British police arrest seven in probe into attack on parliament

[Jonathan Fairfield]

British police arrest seven in probe into attack on parliament

By Costas Pitas and Estelle Shirbon

 

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Police arrested seven people in the investigation into a lone-wolf attacker who killed three people and injured 40 before being shot dead by police near parliament in London, Britain's most senior counter-terrorism officer said on Thursday.

 

Mark Rowley said there were four dead including the attacker and 29 people still being treated in hospital, seven of whom were in a critical condition.

 

Police had said on Wednesday that the death toll was five in the worst such attack in Britain since 2005.

 

The attacker sped across Westminster Bridge in a car, mowing down pedestrians along the way, then ran through the gates of the nearby parliament building and stabbed a policeman before being shot dead.

 

Authorities have said they are working on the assumption that the attack was Islamist-related.

 

Britons have been shocked by the fact that the attacker was able to cause such mayhem in the heart of the capital equipped with nothing more sophisticated than a hired car and a knife.

 

"The police and agencies that we rely on for our security have forestalled a large number of these attacks in recent years, over a dozen last year," said defence minister Michael Fallon.

 

"This kind of attack, this lone-wolf attack, using things from daily life, a vehicle, a knife, are much more difficult to forestall," he told the BBC.

 

Police believe they know the identity of the attacker but have not named him.

 

"We're dealing with an enemy, a terrorist enemy, that is not making demands or taking people hostage, but simply wants to kill as many people as possible. This is a new element to international terrorism," Fallon said.

 

Rowley said police had searched six addresses in London, Birmingham and other parts of the country in their investigation.

 

"It is still our belief ... that this attacker acted alone and was inspired by international terrorism. At this stage we have no specific information about further threats to the public," Rowley said.

 

He said there was a mix of nationalities among the dead but gave no details. The victims were the policeman, Keith Palmer, who was stabbed and two members of the public, a woman in her mid-40s and a man in his mid-50s. The fourth dead was the assailant.

 

VIGIL

 

Three French high-school students aged 15 or 16, who were on a school trip to London with fellow students from Brittany, were among the injured.

 

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault was expected to arrive in London to visit them at hospital, French media reported.

 

There were also five South Koreans among the injured, South Korea's foreign ministry said in Seoul.

 

A minute of silence to honour the victims will be held at 0933 GMT in parliament, outside police headquarters at New Scotland Yard, and in the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh.

 

Prime Minister Theresa May was due to make a statement to parliament on the attack at 1030 GMT.

 

A vigil was planned in London's Trafalgar Square at 1800 GMT.

 

Fallon said security arrangements at parliament would be reviewed.

 

Westminster Bridge remained cordoned off with a strong police presence. The nearby Westminster underground rail station, normally a busy hub in the morning rush hour, was not accessible from the street as it was within the cordon.

 

May said on Wednesday the location of the attack was not an accident. She said any assault on British values of liberty, democracy and freedom of speech was doomed to failure and Britons would not be divided by such acts.

 

But anti-immigration groups were quick to make links between immigration and the attack.

 

Leave.EU, a group that has campaigned for immigration to be severely restrained as part of Britain's exit from the European Union, accused mainstream politicians of facilitating acts of terror by failing to secure borders.

 

"We are sick, tired but perhaps even more so we are angry that recent governments across Europe have enabled these attacks through grossly negligible policies that have left us vulnerable," the group said in a statement.

 

In France, far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen also drew a link, saying that events in London highlighted the importance of protecting national borders and stepping up security measures.

 

(Additional reporting by Kate Holton, William James and Elisabeth O'Leary, writing by Estelle Shirbon, editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Giles Elgood)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-05-23

[funandsuninbangkok]

So why not arrest the bad guys before they atttack?

 

or better yet not let them in the country?

[rijb]

2 minutes ago, funandsuninbangkok said:

So why not arrest the bad guys before they atttack?

 

or better yet not let them in the country?

Too late.  They're already in.  And they're spawning.  Kind of like Islamic body snatchers.

[aslimversgwm]

15 hours ago, rijb said:

Too late.  They're already in.  And they're spawning.  Kind of like Islamic body snatchers.

The attacker was British born. Islamophobia from such contributors as you are exactly what ISIS and their ilk want - thanks for playing into their hands thus encouraging more deranged 'lone wolves' to terrorise yet more vulnerable targets.

[Ace of Pop]

Jeez this British Born nonsense ware thin.A Rattle Snakes a danger where ever he born .?


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[dick dasterdly]

25 minutes ago, aslimversgwm said:

The attacker was British born. Islamophobia from such contributors as you are exactly what ISIS and their ilk want - thanks for playing into their hands thus encouraging more deranged 'lone wolves' to terrorise yet more vulnerable targets.

Not only British born but also (apparently) converted to Islam later in life i.e. not born to a moslem family.

[rijb]

2 hours ago, aslimversgwm said:

The attacker was British born. Islamophobia from such contributors as you are exactly what ISIS and their ilk want - thanks for playing into their hands thus encouraging more deranged 'lone wolves' to terrorise yet more vulnerable targets.

Are you serious?!  Your post is so incongruous, I can only assume you're terrorized out of your wits. 

[elgordo38]

19 hours ago, funandsuninbangkok said:

So why not arrest the bad guys before they atttack?

 

or better yet not let them in the country?

I think this attacker was home grown. On what grounds would you arrest them before the attack? I sympathize with your feelings but the UK is after all a democracy warts and all.  

