Woolwich attack: We must tackle hate preaching over the internet, security experts say
Security experts have called for a major crackdown on extremist websites in the wake of the Woolwich terrorist attack.
By Peter Dominiczak 23 May 2013 • 09:04 am
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Baroness Neville-Jones, a former security minister and chairman of the British Joint Intelligence Committee, and Colonel Richard Kemp, a former Army commander and terrorism expert, said the security services need to focus on the "inspiration" that comes from internet hate preaching.
The police and security services are still attempting to establish a motive for the brutal killing of a soldier in south east London by two Islamic extremists yesterday afternoon.
In the first terrorist murder on the British mainland since the 7/7 suicide bombings of 2005, the men attempted to behead the soldier, hacking at him like a "piece of meat" in front of dozens of witnesses, before both were shot by police who took around 20 minutes to arrive.
Lady Neville-Jones told the BBC Radio Four Today programme that internet hate preaching could have inspired the two terrorists.
"What we shouldn't forget is that even if there is nobody else behind it one of the things which runs through the scene at the moment is the inspiration that comes from internet hate preaching and jihadist rhetoric and this is a very, very serious problem now," she said.
The Muslim Council of Britain condemned the killing as a "truly barbaric" act with "no basis in Islam".
Lady Neville-Jones added: "I do think it's very welcome that Muslim leadership in the UK have roundly condemned this. That's very reassuring and very helpful. But I do think there's a further task that Muslim leadership in this country does need to help with…we need to redouble our efforts in tackling the spread of this kind of rhetoric."
Col Kemp, who commanded all British troops in Afghanistan, said it would be "wrong to now suggest we live in a state of fear of this type of attack".
However, he warned that it is possible further attacks "will be inspired" by the atrocity in Woolwich.
He said that "one of the biggest priorities" for the security services should now be looking at the role the internet plays in "motivating people" to commit terrorist attacks.
"I think it is possible that it will be further attacks will be inspired by this attack," he said. "One of the biggest priorities for the services is to look at the role of the internet in motivating people and look very carefully at which radical sites should be suppressed on the internet as well as of course more direct preaching in some of the mosques in this country which has caused some people to turn to radicalism and terrorism before."