Muslim hardliners ID London attack suspect

Police raided houses in connection with the brazen slaying of the off-duty soldier, identified as Lee Rigby, of the 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, who served in Afghanistan. In addition to the two suspects, who were hospitalized after being shot by police, authorities said they had arrested a man and a woman, both 29, on suspicion of conspiracy to murder.

Police would not say whether it appeared Rigby had been targeted specifically because of his military service. Although he was not in uniform at the time he was killed, he was said by witnesses to be wearing a T-shirt for a British veterans' charity.

The Ministry of Defense said Rigby, who joined the army in 2006, was a machine gunner posted in Cyprus, Afghanistan and Germany before becoming a recruiter who assisted with duties in the Tower of London.

Nicknamed "Riggers," he was an important member of the Corps of Drums who was known for his good nature and wit, and his love of his hometown soccer team, Manchester United, according to fellow soldiers.

Authorities have not identified either of the two wounded suspects and have not said when they will do so. Officials in Britain usually wait to name suspects until charges have been filed.

Anjem Choudary, the former head of the radical group al-Muhajiroun, said that the man depicted in startling video that emerged after Rigby's death was named as Michael Adebolajo, a Christian who converted to Islam around 2003 and took part in several demonstrations organized by the group in London.

The BBC broadcast video from 2007 showing Adebolajo standing near Choudary at a rally.

Omar Bakri Muhammad, who now lives in Lebanon but had been a radical Muslim preacher in London, also said he recognized the man seen on TV as Adebolajo and said he attended his London lectures in the early 2000s.

Bakri, speaking from Lebanon, said he remembered Adebolajo as a "shy person" who was keen to learn about Islam and asked interesting questions. "He used to listen more than he spoke," Bakri said. "I was very surprised to learn that he is the suspect in the attack."

Mary Warder, who has lived in the Woolwich area for more than 30 years, said she had seen both of the suspects preaching on the streets. Shopkeepers, however, said they could not remember seeing them.

The two men suspected of killing the 25-year-old Rigby had been part of previous investigations by security services, a British official said Thursday, as investigators searched several locations and tried to determine whether the men were part of a wider terrorist plot.

There also was no clear indication on when or where the suspects may have been radicalized.

Rigby, the father of a 2-year-old boy, was slain Wednesday afternoon outside the Royal Artillery Barracks in the Woolwich area of south London as horrified bystanders watched in a city known for its decorum.

The bizarre scene was recorded on witnesses' cellphones, with one of the two suspects boasting of their exploits and warning of more violence as the soldier lay on the ground. Holding bloody knives and a meat cleaver, they waited for the arrival of police, who shot them in the legs, according to a passer-by who tried to save the dying Rigby.

A British government official said one of the two men tried to go to Somalia to train or fight with the terrorist group al-Shabab.

Citing unidentified sources described as having "knowledge of British jihadis," the BBC's "Newsnight" program reported that one of the suspects in the attack was arrested last year while on his way to join al-Shabab.

Both of the hospitalized suspects had been part of previous terrorism investigations by Britain's security services, according to an official. It was unclear how recent the investigations were, whether the men were loosely tied to other suspects being investigated, or whether they had been put under surveillance, which could have included being watched by undercover investigators or having their phone calls and emails intercepted.

Dramatic video showed a black man - animated, hands stained with blood and holding a meat cleaver - criticizing the British government and the presence of U.K. troops in foreign lands.

Maajid Nawaz, a former Islamist now with the London-based Quilliam anti-extremism think tank in London, said the video and emerging details indicated the men had been inspired by al-Qaida even though they may not have been directed by any specific affiliate to attack Rigby.

"There is always mood music playing before these attacks happen," Nawaz said in an interview. "In this instance, I'm not saying they are operationally linked to al-Qaida, but these men clearly felt an affinity to this global jihadist zeitgeist. And they wouldn't have had to have visited any foreign countries for this ideology to have resonated with them."

Security officials have been worried over the recent increase of men seeking training and fighting opportunities in countries such as Syria, Somalia and Yemen. Dozens of British men and women are said to have been radicalized by U.S.-born militant cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, the militant leader who was killed in a 2011 U.S. drone strike in Yemen.

Source: Japan Times (from AP)