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Friday, March 29, 2024

Jihadis Applaud London Jihadi Attack After ISIS Claims Responsibility

The Islamic State (ISIS) news agency, A’maq, claimed responsibility Thursday on behalf of the jihadi group for the attack Wednesday outside the Parliament building in London by British-born 52-year-old Khalid Masood.

On the anniversary of the Brussels airport attack, Masood drove a rented vehicle directly up onto the pedestrian walkway on Westminster Bridge, killing at least five and injuring at least 50 before crashing his vehicle into the side of the bridge, jumping out to stab to death a police constable who’d served 15 years with the Metropolitan Police. Masood was eventually killed by UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon’s security guard.

The notice, distributed on ISIS Telegram channels Thursday stated, "A security source to the A’maq agency [said] the perpetrator of yesterday’s attack in front of the British Parliament in London is a soldier of the Islamic State. He carried out the attack in response to [ISIS’s] calls to target the citizens of the states [participating] in the coalition [against ISIS]."

Supporters of ISIS immediately celebrated the attack on social media, expressing confidence Masood had acted on behalf of ISIS.

Prime Minister Theresa May conceded Masood was investigated by MI5 in relation to jihadi extremism in the UK, but was rejected as a “peripheral figure” among Islamists in the UK and not “part of the current intelligence picture.”

May told Parliament, “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,” and that, “He is not part of the current intelligence picture. There was no prior intelligence of his intent or the plot.”

Home Secretary Amber Rudd defended Britain’s security and intelligence agencies as soon as it was disclosed that Masood was known to police and MI5.

Her comments immediately raised questions about whether MI5 and other British law enforcement investigations of Masood were suspended tooquickly and whether he should have been kept under surveillance.

Rudd said it was “absolutely the wrong judgment” to accept that further counterterrorism investigations of expose Masood would have indicated his attack was a failure of intelligence.

“It is still our belief — which continues to be born out by our investigation — that this attacker acted alone … and was inspired by international terrorism,” said Mark Rowley, head of counterterrorism for London’s Metropolitan Police Service. “To be explicit — at this stage, we have no specific information about further threats to the public.”

Rowley acknowledged, however, that eight people were arrested during searches at six separate locations and that investigations related to Masood were being conducted in London, Birmingham and other parts of England. When pressed by reporters, though, he declined to disclose whether or how those detained were involved in Masood attack.

He did, however, describe as “significant” two arrests made in Manchester and Birmingham.

Since the attack, police confirmed theyd arrested 11 people on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts. Nine were eventually released without being charged. The two still in custody are a 58-year-old manand a man aged 27 who were both arrested in Birmingham.

Subsequently, Rowley issued the following statement:

“We named the dead terrorist as Khalid Masood, and as I said, our investigation focuses on understanding his motivation, preparation and his associates. While there is no evidence of further threats, you will understand our determination to find out if he either:

"Acted totally alone inspired by terrorist propaganda;

"Or, if others have encouraged, supported or directed him;

"At this point I want to appeal specifically to the public. We remain keen to hear from anyone who knew Khalid Masood well; understands who his associates were; and can provide us with information about places he has recently visited … There might well be people out there who did have concerns about Masood but weren’t sure or didn’t feel comfortable for whatever reason in passing information to us.”

According to British law enforcement authorities, Masood lived in the West Midlands and had a record of violent knife crimes and had converting to Islam after years of carrying out criminal acts. According to authorities, radical Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary – who was finally sentenced to prison in the UK when law enforcement discovered his ties to 500 British jihadists fighting with ISIS in Syria and had sworn his allegiance to ISIS — had been in contact with Choudary for at least several years.

According to Western intelligence authorities, for at least 20 years Choudary was direcly involved in radicalizing a generation of jihadists, perhaps including Masood, who the Metropolitan Police said “was known to police and has a range of previous convictions for assaults, including GBH, possession of offensive weapons and public order offences” going back at least 20 years, beginning in 1983 for criminal damage and in 2003 for a stabbing, according to reports.

