London Attack

The Perception of Conspiracy Theory - "Fake News?"

None of the following excuses the events,

but challenges parts of the whole

As reported, the entire London affair is terrible. There can be no doubt about that. What is disturbing is the swiftness to "state" this was a terror attack on absolutely no evidence. The allegation was immediate and this instills fear in the public mind. That in itself is worrying. And already to associate it with the attacks in France (UK).
   Initial reports mentioned "gunshots" and "four dead". The reasonable assumption was a terrorist group had been behind this, but it later transpires that the gunshots were those of plain-clothed security personnel.
   The attack began by mowing down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before crashing into the fence surrounding the Palace of Westminster (Parliament, UK). A knife attack resulted in the death of a police officer. Others (4) also died, but not through knife-attack, one a woman who fell (knocked? - DA) into the Thames.

Gunshots (security forces) and a

single attacker

armed with a knife

instantly translates into a terrorist attack

   This may well turn out to be the case, but by proper investigation after the fact and not an assumption before the facts have been determined. The media have been recruited to provide free coverage and convince the general public of a conclusion based on just about nothing. The aftermath is clear and should be reported, but to declare a cause immediately is totally wrong. A dead assailant can tell no lies though can neither tell any truth. What is "known" so far is not very much (essentially nothing that is not obvious - DA).

Watch for the introduction

of' 'beefed-up'

government powers

that make the

Investigatory Powers Act 2016

look rather tame

   Apparently, the attacker was a sometimes pleasant and sometimes violent man (historically - 2003 and before). This much is verifiable and known to MI5 ["a middle-aged Asian man" - Khalid Masood (52)], who has now been tracked to have connections with Islamic State, ISIS (allegedly - DA). No criminal convictions for terrorism have ever been applied (charges tried in court? - DA).

The Westminster attacker was

British-born

known to the police and

intelligence services

UK prime minister reveals

   Theresa May (Prime Minister) told MPs that while Masood had been "once investigated in relation to concerns about violent extremism" he was a "peripheral figure" and "not part of the current intelligence picture" (form good reasons for being "under the radar" - DA).
   The issue here is the almost indecent haste with which so much has so quickly been "discovered". A potential issue is that ISIS has simply claimed responsibility and taken advantage of the events. This alleged organisation may have had nothing to do with this and who would believe what they claim anyway (just about everyone, it seems - DA)?

   The BBC understands that Masood had worked in Saudi Arabia for several years at the General Authority of Civil Aviation in the port city of Jeddah, teaching English as a second language.

   It may be recalled that London was also the place of execution of Jean Charles de Menezes and the rise of Cressida Dick to ultimately Commissioner. There must be many who feel ill because of this (I do - DA).

FEAR rules

   Similar actions have been made in the past by none other than Hitler (Chancellor of Germany - 1933) and George "Dubya" Bush. Events were used to justify the imposition of legislation to combat "terror". In Hitler's case (The Reichstag Fire - The Rise of Adolf Hitler), the attack was instigated by Hitler and this helped to establish a Nazi Germany.
   Bush  very swiftly introduced the Patriot Act (signed into law by 26th October 2001) after the attack on the Twin Towers (11th September, 2001).