Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

A CCTV image of Lee Rigby shortly before his death. Metropolitan Police/PA Wire/Press Association Images

Murder of London soldier raises fears of 'lone wolf' attacks

“The problem with amateurs is they just do something – and that’s what makes them dangerous,” said one expert.

THE BRUTAL MURDER of a British soldier on a London street has the hallmarks of a militant Islamist attack but one conducted by ‘lone wolf’ operators – which experts describe as a security nightmare.

Counter-terror police are investigating Wednesday’s attack in which two men hacked Drummer Lee Digby to death in broad daylight. They were shot and wounded by police and are now in hospitals under armed guard.

The gruesome nature of the murder — some witnesses say the men tried to decapitate their victim — their politically-fuelled rants to passers-by, and their apparent desire for publicity all point to militant Islamist extremism, experts say.

But the small scale of the attack — far removed from the massive destruction of the September 11 2001 attacks on the United States and the coordinated suicide bombings in London in 2005 — fit with fears that lone operators are now a serious threat.

“The problem with amateurs is they just do something — and that’s what makes them dangerous,” John Gearson, professor of national security services at King’s College London, told AFP.

image

Police outside Kings College Hospital in London where one of the suspects was brought for treatment (Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)

“This is a departure from the established type of attacks that you see or the established plan that you see of terrorism causing mass murder,” explained John O’Connor, a former head of the Scotland Yard police headquarters’ ‘Flying Squad’ detective unit.

“The bottom line is that it could spring up anywhere and that’s the concern. It’s very difficult to keep a tab on where this is going and where the threat level is,” O’Connor told the BBC.

Security experts have long been warning of the risk of terror attacks from individuals who slip under the surveillance radar.

image

Soldiers at Wellington Barracks in London keep guard after the attack on Drummer Lee Rigby. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Last year Jonathan Evans, the head of British spy agency MI5, warned about the threat from “lone actors” who were hard to identify because they used everyday weapons, often did not belong to any group and did not attend terror training camps abroad.

“The one thing that will be causing them (security forces) not to sleep at night is the ‘lone wolf’,” RUSI security analyst Margaret Gilmore told AFP ahead of the Olympic Games in London last year.

Attempt to maximise the publicity of the attack

Although the investigation is at an early stage, experts have pointed to the similarities between the London murder and the acts of Islamist fanatics in extremist videos broadcast on the Internet.

Matthew Henman, senior analyst at defence group Jane’s, highlighted the targeting of a soldier, and said the suspects’ failure to flee the scene and tirades before filming onlookers suggests “an effort to maximise publicity of the attack”.

image

A floral tribute outside the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich. (Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)

Prime Minister David Cameron has vowed the security services “will not rest until we know every single detail of what happened and we’ve brought all of those responsible to justice”.

He acknowledged reports that the two suspects may have been previously known to the intelligence services, but praised the work of the security forces in foiling plots up until now.

The murder was the first fatal Islamist attack in Britain since 52 people were killed in suicide bombings on the London transport system eight years ago.

Since then, surveillance has been stepped up, as have border controls, and many plots have been disrupted.

Some of these have targeted British soldiers, who were once told not wear their uniforms in public due to a threat from Irish republicans, but in recent years have been encouraged to do so.

Last month, three British men were jailed for planning terror attacks, including at Royal Wootton Bassett, a town which for years was the first to receive soldiers killed in Afghanistan.

Another pair were jailed the same month for planning terror acts including an Al-Qaeda-inspired plot to send a remote-controlled toy car into an army reservist centre.

In 2008, another man, Parviz Khan, was jailed for life for plotting to kidnap and kill a British Muslim soldier. He admitted he intended to film his beheading.

- © AFP, 2013

Read: Woolwich victim named by UK Ministry of Defence >

Read: Emergency meetings after soldier ‘decapitated’ in London machete attack >

Author
View 48 comments
Close
48 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pierce2020
    Favourite Pierce2020
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 2:03 PM

    Think I’ll move to the UK

    131
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brian Ward
    Favourite Brian Ward
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 2:10 PM

    Ah don’t, you’re great crack!

    91
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Barry
    Favourite Barry
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 2:12 PM

    You’re not ok to pay the house tax in Ireland but you want to move to uk and pay council tax that ranges between 200 and 1,500 sterling.

    Makes sense to me!

    88
    See 19 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Bo11ocks_to_this
    Favourite Bo11ocks_to_this
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 2:22 PM

    At least in the UK you actually get something for the tax. Here you get fcuk all. It just disappears into the black hole & finances ‘educational’ trips for council types.

    173
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Adelle Smyth
    Favourite Adelle Smyth
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 2:29 PM

    This is what you receive in Northern Ireland:

    bin collections and recycling
    leisure centres
    parks
    events
    council venues
    street cleaning
    economic indicatives
    building control.

    education
    health
    personal social services
    housing
    roads
    sewerage
    water.

    All taken from the government website.
    Where does out money go into a black hole of toxic debt to pay off the bully boys of Europe. SF ain’t looking to bad to me at the moment.

