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2017 Westminster Terror Thread
Topic Started: Mar 22 2017, 12:01 PM (631 Views)
Webster
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.......there are reports coming in over the wire of an apparent terrorist incident right outside or in the vicinity of the Houses of Parliament in London....

(The Guardian) Reports of shooting at House of Commons
--There are reports of a shooting at the Commons

--Man shot in entrance to the Commons. Appears to be a policeman down too (Jason Groves, Daily Mail - 22 March 2017)
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Webster
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(The Guardian) The Metropolitan police and the parliamentary authorities are reviewing security arrangements around the Palace of Westminster after a knife-wielding terrorist was able to access the estate. Focus will fall upon Carriage Gates, the vehicle entrance opening on to Parliament Square that is usually used by vehicles bearing ministers and selected staff.

Witnesses said the attacker crashed his car into the estate’s fence before running through Carriage Gates carrying two knives. He is said to have fatally attacked PC Keith Palmer, one of the unarmed officers patrolling near the gates, before being gunned down by armed officers.

Unarmed officers such as PC Palmer act as the public face of parliament at the entrance, whose imposing iron gates are the symbol of the estate. These officers are not just the first line of defence but are often seen posing for pictures with tourists keen to take their photographs with a clear view of Elizabeth Tower, known as Big Ben.

Any review will examine procedures at the gates, which are often left unlocked or ajar because they are in frequent use.

Armed officers are usually seen several yards behind the unarmed officers. But just 50 yards beyond them on the other side of New Palace Yard, MPs and ministers can be seen frequently walking to and fro from parliament’s offices and the House of Commons’ chamber.

The dilemma for the security forces and the parliamentary authorities has been the same since the building was first established on the banks of the Thames in the 11th century: how to provide safety without infringing the right of the public to turn up and lobby their constituency MP.

A senior parliamentary officer confirmed this morning that a security review is under way.The details of the review will remain confidential.

There are already airport-style checks at some parliamentary entrances,including those at St Stephen’s Gate and Portcullis House, the new building housing most MPs’ offices. There are no such checks at Carriage Gates.
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Webster
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(The Guardian) Two patients in St Thomas' hospital - both stable
--Two patients are being treated at St Thomas’ hospital following yesterday’s security incident in Westminster – one man and one woman. Both patients are in a stable condition.

Amanda Pritchard, the chief executive of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS foundation trust, said: I would like to thank all staff who were involved in the response to the terrible event yesterday. The Trust’s major incident procedures have worked well, and there has been an excellent response from both clinical and non-clinical staff. My thoughts are with all affected by this appalling tragedy.
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Webster
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(The Guardian) May says British-born attacker was known to MI5 and had been investigated before, as 'peripheral figure'
--May says she chaired a Cobra committee last night.

The threat level remains at “severe”. That means an attack is highly likely. But it will not be raised to the next level, because there is no intelligence that an attack is imminent.

She says police have been working through the night to establish all they can about the attack. They have searched six addresses in London and Birmingham and eight people have been arrested.

--May says the attacker was “British-born”
--May says attacker was known to MI5.
--He was investigated some years ago in relation to extremist terrorism. But he was a “peripheral figure”.
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Webster
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(The Guardian) Prime Minister's Statement - Extracts
--Yesterday an act of terrorism tried to silence our democracy. But today we meet as normal, as generations have done before us and as future generations will continue to do, to deliver a simple message: we are not afraid and our resolve will never waver in the face ofterrorism.

And we meet here in the oldest of all parliaments because we know democracy and the values it entails will always prevail. Those values free speech, liberty, human rights and rule of law are embodied here in this place and shared by free people around the world.

A terrorist came to the place where people of all nationalities and culture gather to celebrate what it means to be free. He took out his rage indiscriminately on men, women and children. This was an attack on free people everywhere and on behalf of the British people I would like to thank our friends and allies around the world who have made it clear they stand with us.

What happened on the streets of Westminster sickened us all. While there is an ongoing police investigation, the House will understand there are limits to what I can say but having been updated by police and security officials let me set out what at this stage I can tell the house.

At approximately 2.40pm yesterday a single attacker drove his vehicle at speed into innocent pedestrians crossing Westminster Bridge, killing two people and injuring around 40 more. In addition to 12 Britons admitted to hospital, we know the victims include three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, one German, one Pole, one Irish, one Chinese, one Italian, one American and two Greeks. We are in close contacts with the governments of the countries of all those affected.

The injured also included three police officers returning from an event to recognise their bravery ... Two of those three remain in a serious condition. The attacker then left the vehicle and approached a police officer at Carriage Gates, attacking that officer with a large knife before he was shot dead by an armed police officer. Tragically 48 year old PC Keith Palmer was killed.

