Man wearing fake bomb stabs 2 in London; shot dead by police

Great job by the police.... Problem solved and no time and money wasted on trials and prison.

Islamic terror?

A recurring theme...

Wow - I know the area quite well and have been up and down that road hundreds of times.

This is the second terror attack in the UK by someone recently released from prison. It will definitely lead to further thoughts about whether it is really ever safe to release terrorists.

So London Mayor Sadiq Khan says terrorists will never succeed in dividing Londoners and destroying their way of life. Same comments he always makes. And what exactly is your plan Mayor?

If someone has been arrested for terrorism related offences and they have dual citizenship, they should have their British citizenship stripped from them and then automatic deportation.

If they only have British citizenship. Prison with no release.

If they have killed people through terrorism. Hanging.

 And what exactly is your plan Mayor?

Here it is:

https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/mayors-office-policing-and-crime-mopac/police-and-crime-plan-safer-city-all-londoners

10 years of Tory "austerity" saw police numbers fall by 20,000 from 2010 to 2017. Maybe a better question would be "What is the Tory government planning to do?"

The problem isn’t lack of police!

It is radicalisation.

Agreed. Lack of police did not cause this.

If they only have British citizenship. Prison with no release.

If they have killed people through terrorism. Hanging.

Would that include Thomas Mair, the right-wing fanatic who murdered MP Jo Cox, and the right-wing fanatic Darren Osborne who murdered a Muslim grandfather outside a Finsbury Park mosque? Or does your fantastic plan only apply to Muslims?

Alfie NoakesToday 08:09 am JSTIf they only have British citizenship. Prison with no release.

If they have killed people through terrorism. Hanging.

Would that include Thomas Mair, the right-wing fanatic who murdered MP Jo Cox, and the right-wing fanatic Darren Osborne who murdered a Muslim grandfather outside a Finsbury Park mosque? Or does your fantastic plan only apply to Muslims?

Some of the terrorism in the UK (and all of Europe) is not Islamic extremism related. There's the IRA and Gaddafi was a menace for decades. Some Libyans who are pissed about the overthrow and death of their 'Brother Leader' may be doing some of it too, and Gaddafi's terrorism had nothing to do with religious fanaticism.

That part of London has always been very undesirable. Thank goodness the police were allowed to shoot this person dead, without all the usual hand-wringing and crying.

Brexit has got nothing to do with this. Advocating sensible policies is seen as far-right by you for some reason.

Present conditions in many societies around the world are producing many individuals with mental health issues, walking time-bombs that can detonate for myriad reasons, often triggered by low self-esteem leading to resentment, a thirst for revenge with or without religion or politics as the icing on the (fruit) cake.

That part of London has always been very undesirable. Thank goodness the police were allowed to shoot this person dead, without all the usual hand-wringing and crying.

Depends. Like any other part of London, there's good and bad. If you're heading towards Mitcham Lane, it used to be well dodgy on a Saturday night. If you're around Streatham Hill, that's pretty much a regular area and the only let down really is lack of a tube station.

It's a shame that the police had to shoot this man.

There's the IRA and Gaddafi was a menace for decades. 

Yes, Libya supplied the IRA with guns in the 70s and 80s (or tried to in the case of Blaney and Haughey) but that's all over now. As is the IRA, when they decommissioned their arms and disbanded. Incidentally, America was also financing the IRA. (Obviously, when I say Libya and America in this context I mean organizations within the countries and not their governments).

The problem isn’t lack of police!

It is radicalisation

Do you think cutting the number of police when the UK has a problem with radicalisation is a good idea?

The police station is Streatham was shut down and sold off by Boris Johnson, whilst he was Mayor. There were quite a few lost in south London, as far as I'm aware.

Some of the terrorism in the UK (and all of Europe) is not Islamic extremism related

That’s true, but we have to be honest and say a disproportionate amount of it is.

Jimizo, the terrorist was actually being tailed by police at the time. It is suspected that he knew he was being followed and tried to carry out an attack. Thankfully, because the police were there, the casualities were minimal.

I agree with you that it has been a terrible policy to reduce police numbers and that more is part of the answer.

However, according to the police, there are 23,000 jihadi extremists on their watchlist, with 3,000 of them requiring 24-hour surveillance.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/huge-scale-of-terror-threat-revealed-uk-home-to-23-000-jihadists-3zvn58mhq

It takes on average 8-10 officers to monitor one suspect.

Even with 100,000 more police, this problem isn't going to be stopped. Even with this story, the police knew about the suspect, were on the scene at the time and stopped him as quickly as humanly possible, but two people still became victims.

It's a shame that the police had to shoot this man.

Toasted, what on earth!?

The man had been arrested for 13 terror offences, boasted about wanting to carry out a knife or acid terror attack, tried to kill people, wounded two and was wearing a hoax suicide bomb vest.

Toasted, what on earth!?

It's a shame they had to shoot and kill the man.

The man had been arrested for 13 terror offences, boasted about wanting to carry out a knife or acid terror attack, tried to kill people, wounded two and was wearing a hoax suicide bomb vest.