    147
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Barry
    Favourite Barry
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 2:30 PM

    Bo11ocks_to_this, so you don’t get ANY return for your tax?

    Honestly you believe that?, damn I guess all those things like
    - parks
    - footpaths
    - roads
    - public lighting
    - sewage works
    - water works
    - schools
    - hospitals/health
    - fire stations
    - local services such as library, bin services (where available etc)
    - street cleaning and street bin collections etc
    - playgrounds, ball play area’s, green area’s
    - historical attractions (somebody has to fund the OPW!)
    - government services including that big payout known as the dole

    Get funded by magic money.

    Yeah, we don’t get any of those, your tax money just goes on council junkets.

    Anymore nonsense you want to say Bo11ocks_to_this?

    96
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Masterson
    Favourite John Masterson
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 2:33 PM

    So in Northern Ireland you don’t have to pay for any of those services if you’ve paid your household charge, I think not…I think there’s a bit of a ‘grass is always greener’ scenario going on with that comment

    69
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Barry
    Favourite Barry
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 2:34 PM

    Adelle Smyth, you get such services in Ireland, whats your point?

    Also council tax doesn’t cover water, thats why they pay a separate water tax/charge.

    51
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Masterson
    Favourite John Masterson
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 2:36 PM

    Well said Barry

    44
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Shane King
    Favourite Shane King
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 2:58 PM

    Well if you live in a country area you don’t get any of them services,not everyone lives in towns or citys.

    43
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Barry
    Favourite Barry
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 3:10 PM

    Shane King, you don’t get ANY of those services?? You sure?

    Crap, must be very annoying try to get near a town without any roads, even more annoying when you get into town and you are not allowed use the footpaths or roads, and at nights you have to close your eye’s in town so you can enjoy the street lights.

    Also must be awful annoying when stuff goes on fire and you can’t use the fire brigade, never mind the times you get sick and you can’t use our health system.

    Finally, education in the country must be very hard for kids, after all you said you don’t use any of the services and that includes our school system.

    My point Shane is that very clearly you do use and get to benefit of these services, sure you won’t have all of them but then people in a small village won’t have same service to a large town or city.

    Its unrealistic to expect the local council/government to put in street lights, footpaths, water and sewage systems to every single house in this country, if they did that we’d have no countryside left in this country.

    39
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Matt
    Favourite Matt
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 3:11 PM

    I pay over £2000 a year council tax and over £600 a year for water rates. National insurance tax is alot higher in the UK

    48
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dermot Mc Loughlin
    Favourite Dermot Mc Loughlin
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 3:23 PM

    Tax pays for bin collection.
    ROFLMAO.

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Leonard Washington
    Favourite Leonard Washington
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 3:32 PM

    You’ve to pay for hospitals here Barry Jesus ye even have to pay the fire brigade if your house goes on fire!
    Another fg/labour troll.

    53
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Shane King
    Favourite Shane King
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 4:01 PM

    Barry i pay motor tax for the roads and pay to use any hospital also you have to pay for the fire brigade to come out.the roads were i live are in such a state why should we be paying motor tax.we also pay for bin collection and soon we will be paying for water.

    40
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute The Almighty
    Favourite The Almighty
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 4:06 PM

    Ignore Barry he is a well known FG troll

    34
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Shane King
    Favourite Shane King
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 4:37 PM

    They’re out in force today.but on they’re pages on facebook you can’t question them or they just ban you straight away.go back into your cave Barry

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tom Quinn
    Favourite Tom Quinn
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 5:08 PM

    @Barry …………. the house tax in Ireland, as you call it, will not be used to cover the list of things you mention. Most of those services are covered by taxes and charges that are already being paid and that are supposed to be used to pay for these related services, pretty much directly in some cases

    The Fire Brigade is not a free service. Its paid for by the person who calls the service to their house/building. Its usually covered by private insurance.
    Most people in this country pay privately for their bins to be collected as far as I can see……….so the house tax has nothing to do with it
    Surely road tax, tax on petrol and VRT should cover the cost of the roads. ie a separate tax for that service?
    Sewage and water works are the same thing and will have a separate tax very soon. Namely water charges.
    Unless you have a medical card the health service in this country is not exactly free………….subsidised but not free. Also if it was good enough why would anyone consider private health care?……….
    The dole is paid by PRSI contributions so very much will not come from the house tax.
    Education is not free either. One must pay for books and uniforms and pretty much everyone is bullied into paying a voluntary contribution in primary and secondary schools. Third level registration costs might as well be called fees at this stage……….again, subsidised, but not free.
    All of these, with the exception of PRSI, are taxes/charges that are paid for after income tax is paid. So our income tax is not paying for these services in some cases and heavily subsidising them in others……..and this is before we pay this house tax………

    So what really is anyone getting from the household charge? Wheres the transparency of where the money actually goes and is ring fenced for? Hmmmmmm? Some government TD says it will pay for local services and you just believe them? How are these services being paid for now? The money that is paying for them now, where will that go once its all replaced by this household charge?

    The household charge is a bailout tax. That is it. The only service we get for paying it is the servicing of private banking debt………….to think otherwise is naive………..

