March 22, 2017

"A knife-wielding assailant driving a sport utility vehicle mowed down panicked pedestrians and stabbed a police officer outside Parliament on Wednesday in a deadly assault..."

"... prompting the hasty evacuation of the prime minister and punctuating the threat of terrorism in Europe. At least five people, including the assailant, were killed and 40 others injured in the confusing swirl of violence, which the police said they assumed had been 'inspired by international terrorism.' It appeared to be the most serious such assault in London since the deadly subway bombings more than a decade ago.... For more than two hours, astonished lawmakers inside the House of Commons, some of whom had ducked for cover, were told to stay in place as officers searched the premises office by office."

The NYT reports.

47 comments:

Fabi said...

Was the suspect Amish?

whitney said...

Why were the lawmakers "astonished" I wonder

Bay Area Guy said...

Without yet reading the article, any hint as to the religion/culture of the assailant? (Fabi kinda beat me to it)

rhhardin said...

Triggering news fire alarm mode. Ratings ratings ratings.

Politicians quick to free-ride on it.

jrapdx said...

Yet another terrorist incident, leaders saying the "right words", and then nothing happens, nothing changes. Could it be the UK also has leftist jurists ruling against measures attempting to keep citizens safe? What keeps leaders from seeing the problem and stepping up to solve it? And they they wonder why people are attracted by populism. Their willful blindness remains a mystery to me.

traditionalguy said...

Maybe he was JAPANESE... a Kamikase Driver seeking revenge for Brits blowing up The Bridge Over the River Kwai on the great Japanese-Burma railroad project.

exhelodrvr1 said...

It's Trump's fault. We could solve Europe's terrorism problem - all we have to do is let more of them immigrate to the US!!

Tarrou said...

White supremacy! I'll bet it was one of those evil christian Crusaders!

Pianoman said...

Those wacky Lutherans.

mockturtle said...

The mayor of London is a Muslim. Has he made any statements yet?

brylun said...

The first picture of the terrorist is here: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/pictured-parliament-terror-attack-suspect-10077486

Achilles said...

The first picture of the terrorist is here: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/pictured-parliament-terror-attack-suspect-10077486

He is not a real muslim. Obama said so.

Michael K said...

It may be years before we learn the motive.

Probably a "Remain" enthusiast.

eric said...

Initial reports said he looked Asian.

I think they got Ben Stiller from the cable guy to read that part.

Big Mike said...

A Muslim with a rifle attacked the Canadian Parliament back in 2014. To quote Wikipedia: "He was shot 31 times by six officers and died at the scene."

No attacks since.

Achilles said...

eric said...
Initial reports said he looked Asian.

When Rotherdam was going down it was always "asian male" perpetrators in the British news. Technically...

holdfast said...

"Asian" is BritSpeak for "Paki". 'Nuff said.

mockturtle said...

Initial reports said he looked Asian.

That's what the Brits--and Canadians--call Middle-Eastern types.

Rusty said...

Trying to swing the Brexit vote.

Lewis Wetzel said...

Probably an English Catholic upset about the Reformation.

Lewis Wetzel said...

Since Obama is an expert at defining what is and what is not a real Muslim, maybe they should make him the Muslim pope. He's got nothing to do these days, except a bit of coup plotting.
Valerie Jarret could be his Torquemada.

CWJ said...

I liked the report of MP's ducking for cover to protect themselves from a knife wielding terrorist outside. A knife that long would be a sword. No not long enough. A sword that long would be a lance. No still not long enough. A lance that long would be ... ah hell just shoot the bastard. Bang. You can come out now.

Sebastian said...

People, please. Let's keep our eyes on the real threat: the extreme right-wing populists.

Chris N said...

Maybe it was a marginalized Puritan?

Disgruntled Druid?

YoungHegelian said...

@LW,

Probably an English Catholic upset about the Reformation.

No, more likely a true-bloodied Scotsman pissed off about how those fookin' English coonts treated Bonnie Prince Charlie!

Bay Area Guy said...

Wait a minute. Hold a sec. Let me formulate the proper response:

Yes, he's a Muslim - but that doesn't mean all Muslims are bad!!!!

or...

