LONDON (AP) — A man seen with bloody hands wielding a butcher knife after the killing of a British soldier on the streets of London
was described as a convert to Islam who took part in demonstrations
with a banned radical group, two Muslim hard-liners said Thursday.
Police raided houses in connection with the brazen slaying of the off-duty soldier, identified as Lee Rigby, of the 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers,
who served in Afghanistan. In addition to the two suspects who were
hospitalized after being shot by police, authorities said they had
arrested a man and a woman, both 29, on suspicion of conspiracy to
murder.
Police would not say whether it appeared Rigby had been targeted
specifically because of his military service. Although he was not in
uniform at the time he was killed, he was said by witnesses to be
wearing a T-shirt for a British veterans' charity.
Authorities have not identified either of the two wounded suspects
and have not said when they would do so. Officials in Britain usually
wait to name suspects until charges have been filed.
Anjem Choudary, the former head
of the radical group al-Muhajiroun, told The Associated Press that the
man depicted in startling video that emerged after Rigby's death was
named Michael Adebolajo, a Christian who converted to Islam around 2003 and took part in several demonstrations by the group in London.
The BBC broadcast video from 2007 showing Adebolajo standing near Choudary at a rally.
Omar Bakri Muhammad,
who now lives in Lebanon but had been a radical Muslim preacher in
London, also said he recognized the man seen on TV as Adebolajo and said
he attended his London lectures in the early 2000s.
Bakri, speaking from Lebanon, said he remembers Adebolajo as a "shy
person" who was keen to learn about Islam and asked interesting
questions.
"He used to listen more than he spoke," Bakri said. "I was very surprised to learn that he is the suspect in the attack."
Mary Warder, who has lived in the Woolwich
area for more than 30 years, told the AP said she had seen both of the
suspects preaching on the streets. Shopkeepers, however, said they
couldn't remember seeing them.
The two men suspected of killing the 25-year-old Rigby had been part
of previous investigations by security services, a British official said
Thursday, as investigators searched several locations and tried to
determine whether the men were part of a wider terrorist plot.
There also was no clear indication on when or where the suspects may have been radicalized.
Rigby, the father of a 2-year-old boy, was slain Wednesday afternoon
outside the Royal Artillery Barracks in the Woolwich area of south
London while horrified bystanders watched in the busy city known for its
decorum.
The bizarre scene was recorded on witnesses' cellphones, with one of
the two suspects boasting of their exploits and warning of more violence
as the soldier lay on the ground. Holding bloody knives and a meat
cleaver, they waited for the arrival of police, who shot them in the
legs, according to a passerby who tried to save the dying soldier.
A British government official said one of the two men tried to go to
Somalia to train or fight with the terror group al-Shabab. The official,
who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to
speak about the police investigation, would not say if the suspect had
been arrested or whether he had made any other trips to the country.
Citing unidentified sources described as having "knowledge of British
jihadis," the BBC's "Newsnight" program reported that one of the
suspects in the attack was arrested last year on his way to joining
al-Shabab.
Prime Minister David Cameron
vowed that Britain would not be cowed by the horrific bloodshed, and
that it would reject "the poisonous narrative of extremism on which this
violence feeds." In Washington, President Barack Obama said the U.S. "stands resolute with the United Kingdom" in the fight against violent extremism.
There were few signs of alarm on the streets of London, which has
been hit by terrorist attacks during a long confrontation with the Irish
Republican Army and more recently, in July 2005, by al-Qaida-inspired
suicide bombings that killed 52 commuters.
"It's hateful, it's horrific and upsetting. But it doesn't seem to
have made much of a difference," Christian White, 43, said at King's
Cross station, close to the site of one of the 2005 bombings. "Londoners
are used to living in a city where life is complicated."
Even so, security was increased at military barracks and
installations in the capital, with extra armed guards added in many
cases. Police said extra patrols were added at sensitive areas,
including places of worship, transport hubs and congested areas.
Both of the hospitalized suspects had been part of previous terrorism
investigations by Britain's security services, according to a British
official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not
authorized to speak about the police inquiry and cautioned that details
could jeopardize future trials.
