Woolwich attack: the aftermath

Westminster and Whitehall are tonight trying to assess the implications of the brutal murder of a soldier in Woolwich. It is clear from the vile rant made by one of the men that this was an act of terror inspired by the ideology of radical Islamism. But what is not yet clear if this was an example of self-radicalistion or whether the attackers had any links to established terrorist organisations.

The security services have long worried about self-radicalistion. By its nature, it is far more difficult to detect and stop. If this was an example of self-radicalisation, then we are into a new phase of the struggle against terrorism. The BBC’s Richard Watson has, however, reported chatter that one of the attackers was known to the police.

Another concern tonight is maintaining calm on the streets. As the Telegraph reports in a gripping interview with a woman who confronted the attackers at the scene, one of them declared ‘We want to start a war in London tonight.’