According to Sabeur Toumi, manager of the Preston Park Hotel in Brighton where Masood stayed the night before his deadly jihadi attack, he “was laughing and joking.”Jihadis Applaud London Jihadi Attack After ISIS Claims Responsibility Homeland Security Today

Meanwhile, Supporters of ISIS celebrated Masood’S attack on social media, expressing confidence tha the’d had acted on behalf of ISIS. The following are some examples of comments ISIS supporters stated on social media:

"A single Muslim put all of Britain into a state of alert and stopped traffic in London, even though they killed him, may Allah accept him [as a martyr]. Just think [how scared they would have been] if he were still alive or if there had been two lionslike him. The infidels are such cowards,” one Islamist said on Telegram, ISIS’s preferred communication medium.

Another user on the pro-ISIS Telegram channel, "Tactical Retreat," declared: "The final outcome of the London raid, which targeted the Parliament building, was four dead Crusaders and 40 wounded, among them soldiers and police officers. The attacker was also killed. The Anglo-Saxon security apparatuses have not revealed his identity, but they did say he carried out the attack in response to the calls by the Islamic State to attack in the heart of the countries [that belong to] the Crusader alliance [the international coalition against ISIS]. We ask Allah to bring the harshest torment upon the Anglo-Saxon Christians, and to accept the one who carried out the attack among the martyrs if he [really] is, as I believe, one of Allah’s Muslim worshippers."

The "Exclamation" Telegram channel, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), which monitors jihadi social media, “posted a video of British Prime Minister Theresa May speaking in Parliament about the attack and commented: ‘In the very place where Britain’s criminal prime minister Theresa May declared she was willing to use nuclear weapons and kill hundreds of thousands of women and children, they are now mourning five people who were killed … in London. In this very place, the British House of Commons, decisions were taken throughout history, without batting an eyelid, to wage wars all over the world that led to the death of tens of millions. Today, they are standing to mourn five people killed … in London. [This is their] democracy, humanity civilization and so on."

An English-speaking ISIS supporter wrote on Facebook, "Alhamdulilah [praise Allah] … it seems that the message is getting out.”
 Jihadis Applaud London Jihadi Attack After ISIS Claims Responsibility Homeland Security Today
Another English-speaking supporter wrote on Telegram, "Awww, innocent England, [the] butcher of thousands of Muslims, got some taste of its own medicine."

The pro-ISIS Telegram channel, "War news/Ummah news," reposted [an] image … promising attacks in the UK,” MEMRI said.

MEMRI said, “As news of the attack began to spread, French-speaking jihadis exchanged the following comments in a closed Telegram chat room: ‘It seems that something is happening now in London — Death to the infidels, May Allah break their backs. Amen. Mashallah, an attack in London. Lions have hit the enemy in his den. Praise Allah, have you seen [the reports] about London[?] Inshallah [Allah willing], there will be many dead – Inshallah — The infidels are being targeted everywhere, may Allah send them to hell. Amen. Inshallah, you hit us, we hit you back."

Another Telegram user shared a photo of the aftermath of the attack, commenting in English, that, the, "Attack in the heart of London, [a] den of infidels.According to preliminary data for the first time, Kufar [infidels were] attacked near the Parliament, and pay attention to the knife that lies next to the leg of the policeman."

Another wrote in Arabic: "Breaking news!! [Here are] some of the wounded in the attack on the parliament building, among them an officer of the Crusader police."

 

Jihadis Applaud London Jihadi Attack After ISIS Claims Responsibility Homeland Security Today
Homeland Security Today
The Government Technology & Services Coalition's Homeland Security Today (HSToday) is the premier news and information resource for the homeland security community, dedicated to elevating the discussions and insights that can support a safe and secure nation. A non-profit magazine and media platform, HSToday provides readers with the whole story, placing facts and comments in context to inform debate and drive realistic solutions to some of the nation’s most vexing security challenges.
Homeland Security Today
Homeland Security Todayhttp://www.hstoday.us
The Government Technology & Services Coalition's Homeland Security Today (HSToday) is the premier news and information resource for the homeland security community, dedicated to elevating the discussions and insights that can support a safe and secure nation. A non-profit magazine and media platform, HSToday provides readers with the whole story, placing facts and comments in context to inform debate and drive realistic solutions to some of the nation’s most vexing security challenges.

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