Workplace violence!!

hawkeyedjb said...

Coefficient of Mohammedanism 1.0 for this one.

robinintn said...

I await the anti-Muslim backlash. That's the real danger here.

Gusty Winds said...

Don't forget to put a transparent Union Jack over your Facebook profile photo to show your concern.

Michael said...

Already in London the fear is that there will be badthink about Muslims. The candles will come out shortly. This is not who we are.

mockturtle said...

Already in London the fear is that there will be badthink about Muslims. The candles will come out shortly. This is not who we are.

Yes, like after the Fort Hood shootings General Casey was most concerned about anti-Muslim sentiments. We can't have that!

Etienne said...

The "great" in Britain is missing, as long as there is no Death penalty for criminals.

It's not fair that people can be killed and maimed by these career criminals.

The only way forward is to empty the prisons and burn their bodies to generate electricity.

Bad Lieutenant said...

Hey, Erdogan said Europeans wouldn't be able to walk safely in their own streets. Prophetic!

I wonder if SAS has anybody left who can shoot.

Fernandinande said...

What did one female terrorist say to the other?

"Does this bomb make my butt look big?"

mockturtle said...

What did one female terrorist say to the other?

"Does this bomb make my butt look big?"


;-D

holdfast said...

Yes, like after the Fort Hood shootings General Casey was most concerned about anti-Muslim sentiments. We can't have that!

Ah, Gen Casey, literally the stupidest man to rise to flag rank in the last few decades. And he's had a lot of competition for that title.

mockturtle said...

Ah, Gen Casey, literally the stupidest man to rise to flag rank in the last few decades. And he's had a lot of competition for that title.

I agree. But there is more to this than just stupidity. There seems to be a tendency on the part of the high echelon brass to protect and defend Muslims. Are they all pawns of the Saudis?

David said...

Imagine the damage a small cadre of trained and armed terrorists could do. It looked like there was a lot of confusion and not much defensive firepower guarding Parliament. The terrorists can imagine this if I can, and in more destructive detail. They simply lack the means to execute such a plan. So far.

chickelit said...

mockturtle muses: There seems to be a tendency on the part of the high echelon brass to protect and defend Muslims. Are they all pawns of the Saudis?

Wouldn't that be an interesting money trail.

Anonymous said...

David: I've been to Parliament, and it's pretty impressively guarded. This guy did most of his damage outside Parliament, on the bridge. He knifed the first perimeter guard he came up against and the rest of them promptly took him down.

SukieTawdry said...

The MPs were only "astonished"?

BayAreaGuy said...Without yet reading the article, any hint as to the religion/culture of the assailant?

In the initial report I read, the police described him as "Asian."

JAORE said...

"In the initial report I read, the police described him as "Asian."

SOP for reporting on middle eastern folk in Jolly Old....

Oso Negro said...

I read the Telegraph, and the great fear is of a "disproportionate" response, but no one ever says what that might look like. A boycott of kebabs and curry? Gangs of police randomly beating Muslims in the street, just because? Requiring UK citizens to renounce Islam and eat a bacon buttie or leave? Making life so miserable for Muslims that they self-deport? Rounding them up and sending them to a special camp on a remote island?

SweatBee said...

He knifed the first perimeter guard he came up against and the rest of them promptly took him down.

He killed one police officer and injured three others. According to Sky News, the officer who died was unarmed. The English somehow think that the sight of armed bobbies would be too alarming to the general public. No word on why they can't just carry concealed in that case.

Paul said...

So the cop was 'unarmed'. That is not a cop, that's merely bait.

Thank God I live in Texas, were most Texans don't have to be bait.

Rusty said...

SukieTawdry said...
The MPs were only "astonished"?

BayAreaGuy said...Without yet reading the article, any hint as to the religion/culture of the assailant?

In the initial report I read, the police described him as "Asian."

And now we know his last name was Masood. Probably not anything though.

Michelle Dulak Thomson said...

To be fair, it isn't absurd to describe Pakistanis in England as "Asian"; that's where most of their Asian immigrants come from. There are a few from Hong Kong, but for the most part the population is Pakistani/Indian. Legacies of Empire .