A Charles Sturt University (CSU) counter-terrorism expert believes that the brutal murder of a soldier in Woolwich in South East London was a terrorist attack, possibly suicide, rather than a robbery or a domestic incident.

 

Former counter-terrorism police officer and Head of CSU’s Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security, Associate Professor Nick O’Brien believes  the fact the attackers did not attempt to flee the scene, and apparently encouraged onlookers to film them, indicates they intended the images to be seen by a worldwide audience.

 

“I also believe this incident could have been planned as a suicide attack and the perpetrators may have intended that the British police shoot and kill them. It is unlikely that they intended to spend the rest of their lives in jail,” Professor O’Brien said.

 

According to the UK’s Guardian newspaper, one attacker recorded this message: "We swear by almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you. The only reason we have done this is because Muslims are dying every day. This British soldier is an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." The Guardian, 22 May 2013 

 

“The video recordings of the attackers taken at the scene confirm the attackers were Islamists and that motive for the attack may be the presence of UK troops in abroad in Muslim countries such as Afghanistan,” Professor O’Brien said.

 

The professor said that planning for this kind of attack is not unprecedented.  “In 2008 Parviz Khan, a resident of Birmingham in the UK, admitted to planning to kidnap and behead a British Muslim soldier. Mr Khan intended to film the beheading and release the footage on the Internet. It is not, as yet, known whether the soldier killed in the attack was Muslim.”

 

UK authorities have increased security around all military bases in the UK.

 

Professor O’Brien believes Australia is not immune from a similar attack. “While there have been no reports of similar attacks planned in Australia, the online Al Qaeda magazine, Inspire, has previously encouraged Muslims who wish to take part in attacks to do so in their home countries rather than to travel to conflict areas,” he said.

 

“And in 2011, three men were convicted of planning an attack on the Australian Army barracks at Holsworthy in Sydney.  It is possible that attacks similar to the Woolwich incident could take place in Australia.”