It was unclear how recent the investigations were, whether the men
were loosely tied to other suspects being investigated, or whether they
themselves had been put under surveillance, which could have included
being watched by undercover investigators or having their phone calls
and emails intercepted.
Dramatic video showed a black man — animated, hands stained with
blood and holding a meat cleaver — criticizing the British government
and the presence of U.K. troops in foreign lands.
Maajid Nawaz, a former Islamist now with the London-based Quilliam
anti-extremism think tank in London, said the video and emerging details
indicated the men had been inspired by al-Qaida even though they may
not have been directed by any specific affiliate to attack the soldier.
"There is always mood music playing before these attacks happen,"
Nawaz told the AP. "In this instance, I'm not saying they are
operationally linked to al-Qaida, but these men clearly felt an affinity
to this global jihadist zeitgeist. And they wouldn't have had to have
visited any foreign countries for this ideology to have resonated with
them."
Security officials have been worried over the recent increase of men
seeking training and fighting opportunities in countries such as Syria,
Somalia and Yemen.
Dozens of British men and women are said to have been radicalized by
U.S.-born militant cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, the militant leader who was
killed in a 2011 U.S. drone strike in Yemen.
A Twitter account used by members of Somalia's al-Shabab militant
group made a lengthy post Thursday about the attack in Woolwich.
The Twitter account referenced the video in which the bloodied
suspect called the attack "an eye for an eye." The tweet said the
British army had a "woeful record of abuses" against Muslims worldwide.
"We swear by almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you," the man
in the video declared, complaining about British troops fighting
Muslims. "We must fight them as they fight us."
The camera then panned away to show a body lying on the ground. This
video, with its venomous threats, may provide the lasting image of the
tragedy.
Police in the eastern England county of Lincolnshire said a property
was searched in connection to the Woolwich attack. Police said a search
warrant had been obtained but would not provide details. Police were
also scouring the attack site for further clues.
There also was a police raid on a public housing complex in east
Greenwich just outside of London thought to be related to the
investigation.
One man was arrested Wednesday outside a mosque in Essex after he
threw a smoke bomb, police said. He was also found to be carrying knives
and is expected in court Friday. No one was injured.
Separately, police in Kent said they charged a 45-year-old man with
religiously aggravated criminal damage and burglary. The man, Andrew
John Grindlay, was arrested Wednesday night.
There were no incidents reported at London mosques. Police called for
calm and said there were 1,200 officers deployed on the streets.
Britain's security threat remained the same since the killing, but
security officials said they were reviewing preparations for the June
17-18 Group of Eight summit in Northern Ireland. Obama and other world
leaders are expected to attend.
Police defended the speed of the department's response to the
Woolwich attack. Assistant Commissioner Simon Byrne said police were on
the scene nine minutes after receiving the first emergency call. Once it
became clear that guns were involved, firearms officers were called and
arrived 14 minutes after the first call to police, he said.
The Ministry of Defense said Rigby, who joined the army in 2006, was a
machine gunner posted in Cyprus, Afghanistan and Germany before
becoming a recruiter who assisted with duties in the Tower of London.
Nicknamed "Riggers," he was an important member of the Corps of Drums
who was known for his good nature and wit, and his love of his hometown
soccer team, Manchester United, according to fellow soldiers.
"He was one of the battalion's great characters, always smiling and
always ready to brighten the mood with his fellow Fusiliers. He was
easily identified ... on parade by the huge smile on his face and how
proud he was to be a member of the Drums," Warrant Officer Class 1 Ned
Miller said in a statement issued by the ministry.
Rigby's family said he would "do anything for anybody," always looked
out for his sisters and took a "big brother" role with everyone he met.
"He was a loving son, husband, father, brother, and uncle, and a
friend to many," the family said in a statement issued by the ministry....sourceby karinagk.blogspot
You won't find them on the cover of US Weekly but engaged couple and
extreme bodybuilders Don Akim and Rosanna Beckett are the It couple of
the muscle world. 
A coaching legend Phil Jackson is something of an
authority on what it takes to win championships, but he typically hasn't
weighed in on the more contentious basketball topics about which
players are best or give their teams the best chance to win. In
promoting his new book "