He was every inch a hero and his actions will never be forgotten.

I can confirm police have searched six addresses and made eight arrests in Birmingham and London. It is still believed this attacker acted alone and police have no reason to believe there are imminent further attacks on the public. His identity is known to the police and MI5.

When operational considerations allow he will be publicly identified.

What I can confirm is the man was British born and that some years ago he was once investigated by MI5 in relation to concerns about violent extremism. He was a peripheral figure. The case is historic. He is not part of the current intelligence picture.

There was no prior intelligence of his intent or the plot. Intensive investigations continue …

Our working assumption is that the attacker was inspired by Islamist ideology. We know the threat from Islamist terrorism is very real. But while the public should remain utterly vigilant they should not and will not be cowed by this threat.

We are stepping up policing to reassure the public and as a precautionary measure it will mean increasing patrols in cities across the country, with more police and more armed police on the streets.
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Webster
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(The Guardian) Prime Minister's Statement - Further Extracts
--Since June 2013 our police, security and intelligence agencies have successfully disrupted 13 separate terrorist plots in Britain.

Mr Speaker, in terms of security here in Westminster, we should be clear first of all that an attacker attempted to break into Parliament and was shot dead within twenty yards of the gates. If his intention was to gain access to this building, we should be clear that he did not succeed.The police heroically did their job. But as is routine, the police together with the House authorities are reviewing the security of the Parliamentary estate, co-ordinated with the Cabinet Office, who have responsibility for the security measures in place around the Government secure zone. All of us in this House have a responsibility for the security and safety of our staff and advice is available for Members who need it.

Mr Speaker, yesterday we saw the worst of humanity, but we will remember the best.

We will remember the extraordinary efforts to save the life of PC Keith Palmer, including those by my Rt Hon Friend the Member for Bournemouth East.

And we will remember the exceptional bravery of our police, security and emergency services who once again ran towards the danger even as they encouraged others to move the other way ...

Mr Speaker, a lot has been said since terror struck London yesterday. Much more will be said in the coming days. But the greatest response lies not in the words of politicians, but in the everyday actions of ordinary people. For beyond these walls today – in scenes repeated in towns and cities across the country –millions of people are going about their days and getting on with their lives. The streets are as busy as ever. The offices full. The coffee shops and cafes bustling. As I speak millions will be boarding trains and aeroplanes to travel to London, and to see for themselves the greatest city on Earth.

It is in these actions – millions of acts of normality – that we find the best response to terrorism. A response that denies our enemies their victory. That refuses to let them win. That shows we will never give in. A response driven by that same spirit that drove a husband and father to put himself between us and our attacker, and to pay the ultimate price. A response that says to the men and women who propagate this hate and evil: you will not defeat us. Mr Speaker, let this be the message from this House and this nation today: our values will prevail. And I commend this statement to the House.
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(The Guardian) Angus Robertson, the SNP Westminster leader, praised the prime minister for her statement.

Today of all days we are reminded that, notwithstanding our differences on political and constitutional issues, we are as one in our dedication to democracy, the rule of law and harmony between peoples of all faiths and none. Does she agree with me that no terrorist outrage is representative of any faith or faith community and we recommit ourselves to strengthening the bonds of tolerance and understanding?

In the days to come I hope we will remember the love and bravery of the victim, not just the hatred and cowardice of the attackers.


Others paying tribute in the house include the former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith, former cabinet minister Theresa Villiers, former Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman and Lib Dem leader Tim Farron.
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(The Guardian) Attacker's car was rented from Enterprise in Birmingham area
--The attacker rented a car from an Enterprise branch within the Birmingham city area, sources have told the Guardian.

A spokesperson for Enterprise Holdings said: “We can confirm that the car used in the tragic attack in London yesterday afternoon was one of ours.

“An employee identified the vehicle after seeing the licence plate in an image online. We ran another check to verify, and immediately contacted the authorities.

“We are cooperating fully with the authorities and will provide any assistance that we can to the investigation.

“Our thoughts are very much with the victims of this terrible tragedy.”
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(The Guardian) One of the Edge Hill University students who was struck by the terrorist’s 4x4 has this morning thanked the emergency services. Owen Lambert, 18, was was on Westminster Bridge when the vehicle ploughed into pedestrians, killing two and leaving dozens more injured.

Owen, who received stitches for a head wound, said on Thursday: “Battered and bruised but doing fine, massive thanks to Metropolitan Police and the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for helping me through this ordeal and an even bigger thanks to all my family and friends for supporting me every step of the way.”