    47
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Marist '59
    Favourite Marist '59
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 5:12 PM

    200 and 1500 sterling? I pay £3,166….

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Shane King
    Favourite Shane King
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 5:24 PM

    Good man tom.

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jim Walsh
    Favourite Jim Walsh
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 5:53 PM

    It’s amazing the groupthink that exists on Journal. Anybody who even dares to post an argument in favour of the government or suggests that all is not rosy everywhere else gets called a sheep or a party hack. Classic way to deflect an argument that you can’t answer. Attack the person instead.

    29
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Shane King
    Favourite Shane King
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 5:58 PM

    Fg/labour troll ^^^^^

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Barry
    Favourite Barry
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 2:08 PM

    Tax credits for fracking?!

    Great so the country will get big corporations and some of the benefits to the country of fracking such as some jobs but the environment will go out the window.

    Nice!

    78
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Erfantastico
    Favourite Erfantastico
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 5:11 PM

    Sarcasm is not something you do well.

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute William Grogan
    Favourite William Grogan
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 9:48 PM

    Barry, this sentence of yours ” the environment will go out the window”, is a lie. Because shale gas replaces the burning of coal it’s better for the environment. You shouldn’t read rubbish web sites. The downside of shale gas is exaggerated nonsense.

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ciaran Dillon
    Favourite Ciaran Dillon
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 2:08 PM

    Ah yes. Lets re-inflate the property bubble…

    37
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Niall Mulligan
    Favourite Niall Mulligan
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 2:11 PM

    Sure half of them don’t pay TAX anyway so what difference does it make?

    25
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Reg
    Favourite Reg
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 2:24 PM

    I hope our government doesn’t get any stupid ideas from George Osborne by interfering in the property market again.

    22
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute GavanD
    Favourite GavanD
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 3:18 PM

    In N.Ireland, the tangible return on property tax is free bin collection and free use of dump. But Its a hell of a lot more than what it is south of the border. On the other hand then NHS is free for all so swings and roundabouts…

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute MrKnow
    Favourite MrKnow
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 6:36 PM

    Don’t forget that our property tax is just introduced, give it two or three years and will be paying 4 figure numbers in property tax. One thing that we do well here in Rep of Ireland is increase tax like there’s no tomorrow.

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tom Newnewman
    Favourite Tom Newnewman
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 2:49 PM

    If a worker employs a worker they should only be taxed at 12.5%.

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Philip
    Favourite Philip
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 6:09 PM

    What does it matter what the headline tax rate is

    The effective rate for these large companies is less than 1%

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Leonard Washington
    Favourite Leonard Washington
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 2:19 PM

    I emailed you a good story there Gavan.

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stephen Kearon
    Favourite Stephen Kearon
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 7:47 PM

    British equivalent of Boyd Barrett must be raging with a Govt reducing Corporation tax, a Govt actually doing something positive for job creation

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pablo
    Favourite Pablo
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 4:15 PM

    Bye bye Intel

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Richard Collumb
    Favourite Richard Collumb
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 5:05 PM

    Why? Corporate tax here 12.5%, new UK rate 20% and that is before you’d have to build a multi-billion plant which would take a number of years to construct.

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tomy Iona
    Favourite Tomy Iona
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 5:55 PM

    Correct Richard, if anything were to move from Ireland it wouldn’t be companies that require such massive investment in floorspace and equipment. Simple assembly jobs would be more likely to go and even then, China would have a lot of that already if it were going to happen.

    Even if the UK dropped it’s corp tax rate further than outlined here – the Irish sea is little more than a pond and we have an abundance of qualified people here.

    7
    See 3 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pablo
    Favourite Pablo
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 6:05 PM

    Wages, cost of living, logistics, Wendys

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute William Grogan
    Favourite William Grogan
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 9:49 PM

    … and what happens in the UK to corporation tax rates when labour gets back in?

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stephen Doherty
    Favourite Stephen Doherty
    Report
    Mar 21st 2013, 1:10 PM

    Its not existing multinationals operations that will move but future decisions on fdi, the IDA knows that its now easier to attract talent to the UK with lower personal taxes than Ireland.

    Budget measures to boost house construction will benefit Ire if it works.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Darren Callaghan
    Favourite Darren Callaghan
    Report
    Mar 21st 2013, 1:12 AM

    Wonder will the Germans tell the Brits that its not fair to drop their corporation tax as they have been trying to get Ireland to raise ours ever since we signed up to bailout . Lower tax means more investment by major multinational company’s which has to be good think that and our export market is keeping our heads above water so fair play to uk and all of Europe needs to stand up to Germany , we are sovereign countries and we will decide what our taxes should be so pee off merkel

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute brian magee
    Favourite brian magee
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 10:58 PM

    Very worrying about the fracking incentives

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mark Duffy
    Favourite Mark Duffy
    Report
    Mar 20th 2013, 7:42 PM

    Won’t make any difference big corporations pay little if no tax because of tax loopholes in uk,google amazon Starbucks all shelter their tax and pay very little

    4
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds