The soldier killed in Wednesday’s attack has been identified by the British Ministry of Defense as Drummer Lee Rigby, 25, of the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. A native of Crumpsall, Manchester, Rigby served as a drummer during the regiment’s ceremonial duties and deployed to Helmand province in Afghanistan in April 2009. Described as a charismatic, humorous man, Rigby — or “Riggers” as he was known to his friends — had taken up a recruiting job at his London base.
“Riggers is what every battalion needs. He was one of the Battalion’s great characters always smiling and always ready to brighten the mood with his fellow Fusiliers,” said Ned Miller, a warrant officer first class and regimental sergeant major of the second fusiliers. “He was an excellent drummer and well respected within the Drums platoon. He was easily identified whilst on parade by the huge smile on his face and how proud he was to be a member of the Drums. He would always stop for a chat just to tell me Manchester United would win the league again.”
Rigby is survived by his two-year-old son, Jack.
Statement from his family:
“Lee was lovely. He would do anything for anybody, he always looked after his sisters and always protected them. He took a ‘big brother’ role with everyone.
“All he wanted to do from when he was a little boy, was be in the Army. He wanted to live life and enjoy himself. His family meant everything to him. He was a loving son, husband, father, brother, and uncle, and a friend to many.
“We ask that our privacy be respected at this difficult time.”
Latest development:
LONDON – British police arrested two more people on Thursday in a hunt for accomplices of two British men of Nigerian descent accused of hacking a soldier to death on a London street in revenge for wars in Muslim countries.
The two suspected killers, now under guard in hospitals, had been known to security services before Wednesday’s daylight attack, security sources said. Another man and a woman, both aged 29, were detained on suspicion of conspiracy to murder.
One of the assailants, filmed calmly justifying the killing as he stood by the body holding a knife and meat cleaver in bloodied hands, was named by acquaintances as 28-year-old Londoner Michael Adebolajo – a British-born convert to Islam.
We swear by almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you until you leave us alone. Your people will never be safe. The only reasons we have done this is because Muslims are dying by British soldiers every day. This British soldier is an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. -Michael Adebolajo
Like American infidel soldiers, I thought British soldiers were protecting Muslims by fighting the Taliban. How could I get it so wrong?!
British troops terrorizing Afghan nationals by giving them Eid gifts:
ANSF and ISAF soldiers helped local people celebrate Eid by distributing gifts throughout the Nahr-e-Saraj (South) district. Rice and vegetable oil has been handed out to adults and winter clothing, wellington boots, toys and stationary given to children over the period.
The gifts were gratefully received by local nationals who have continued to demonstrate their faith in the Afghan National Security Forces and the international troops supporting them, by participating in shuras and other community activities over this festive period. The British presence in the area is represented by 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment (2 PARA).
PAIND KALAY is one of the protected communities in the district, with a population of over 3,000 local nationals. One checkpoint witnessed over 45 children running to receive gifts with a smile and meet the Afghan and British soldiers at a checkpoint. Troops believe this is a demonstration of the increased security in the area and the positive impact that the patrol bases and checkpoints are having to protect communities.
Sergeant Terry McCourt said:
‘‘Six months ago this would not have been happening. This is a sign of good relations with the children and they feel safe here. It’s all a mark of good progress.
The gift distribution has also further empowered local leaders who continue to demonstrate successful local governance across the district, preventing the return of insurgents.
Officer Commanding Information Operations, Major Justin Tancrel, said:
“2 PARA Battle Group delivered Eid gifts to all Village Councils in Nahr-e-Saraj to enable elders to hand out those gifts to the poorest sections of the community.
Maybe Adebolajo misinterpreted Eid gifts as acronym for “Explosive Improvised Device”?!
Tractors handed out to Afghan farmers in Nad-e-Ali:
Soldiers from the 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, working with the International Relief and Development Agency and the Afghan Government, have handed out 20 new tractors to farming co-operatives in the Nad-e-Ali region of Helmand Province.
Wow…handing out 20 new tractors to farmers. That’s one way to brutalize them Muslims.
And how about Taliban treatment of Muslims?
Suicide Bomb Kills Anti-Taliban Elder
Taliban kill head of Afghan girls’ school (Was he Muslim?)
Slaying of Teachers in Afghanistan Follows New Rules From Taliban (Muslims, right?)
Taliban publicly execute woman (She’s Muslim, right?)
British soldiers’ mistreatment of Afghan children:
Soldier’s nerves of steel save Afghan child’s life:
21 Dec 10 A British soldier who recently encountered a Taliban gunman using a child as a shield took a split-second decision to get shot himself rather than risking the child’s life.Lance Corporal Craig Murfitt, a rifleman and medic serving in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, demonstrated nerves of steel and the coolest of clear heads in a startling sequence of events, after being called to assist fellow soldiers during a recent patrol.
A soldier from 23 Pioneer Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps, interrogates Afghan children near Lashkar Gah, Helmand
British Soldier Talking to Afghan Children During a Patrol
A soldier with the Queens Royal Hussars (QRH) Battle Group talks with Afghan children during a routine patrol in Helmand Province.
British soldiers from the QRH Battle Group, consisting of troops from Support Company(Coy) 1 Yorks alongside C Coy QRH took part in Operation Zmaray Ibda(Lions’ discovery).
Having deployed by Chinook helicopter into a rural outreach of Lashkar Gah, the mission was to apprehend an insurgent commander. The Operation was partnered with the ANP (Afghan National Police) throughout.
UK troops renovate and rebuild Afghan schools:
Meanwhile: Girls’ school burned down in Afghanistan, Qurans destroyed
Who wants to bet that these were Muslims, however religious or irreligious?
Afghanistan mosque suicide bomb attack kills at least 41
Who wants to bet this was a British Crusadist suicide bomber? Oh, wait…that couldn’t be right…they’re too busy engaged in nation-building on behalf of Muslims:
Royal Engineers of 37 Squadron Clear the Way for Bridge Construction in Afghanistan
Royal Engineers from 37 (Three Seven) Squadron strip a Medium Girder Bridge (MGB) near Check Point Oqob in the northern part of Nahr-e Seraj District of Helmand Province.
The MGB is being stripped to make way for a Logistical Support Bridge (LSB) which will be installed in the near future. A Temporary General Support Bridge (GSB) has been put in place to prevent any disruption to civilian and ISAF traffic.
Task Force Helmand Engineer Group is made up of 35 Engineer Regiment complete and 11 Field Squadron. Throughout HERRICK 15 the TFH Engineer Group have completed a wide range of tasks such as improvement of all level of bases including electrical work, bridging assets, road builds/improvements, a TALISMAN route clearing and proving capability assisting with freedom of movement throughout Helmand, and demolitions.
It is never a good thing for the health and well-being of Muslim children when they are having fun in a game of soccer against the infidel Brits…what if they get beat? It might hurt their Islamic self-esteem:
British Soldiers Deliver Winter Clothes to Afghan Children:
In a show of camaraderie and advancement, British soldiers and their partners in the Afghan National Army (ANA) have delivered winter coats, wellington boots and hats to Afghan children in a settlement recently controlled by the Taliban.
The move is significant as just a matter of weeks ago the locals would not have even spoken to the soldiers, let alone accepted gifts from them.
Ranger Neil McClory, who was involved with the patrol, said: ‘Working with the Afghan National Army has given us a real opportunity to interact better with the people. They can see that this is a case of us and the Afghans working together to make their area a better place for all. The kids loved it and it really did feel like genuine progress.’
The soldiers are from 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment delivered the items in preparation for winter to the local Hazara people, who live in Sayedabad.
More harsh interrogation of Muslim children:
Afghan children forced into slave labor by British engineers (Don’t be fooled by the Orwellianspeak headline):
Afghan children help British engineers repair bridgeMeanwhile, a crowd of grateful locals gathered, showing great interest in the engineers’ work. A number of children amongst them needed no encouragement to get involved in the hammering of pickets into the ground, whilst others assisted with the filling of sandbags and removal of wooden tree trunks from the old bridge.
Brits are trying to keep Afghanistan in the stone ages:
It’s the Taliban that wants progress and upward mobility for Afghan society, you see.
Run, Afghan children, run for your lives! This one’s a Gurkha!
Watch out Afghan Muslim children…some of these silly men might be Brits:
Meanwhile, is it Afghan Muslims or British soldiers raping Afghan tea boys?
And in that rare instance that a British soldier does happen to commit wrong, does he pay for his crime or not?
Yes, Adebolajo, Muslims are dying every day at the hands of British soldiers.
Not the Taliban. Not the al-Qaeda network and affiliates.
Back to Reuters:
A source close to the investigation told Reuters that both attackers were known to Britain’s MI5 internal security service.
Adebolajo had handed out radical Islamist pamphlets but neither was considered a serious threat, a government source said.
Another source close to the inquiry said the local backgrounds of the suspects in a multicultural metropolis – nearly 40 percent of Londoners were born abroad – and the simplicity of the attack made prevention difficult:
“Apart from being horribly barbaric, this was relatively straightforward to carry out,” the source said. “This was quite low-tech and that is frankly pretty challenging.”
Anjem Choudary, one of Britain’s most recognised Islamist clerics, told Reuters Adebolajo, was known to fellow Muslims as Mujahid – a name meaning “fighter”: “He used to attend a few demonstrations and activities that we used to have in the past.”
He added that he had not seen him for about two years: “He was peaceful, unassuming and I don’t think there’s any reason to think he would do anything violent,” Choudary said.
A man called Paul Leech said on Twitter he was at school in the suburb of Romford with the man seen claiming the attack: “Michael Adebolajo u make me sick,” he wrote. “How could someone who was a laugh and nice bloke at school turn out like that.”
~~~ Some onlookers rushed to help the soldier and one woman engaged the attackers in conversation to calm them down.
“He had what looked like butcher’s tools – a little axe, to cut the bones, and two large knives. He said: ‘Move off the body,'” said French-born former teacher Ingrid Loyau-Kennett.
“He said: ‘I killed him because he killed Muslims and I am fed up with people killing Muslims in Afghanistan.'”
A trained first aider and Cub Scout leader, Loyau-Kennett was on a bus which was held up by the incident and she got off to try to help the victim. She found he was already dead.
Her attitude and that of other passers-by who remonstrated with the attackers was held up by Cameron as an example of resistance to attempts to terrorise the population:
“When told by the attacker that he wanted to start a war in London,” Cameron said, “She replied, ‘You’re going to lose. It’s only you versus many.’ She spoke for us all.”
A former fetus, the “wordsmith from nantucket” was born in Phoenix, Arizona in 1968. Adopted at birth, wordsmith grew up a military brat. He achieved his B.A. in English from the University of California, Los Angeles (graduating in the top 97% of his class), where he also competed rings for the UCLA mens gymnastics team. The events of 9/11 woke him from his political slumber and malaise. Currently a personal trainer and gymnastics coach.
The wordsmith has never been to Nantucket.
UP THE RA!
I find what Adebolajo said next to very interesting. He apologized that women had to see his handiwork
“our land”?
If England isn’t “his land” why doesn’t he go back to “his land”? Why don’t they all go?
The REAL story is this:
Oh dear.
The authorities knew these guys were bad news, but didn’t do anything for whatever reason.
They were being monitored.
But they managed to go out and murder an innocent man anyway.
And, had they been on this ilk, they could have gone on murdering for another 20 minutes!
That’s how long it took armed police to arrive on scene.
Obama just gave a surrender speech about our part in fighting Islamic terrorism.
It was filled with Straw Men.
And he seems intent on allowing Gitmo detainees to be relocated to Yemen.
In Yemen the prisons are emptied almost every year during some holiday season.
Many of the terrorists who went to Yemen and were behind bars were either freed outright or their prison had an amazing escape where dozens somehow got free.
So, that’s the plan.
What percent of ex-Gitmo detainees return to battle the ”Infidel,” once freed?
