Channel 4 - Police Treating Stephen Timms Attack As 'Terrorist Investigation'
Considering the police's proven ability in Newham to dramatically misjudge intelligance and spread unfounded rumour, this sounds incredibly suspicious to me. However, Channel 4 News reported this evening that the knife attack on 14 May on my local MP Stephen Timms is being treated by police as a "terrorist investigation". Timms' assailant Roshonara Choudhary has been charged with attempted murder.
The report also claims that four MPs, including Jim Fitzpatrick, MP for Poplar and Limehouse, have been offered "advice and assistance" by the police about the risk of attack by Islamist extremists.
Time to start asking around, I think, although I suppose it makes a change from crazed accusations claiming Timms is himself a terrorist sympathiser.
Channel 4 News understands Scotland Yard is reviewing security for all 650 members of parliament in the wake of fears over Islamist extremists.
Senior police sources have expressed concern that politicians may be at risk from so-called "self-radicalisers" - lone extremists who are not part of an organised plot but who are inspired by al-Qaida. Scotland Yard tonight declined to comment.
The disclosure comes two weeks after the former minister Stephen Timms was stabbed while speaking to constituents. The attack in east London by a young Asian woman is now being treated as a terrorist investigation. His assailant is believed to have been radicalised by Islamist extremists.
Posts
I am baffled that this woman could be an extremist.
Firstly, if there was significant grievance from the Muslim community about Iraq then it should have manifested in the ballot box and Stephen Timms would not have been re-elected with such a wide margin.
Perhaps this woman was angry that fellow Muslims voted for Stephen Timms despite him voting in favour of the Iraq war?
In any case I am glad that Mr Timms walked out of hospital etc...
I have to agree. From what I have heard, Timms' attacker is a woman with serious mental health problems, rather than a "self-radicaliser".
I too am glad Timms is out of hospital. Despite disagreeing with him on almost everything (and marching for his resignation after he voted for war in Iraq), he has always struck me as a really decent man who cares about his constituents. He was also in the next ward to me when I was in the Royal London on 14 May - so I imagine he was as glad to leave as I was!
Post a Comment