Government’s defiance over Woolwich murder

Troops in London were advised in the immediate aftermath of yesterday’s attack in Woolwich not to wear their uniforms outside their bases.

But at Cobra this morning, it was agreed that issuing orders against wearing military uniforms in public would not be the right response to the outrage.

A No 10 source said that last night’s advice was an “understandable reaction” while the circumstances of the attack were still unclear, but added that Mr Cameron and others at the meeting agreed that “the best way to defeat terrorists was to continue with normal life”.

However a Channel 4 News journalist overheard two soldiers in Woolwich on Thursday afternoon saying that they had been “told to walk in pairs.”

Author Kitty Dimbleby, who describes herself as an “army wife”, took to Twitter to say that her husband had been told not to wear uniform while in London and when outside the capital only to wear uniform if in pairs. She goes on to say “Assuming me in my H4H [Help For Heroes] makes us a pair.”

soldier husband has been instructed that in London they are not to wear uniform or anything that identifies them as military 1/2

— Kitty Dimbleby (@KittyDimbleby) May 23, 2013

outside the capital can only wear uniform, off base, if in pairs. Assuming me in my H4H top makes us a pair.2/2

— Kitty Dimbleby (@KittyDimbleby) May 23, 2013

Extra officers

The Met police have confirmed that an extra 1,200 officers have been placed on the streets of London offering community reassurance including at places of worship.

It follows an attack on an Essex mosque on Wednesday night in what was called “revenge” for the Woolwich murder.

Following the earlier advice, both serving and former troops had changed their profile pictures online to ones of themselves in uniform, according to Colonel Richard Kemp, a serving infantryman.

Charity Help for Heroes, whose t-shirt the victim was wearing, has received a large spike in donations and interest following the murder.

Journalist Piers Morgan also tweeted that people should donate to the charity.

All across the internet British soldiers & ex soldiers have been changing their profiles to pictures of themselves in uniform.

— RICHARD KEMP (@COLRICHARDKEMP) May 23, 2013

Donate now: @helpforheroes #woolwich

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 22, 2013

The murder of the British soldier occurred some 200 yards from the Royal Artillery Barracks, adjacent to Woolwich Common, the historical home of the Royal Artillery.

The barracks, also known as the Woolwich station, now houses a number of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery and independent companies of the Grenadier and Coldstream Guards.

Concerns raised by Prime Minister David Cameron that the attack was a terrorist incident have seen security increased at the British Consulate in New York, the scene of the main 9/11 attacks in 2001.

“Based not on information that such facilities have been targeted in New York City but in an abundance of caution, the NYPD has increased coverage of the British consulate, military recruiting stations, and other locations in the city,” New York police deputy commissioner Paul Browne said in a statement.

Lone wolf threat

Jonathan Evans, the former director general of MI5, warned last year of the threat from “lone actors“, while the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) thinktank published a report outlining the difficulties faced by the security agencies.

It stated: “Though the death of Bin Laden began a succession of counter-terrorist victories in 2011, the threat from jihadist terrorism has not diminished. If anything, the risk has evolved from plots carried out by organised cells within a leadership structure, to one carried out by lone wolves, radicalised by material on the internet.

“The latter is harder to track down and is potent given the uncertain international situation; where the outcome of the Arab Spring has not been settled, and where there are frequent returns of British citizens from war zones such as Somalia and Yemen.”

Speaking to Channel 4 News, Professor Michael Clarke, RUSI director general said there was little the UK could do to protect troops from similiar attacks. He said: “They can make troops more aware, as they do in other operational theatres – for example, don’t go out on you own and be more self-aware.

“However, you don’t want to troops to think that their homebase is another operational theatre.

He added that the government’s initial decision to forbid troops wearing uniforms in public was a mistake.

“It was an immediate overreaction – the military hate the idea that they are someohow hiding from potential assassins.

“There is no indication that the attack was in any way sophisticated – there appeared to be no clear planning, no clear statement from the perpetrators.”

Among the methods used by terrorist groups to recruit soldiers is Inspire magazine, reportedly published by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

It regularly carries features on bomb-making and is used as a political warfare tool to target Western governments.