It’s the fault of the British:
http://weaselzippers.us/2013/05/23/radical-cleric-anjem-choudary-blames-london-terror-attack-on-murdering-british-troops/
@plainjane31: Anjem Choudary.
Years ago this same imam was caught on video in BBC undercover recordings of his Friday sermons pushing awful behavior on the part of Muslims living in the UK.
In one recording he clearly pushed the beating of little girls after age 7 IF they refused to ”cover.”
In another recording he made it clear that wives were to make babies for jihad, live off the dole and bleed the system as quickly as their uteruses made possible.
The Brits tried unsuccessfully to have him deported.
I guess he’s still his ”charismatic” self.
Apparently the killer was a fairly normal person, prior to his radicalization. Michael Adebolajo, Christian turned Muslim radical, fingered as soldier-butchering jihadi
And here’s the sort that the trouble is coming from: Anjem Choudary refuses to ‘abhor’ Woolwich attack
God Bless the United Kingdom . . . and all of us (and I mean “all”).
Another of this convert’s teachers is Omar Bakri, , founder of banned British Islamist group Al Muhajiroun.
He has been deported from the UK.
He recalled Michael Adebowale fondly.
His comments:
He had this to say about Muslims who assimilate in Western countries, like the UK:
More here:
http://news.yahoo.com/exiled-cleric-taught-uk-knifeman-praises-courage-112658347.html
@Nan G:
March 2013 Guantanamo Recidivism Report from DNI
New America Says Guantanamo Recidivism Rate Isn’t as High as Intelligence Community Claims
@Wordsmith:
Thanks for all that research, Wordsmith.
I was just reading a Mickey Kaus piece where he posits that work is the anti-terrorist medicine in society.
He points out what Bono learned the hard way in Africa: that allowing people to stay settled, stay unemployed, and seethe leads to violence.
Bono quit sending cash to Africa after he saw that the men just stayed home and made babies until it was time to fight somebody.
In the West we are seeing (for one example) a generous welfare system, built by Swedes with STRONG work ethics co-opted by immigrants who refuse to leave their enclaves and take jobs.
Mickey writes:
Without government subsidies, they would have to overcome the prejudice against them and integrate into the mainstream working culture.
The UK murderer who stood and ranted with bloody hands was mentored in his Mosque by a leader there who both bragged about his many monetary benefits from the British taxpayers, but he encouraged all the men in his Mosque to marry and have lots of children but not take jobs.
The Brits would take care of them all.
It was their ”due” according to their religion that infidels pay them to be peaceful….or else.
No official word on if the murderers were on the dole or not.
Dennis Prager’s article compliments the nature of my post:
Hat tip: Nan G
Takfirs are eager to call out Muslim apostates; and intolerant, puritanical Salafis, the Taliban, jihadis have excused themselves in their violence toward fellow Muslims by citing source-material outside of the Koran (like the writings of Ibn Taymiyyah); yet Muslims who say they reject terrorism and who claim al-Qaeda and its affiliates are a perversion and have nothing to do with Islam- some refuse to kill them back, saying the Koran forbids them to kill other Muslims. Wtf? If they have nothing to do with Islam, treat the Islamic terrorists as the true apostates and kill them all with a clear conscience for Allah to sort out.
Fantastic blog! I’m impressed, I must say. Really rarely do I encounter a blog that’s both informative and entertaining, and let me tell you, you have hit the nail on the head.
Nan G
if he want to release the TERRORIST AT GISMO
LET him have the COURTEZY to END THE AFGHANISTAN WAR first and all the MILITARY BACK HOME before he release them
and only after that HE CAN SEND THEM TO HELL WHERE THEY BELONG
AND KILL THE DEAD TERRORIST ALREADY THERE,
A large majority of MUSLIMS don’t support TERRORISTS
but don’t have the guts to find them and kill them like they should do.
no they leave it to the braves to do their jobs,
and they claim OUTRAGE IF THE FBI is checking their MOSQUE AND ASK QUESTIONS,
that is the highest we can find OF COWARD ACTIONS
Ramadan gifts UK
welcome to FLOPPING ACES
hope to have you here more now,
we are connected with the same enemy