London: BBC News. 23 May 2013}. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ a b "Woolwich Terror Murder Suspect Named". BSkyB. 23 May 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ^ a b "PM and Muslim leaders unite to condemn attack". The Sun. United Kingdom. 23 May 2013.
- ^ "Serving soldier killed in Woolwich street attack – Channel 4 News". Channel 4. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ^ a b c d Sandra Laville, Shiv Malik and Ben Quinn (22 May 2013). "Woolwich killing: horror on John Wilson Street". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
- ^ a b Sengupta, Kim (23 May 2013). "Man and woman arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder victim of Woolwich machete attack, named as Drummer Lee Rigby". The Independent. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ^ Duffin, Claire (22 May 2013), "Mum talked down Woolwich terrorists who told her: 'We want to start a war in London tonight'", The Telegraph
- ^ "London terror suspects shout 'Allahu Akbar' and machete man to death".
- ^ a b c d e f g h Paul Owen and Conal Urquhart (22 May 2013). "Woolwich attack: government convenes emergency meeting – live". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
- ^ Thompson, Dan (23 May 2013). "Woolwich soldier murder victim named as Lee Rigby from Middleton". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ^ Shaviv, Miriam. "UK military calls attack victim a model soldier". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ^ Mark Durie (23 May 2013). "The Woolwich Killing: "We must fight them as they fight us."". Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ^ "Woolwich killer identified as 28-year-old Islam convert of Nigerian descent – media – RT News". rt.com. 23 May 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ^ "Woolwich attack: One suspect named as Michael Adeboloja". dailytelegraph.com.au. 2013 [last update]. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|year=
(help) - ^ a b c d "'Soldier' hacked to death in London". Al Jazeera. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
- ^ "'Shootings' and 'machete attack' in south east London: live". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ^ "As it happened – Woolwich attack". Retrieved 22 May 2013
- ^ "Woolwich attack: government convenes emergency meeting – live updates". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
- ^ Sam Jones, Ben Quinn and Conal Urquhart. "Woolwich attack prompts fears of backlash against British Muslims". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ^ a b c "UK names soldier murdered in London – Europe". Al Jazeera. 4 October 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ^ Ross Lydall. "Woolwich killing: plea for calm as mosques are targeted and English Defence League clash with police – Crime – News – London Evening Standard". Standard.co.uk. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ^ Dominiczak, Peter. "Woolwich attack: We must tackle hate preaching over the internet, security experts say". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ^ Halliday, Josh (23 May 2013). "Woolwich attack: BBC's Nick Robinson apologises after 'Muslim' description". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- ^ "UK Muslim groups condemn London slaying, urge leaders to act". CNN. 23 May 2013.
- ^ Head of radical Islamist group who knew London knifeman blames UK foreign policy by Michael Holden, Reuters, 23 May 2013.
- ^ "George Galloway: Woolwich Beheading Attack will be Repeated, EDL are 'Moral Dwarves'". IBT. 23 May 2013.
- ^ Fisher, Max (22 May 2013). British politician compares London machete attack to U.K. policy in Syria. Washington Post.
- ^ a b UK’s colonial past a possible factor in brutal Woolwich killing, Russia Today, 23 May 2013.
- ^ ‘We built Frankenstein monsters, spawned millions of radicalized Muslims’ – MP George Galloway, Russia Today, 24 May 2013.
- ^ "Statement by the President on the Attack in London". Whitehouse.gov. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
- ^ Crabtree, Susan (23 May 2013). "Obama condemns London attack but uses word 'terror' passively". The Washington Times. Retrieved 24 May 2013.