I'd rather have seen him in a secure mental health facility. Odd how some people want hangings and other medieval solutions.

Radicalization is a problem. But then, so is the constant, daily bigotry that Muslims face from the British press and online. Perhaps such bigotry makes weaker people snap and give in to the propaganda of terrorism. Perhaps they see the UK in cahoots with the US, when it comes to attacks on Middle Eastern countries.

There's always more to it, than meets the eye.

None of which justifies this incident, obviously.

However, according to the police, there are 23,000 jihadi extremists on their watchlist, with 3,000 of them requiring 24-hour surveillance.

I know. It’s an enormous problem. I’m not saying it’s possible to monitor everyone, but cutting the number of police in the face of this is at best rank stupidity.

Presumably, those wanting to re-introduce the barbaric death penalty, will be fine applying it to the white supremacists who have killed other British people and the British soldiers who murdered 13 Irish people 48 years ago in the Bogside?

Didn't think so.

JimizoToday 10:18 am JSTSome of the terrorism in the UK (and all of Europe) is not Islamic extremism related

That’s true, but we have to be honest and say a disproportionate amount of it is.

ISIL has committed terrorism in the UK because that's within its reach. But the UK was also within Gadhafi's reach during the 70s - 2011 and they did some numbers there themselves. After Gadhafi was deposed and killed there were some 'lone wolf' Libyans who terrorized within Gadhafi's 'range', even without their 'boss'. It's just because.

Gadhafi did not tolerate any opposition in Libya, and that included Muslim fanatics. Since he was overthrown and killed it's been a free-for-all for Islamic fanatics there too and the new (but weak) democratic government of Libya is trying to halt the problems they create, with great difficulty.

Presumably, those wanting to re-introduce the barbaric death penalty, will be fine applying it to the white supremacists who have killed other British people and the British soldiers who murdered 13 Irish people 48 years ago in the Bogside?

Death penalty would apply to all who warrant it.

Tangerine2000Today 10:29 am JSTIt's a shame that the police had to shoot this man.

Toasted, what on earth!?

The man had been arrested for 13 terror offences, boasted about wanting to carry out a knife or acid terror attack, tried to kill people, wounded two and was wearing a hoax suicide bomb vest.

The cops knew about this person and his track record. If shooting this man is what it takes to protect the public so be it. But killing should only be as a last resort. The US needs to relearn this. You do what you gotta do, to protect the public. But if you can subdue the suspect in any other way, the better.

Besides, if it appears that if the suspect does have a bomb, do ya want to take a chance? Public safety is supposed to be #1.

Just on a practical level, I don’t think the death penalty would deter Jihadis.

Paradise awaits.

@Jimizo

Yes, I would agree with that.

However, the death penatly would serve three practical purposes.

First, money wouldn't be spend on them as it would for decades in prison. The money saved could instead be used to hire multiple extra police officers. Thus, the country becomes a little bit safer.

Second, even if it deters 1% of other potential terrorists, it's a postive. That will save innocent lives.

Third, the public will feel that justice has been done.

Would that include Thomas Mair, the right-wing fanatic who murdered MP Jo Cox, and the right-wing fanatic Darren Osborne who murdered a Muslim grandfather outside a Finsbury Park mosque? Or does your fantastic plan only apply to Muslims?

This should apply to any fanatic, jihadi, right-wing, warmonger etc..

It's a shame that the police had to shoot this man

I disagree.

starpunk:

Gadhafi did not tolerate any opposition in Libya, and that included Muslim fanatics. Since he was overthrown and killed it's been a free-for-all for Islamic fanatics

He was not just "overthrown" out of nowhere. It was the US government under Obama/Clinton and the EU which acted as airforce for the Jihadist rebels. Let us not forget that. That was state-sponsored terrorism. Many of us objected to this murderous policy.

That part of London has always been very undesirable. 

Quite untue. It was originally a very desirable upper-middle class suburb. It has a lot of vast houses that remain very desirable. It is probably best described as a mixed area.

Death row inmates cost more to maintain than a prisoner serving a life imprisonment. The economics of the death sentence have been researched and peer reports published.

Inmates? Maintain?

They would be executed within hours of the crime. Very little cost.

They would be executed within hours of the crime. Very little cost.

A very high cost to society if the convicted’s due process is violated or it was a mistaken conviction.

Has anyone actually stated to the contrary?

You have. Westerners are not the only ones targeted by these terrorists.

This is entirely a straw man argument postulated by muddled thinking.

To a muddled mind, maybe, but it is exposing a narrow minded thinking for what it is!!

A very high cost to society if the convicted’s due process is violated or it was a mistaken conviction

There is no need for due process if a terrorist has killed people and there's immutable evidence like today's events.

A high cost to society is when a terrorist is afforded a court case with a barrister and a bed, food, water, heating etc.

A civilized society doesn't get rid of people without due process, and those who propose so are uncivilized !!

Terrorists aren't civilised.