Edited March 24, 2017 by elgordo38

[simple1]

27 minutes ago, rijb said:

Are you serious?!  Your post is so incongruous, I can only assume you're terrorized out of your wits. 

One can only assume you have never read or heard from counter-terrorism specialist / security spokespeople who always advise derogatory / far right commentary etc is not helpful, in fact counter productive in their efforts to reduce the risks of Islamic terrorism.

[rijb]

2 hours ago, simple1 said:

One can only assume you have never read or heard from counter-terrorism specialist / security spokespeople who always advise derogatory / far right commentary etc is not helpful, in fact counter productive in their efforts to reduce the risks of Islamic terrorism.

You're right.  One can only assume.  Like you just did.

 

“We never look beyond our assumptions and what's worse, we have given up trying to meet others; we just meet ourselves.”   ― Muriel Barbery

Edited March 24, 2017 by rijb

[dunroaming]

22 hours ago, rijb said:

Too late.  They're already in.  And they're spawning.  Kind of like Islamic body snatchers.

He was born in the UK just like the vast majority of these lone wolves who were born and raised in the countries where they commit their terrorist acts. Beggars belief that some posters just can't get it or maybe they just don't want to get it? 

 

As for comments like  "Why don't they arrest the bad guys before they commit the crime", well I think that level of intelligence is not worth replying to.

 

Nobody hates the murdering scum more than me but even I can see that you need to be realistic about who you point the finger at.

Edited March 24, 2017 by dunroaming

[simple1]

46 minutes ago, rijb said:

You're right.  One can only assume.  Like you just did.

 

“We never look beyond our assumptions and what's worse, we have given up trying to meet others; we just meet ourselves.”   ― Muriel Barbery

So you are aware of the warnings from the professionals - so why are you attacking the poster who essentially said vilification is not constructive and potentially increases risk in the community.

 

Edited March 24, 2017 by simple1

[rijb]

4 minutes ago, simple1 said:

So you are aware of the warnings from the professionals - so why are you attacking the poster who essentially said vilification is not constructive and potentially increases risk in the community.

 

'attacking'  

[rijb]

33 minutes ago, dunroaming said:

He was born in the UK just like the vast majority of these lone wolves who were born and raised in the countries where they commit their terrorist acts. Beggars belief that some posters just can't get it or maybe they just don't want to get it? 

 

As for comments like  "Why don't they arrest the bad guys before they commit the crime", well I think that level of intelligence is not worth replying to.

 

Nobody hates the murdering scum more than me but even I can see that you need to be realistic about who you point the finger at.

You're reading an awful lot into this.  Do you hear voices too?

[simple1]

4 minutes ago, rijb said:

'attacking'  

'Attacking' has a number of definitions and in this age includes trolling

[stander]

London terror attack police say fifth person has died as search finishes in small Welsh village

The search is understood to have been in the small village of Trelech, Carmarthenshire.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/london-terror-search-in-wales-12780890

[rijb]

Just now, simple1 said:

'Attacking' has a number of definitions and in this age includes trolling

How is this related to the Op?

[simple1]

12 minutes ago, rijb said:

How is this related to the Op?

Zzzzz,,,

[rijb]

Police have said he is a lone wolf maniac who was inspired by “Islamic terrorism”  (no mention of Islamophobia )

 

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/khalid-masood-london-terror-attacker-12785661?service=responsive

[Ace of Pop]

One can only assume you have never read or heard from counter-terrorism specialist / security spokespeople who always advise derogatory / far right commentary etc is not helpful, in fact counter productive in their efforts to reduce the risks of Islamic terrorism.

Haven't they done well.[emoji247]


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[simple1]

18 minutes ago, Ace of Pop said:

Haven't they done well.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

Obviously not if you take the volume of poisonous far right rhetoric on TV as a yardstick

[darksidedog]

On 23/03/2017 at 4:33 PM, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Leave.EU, a group that has campaigned for immigration to be severely restrained as part of Britain's exit from the European Union, accused mainstream politicians of facilitating acts of terror by failing to secure borders.

Uh? The Fella was born in England. How exactly would tightening the borders have helped here?

[Kinnock]

8 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

Uh? The Fella was born in England. How exactly would tightening the borders have helped here?

Help to keep toxic ideology out.  Easily influenced fools may be home grown, but hate preachers are imported.

[funandsuninbangkok]

5 hours ago, dunroaming said:

He was born in the UK just like the vast majority of these lone wolves who were born and raised in the countries where they commit their terrorist acts. Beggars belief that some posters just can't get it or maybe they just don't want to get it? 

 

As for comments like  "Why don't they arrest the bad guys before they commit the crime", well I think that level of intelligence is not worth replying to.

 

Nobody hates the murdering scum more than me but even I can see that you need to be realistic about who you point the finger at.

Yes. Another example of the beautiful mosaic of multi culturalism. We are all equal and special. Such a fascinating learning experience living with these people. Well done liberal internationalists. 

 

I just cant understand Brexit. 

[anon4546543]

Most terror attacks or planned terror attacks in Australia  are perpetrated my young Muslims who failed at school, did not fit in, could not get a job, have low education, low self esteem and low IQ.

 A recipe for the hate filled doggerel of low esteem, low educated and low IQ Muslim clerics,  Mullahs and self proclaimed Islamic "teachers". You don't need to be educated in Islam to do this, just proclaim yourself to be a servant of Islam. That will do it and many easily lead are too often easily lead. But we have let them in and what is terrifying today will become the norm tomorrow.