In the aftermath of UK attack: what we know

UPDATE: The attacker was known to British counter-terrorism intelligence. His name is Khalid Masood, 52, and he was on the terror watch list, which was totally ineffective in stopping him.

After the attack, at least 7 others were arrested in connection with it. 

London -- The attack on Westminster Bridge by the U.K. Parliament and the attack that followed, injured over 40 people and now, a fifth person has died, including a police officer.

British Prime Minister Theresa May described the attack as "sick and depraved." I call the attack "religiously orthodox and jihad inspired." 

Acting Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Mark Rowley, who also heads Counter Terrorism said there was only one attacker who authorities believe was "inspired by international terrorism."

I say he was inspired by the Koran and the global Islamist movement to create a world caliphate under sharia.

Rowley said three civilians were among those killed along with one London police officer, Keith Palmer, 48, and the Muslim jihadist whose name has not been released yet for obvious reasons, although he said it was too early to release his name, but that officials "think we know who the attacker is and are working to establish who his associates are."

"One of those who died was a police officer from our Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command who had 15 years service," he said.

ISIS still has not claimed responsibility for the attack but investigators are considering the possibility that it was inspired by ISIS propaganda in the form of the Koran quotes and online videos.

A witness, Rick Longley told the Press Association he heard a big bang and saw a car plow into pedestrians and come to a crashing stop. 

"They were just laying there and then the whole crowd just surged around the corner by the gates just opposite Big Ben," he said. "A guy came past my right shoulder with a big knife and just started plunging it into the policeman. I have never seen anything like that. I just can't believe what I just saw."

"The thoughts of the PM and the government are with those killed and injured in this appalling incident, and with their families," PM May's office said in a statement. And in an address to the nation outside 10 Downing Street, May praised the "exceptional bravery" of police, and thanked them "on behalf of the whole country."

May added that it wasn't an accident the attacker chose Parliament, but her logic was slightly off--she said he chose it because it stands for democracy, freedom and rule of law. I think it was also chosen because ISIS suggests these types of locales for attacks. Even if it wasn't ISIS-inspired, this is the thinking of many terrorist groups.

President Trump is continuing to monitor developments out of London and the White House condemned the attacks, which is a good thing to condemn. 

The White House also said Mr. Trump "pledged the full cooperation and support of the United States Government in responding to the attack and bringing those responsible to justice."

Spokesman for the U.S. State Department said "We stand ready to assist in any way the U.K. authorities would find helpful." He also added the cliche: "Our hearts go out to those affected."

Katie Hopkins, a conservative British journalist, appeared on Fox News' Tucker Carlson Tonight and stated that she sees the U.K. as a "nation of ghettos," and feels the British are losing the country they love in the name of multiculturalism which places other cultures above their own.

Over the past four years, British security has thwarted about 13 terror plots and until Wednesday, has mainly been spared major international terror attacks like the ones in France and Belgium.

But London is a liberal city whose Muslim mayor, Sadiq Khan, is not going to make big changes to protect the ignorant liberals in his city. Until this changes, it's only going to get worse.



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American woman victim in London attack

London -- A man went on a stabbing rampage yesterday in central London, just a stone's throw from the British Museum, killed a 60-year-old American woman and wounded five others.

The attacker is a Norwegian man of Somali origin. He was Tasered and arrested within minutes of the attack.

According to law enforcement, the investigation "increasingly points to this tragic incident as having been triggered by mental health issues,? Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said. "So far we have found no evidence of radicalization or anything that would suggest the man in our custody was motivated by terrorism.," Rowley added.

The others who were injured are Israeli, American, Australian and British. None have life-threatening injuries and two of the victims are still in the hospital and the others have been discharged.

The attacker emigrated from Norway to the UK in 2002 when he was around five years old. It appeared to have been a "spontaneous attack and that the victims were selected at random," Rowley said. Detectives from the murder and terrorism squads interview the attacker, his family and witnesses and searched several properties, finding no evidence of radicalization.

Unfortunately, authorities were unable to search the attacker's brain in order to discover whether he was influenced by his religious duty of jihad. We may never know.

Ironically, due to the terrorist threat, the city announced the previous day that they planned to place an additional 600 police officers on the street to combat terrorism.

The police received "numerous" phone calls from the public at around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday regarding a man attacking pedestrians with a knife in the streets around Russell Square. The police arrived and used a stun gun to subdue the 19-year-old "suspect." He was arrested on suspicion of murder.

Knives are the most common murder weapon in Britain, unlike the United States where knives are only the second most common murder weapon after the illegal handgun. There were 186 knife murders in 2015 according to government statistics, and they account for a third of all murders. 

Since 2013, there have been two Islamic jihadist knife attacks in London. Two al-Qaeda inspired Muslims beheaded an off-duty soldier, Lee Rigby, in the street near his barracks. This past January, Muhiddin Mire tried to behead a London Underground passenger as he shouted that he was doing it "for Syria." 

He was determined to be mentally ill--but isn't that what radical Islam actually is?

The large majority of Britain's 31,000 police do not carry firearms, which will make them soft targets for terrorists that do. 

But at least they will be politically correct.




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