His fellow student, Travis Frain, suffered a cracked rib plus hand and arm injuries. His mother, Angela Frain, said last night that he was “okay” and in “good spirits”. He is expected to remain in hospital for several days.

The students were among a group of 13 undergraduates and a lecturer from Edge Hill University in Ormskirk on the first day of a two-day field trip to Parliament.

Nine of the students are expected to return to Ormskirk later on Thursday.
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(The Guardian) Greece 'unaware' citizens had been injured until PM's statement
--Theresa May’s announcement that two Greeks were among the 12 injured has caught authorities in Athens at least by surprise.

While the Greek ministry of foreign affairs had strongly condemned the attack, describing it as a “cowardly act,” there was no suggestion that Greeks were among the victims.

A press officer at the Greek embassy in London said staff has only been made aware when the British prime minister announced it in parliament.

“It came as a surprise. We had not been made aware of it by the Metropolitian police earlier this morning,” the officer, Claire Koltsida, told the Guardian.

“We now know it was a couple who suffered light injuries and took themselves off in a private capacity to the hospital. We hope to know more later today.”
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(The Guardian) Witnesses yesterday described seeing a woman pulled from the river after the carnage on Westminster bridge, who is alive but in a serious condition.

It has since emerged she was a Romanian tourist celebrating her boyfriend’s birthday in London.

Romanian Ambassador Dan Mihalache told Realitatea TV that the woman sustained serious head injuries and has badly damaged lungs. Her boyfriend suffered a foot fracture. The pair haven’t been named yet.

“They were tourists, unfortunately they were unlucky. They had come to celebrate his birthday.” He said the pair planned to wed,” Mihalache said.
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Posted Image
--Message from The Queen to @metpoliceuk (Chris Ship, ITV News - 23 March 2017)
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(The Guardian) Islamic State Claims Responsibility For Attack
--Amaq, the news agency used by Isis to broadcast propaganda, says that the group is responsible for the attack. It calls the attacker “a soldier of Islamic State.”

This is a claim by them, which obviously cannot be verified at this stage. The wording of the Isis statement suggests he was inspired, rather than directed by them but we have no confirmation on either front.
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(The Guardian) Archbishop says response to terror attack show victory of good over evil
--In the House of Lords peers have also been speaking about the attack yesterday. One of the most striking interventions came from Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, who spoke to peers about the Christian lessons to be learnt from atrocity. He said he was struck by three images from yesterday.

The first is of a vehicle being driven across Westminster Bridge by someone who had a perverted, nihilistic, despairing view of objectives of what life is about, of what this society is about, that could only be fulfilled by death and destruction.

The second is of that same person a few minutes later on a stretcher or on the ground being treated by the very people he had sought to kill.

The third is of these two houses, where profound disagreement, bitter disagreement, angry disagreement, is dealt with not with violence, not with despair, not with cruelty, but with discussion, with reason, and with calmness.

It seems to me that those three pictures point us to deep values within our own society, deeper even than the ones that have been mentioned in the prime minister’s statement and other statements, which is the sense that comes from a narrative within our society for almost 2,000 years that speaks of, at this time of year as we look forward to Holy Week and Easter, of a God who stands with the suffering and brings justice, and whose resurrection has given to believer and unbeliever the sense that, where we do what is right, where we behave properly, where that generosity and extraordinary sense of duty that leads people to treat a terrorist is shown, where that bravery of someone like PC Keith Palmer is demonstrated, that there is a victory for what is right and good over what is evil, despairing and bad.

That was shown yesterday, hat is shown not just in our expression of values but in our practices which define those values and that is the mood that we must show in the future.
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(The Guardian) At Birmingham Central Mosque, chairman Mohammed Afzal was ready with a statement for journalists on Thursday condemning the London attacks.

He handed out copies of a booklet called Terrorism Is Not Islam, a 12-page guide the mosque has produced. Fifty-five thousand copies of the leaflet were handed out at mosques, schools and shops across Birmingham, supported by West Midlands police.

Afzal said he didn’t know if the terrorist had attended the mosque because they did not yet know his identity.

He questioned why the intelligence services had stopped monitoring the attacker.

“Why did MI5 not keep an eye on him?” he asked.
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(The Guardian) The Guardian’s Jason Burke has some useful context on the credibility of the statement from Isis. The language in the statement does not name the attacker and suggested he was inspired by the group rather than organised.

(1) this useful. Vocab of ISIS claim indicates that group did not have prior knowledge of #londonattack, as does lack of biog details.
(2) ISIS clearly stating that #londonattack came “in response to its call to target Crusader countries”. i.e. not a directed/commissioned strike
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