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Police Injure Two Suspected Of Killing Man In Woolwich, London; 8 Arrested In Stockholm Riots
Aired May 22, 2013 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: And live from Woolwich in southeast London, I'm Becky Anderson following all the very latest developments of a suspected terrorist attack in the capital unfold.
Well, Britain's home secretary has described it as a sickening and barbaric attack, one that the government at least now, is treating as a case of suspected terrorism.
Here is what we know at this stage. It all began at 2:20 pm local time here in London, that's just about seven hours ago in a street close to me here in the London suburb of Woolwich. Police were called after reports of an assault on a man by two others armed with weapons.
Now witnesses said the victim was hacked to death. According to a local politician, he is believed to have been a serving soldier from the nearby barracks.
Well, this was the scene after police opened fire on his suspected attackers. Both are now in a hospital where they're being treated for their injuries. The government called a meeting with the Civil Emergency Committee, or COBRA as it's known here in the UK, to discuss the attack.
This evening, Britain's prime minister is returning to London from Paris to deal with the situation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID CAMERON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I've been briefed by the home secretary about this absolutely sickening attack in Woolwich in London. It is the most appalling crime. We obviously are urgently seeking, and the police are urgently seeking the full facts about this case, but there are strong indications that it is a terrorist incident.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Right, let me just set the scene for you before I bring you a report on this deadly assault, this shocking assault.
I just open up here to my right-hand side, that is the barracks. I'll give you a bit more on that as we move through the hour. The attack actually happened, if the cameraman zooms in just behind me here you can see the traffic light. And then if you turn left, the attack actually happened just on that road just there. You can see a number of police still here in the area.
We're going to warn you that the next video that I'm going to show you is disturbing. It was filmed in the immediate aftermath of this attack.
Paul Davis has what is an exclusive report. Again, I say this is very, very disturbing vision.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL DAVIS, ITV NEWS: In a south London street, a man with bloodied hands carrying a knife and machete approaches a camera and tries to justify what has just happened.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I apologize that women had to witness this today, but in our land our women have to see the same. You people will never be safe. Remove your government. They don't care about you.
DAVIS: He then walks back up the road, back towards the victim of this attack who lies prone in the street, a young man believed to be a soldier.
The man with blood on his hands then talks to a second man.
There are also heated conversations with passersby, people who have witnessed appalling violence, some of whom tried to stop it.
But there was more violence to come. These pictures were taken shortly after the police opened fire on the two apparent attackers who according to witnesses made to attack the officers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get back. Move back. Move back.
DAVIS: These pictures were taken by a man who'd been on a bus heading for a job interview, the day Baghdad style violence came to south London.
Paul Davis, ITV News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, joining me now is Lauren Collins, who was on a bus when the incident took place. And she actually saw the body lying in the middle of the road. Lauren, thanks for joining us tonight.
Just describe exactly what you saw.
LAUREN COLLINS, WITNESSED WOOLWICH ATTACK: Well, I was on the bus and I saw a motionless individual lying on the ground and there was a car nearby so I immediately thought it was a -- somebody that had been involved in a road traffic collision. So I got off of the bus and walked around to another viewpoint where I saw the individual had been covered up and there was a huge police presence in the sky and on ground.
ANDERSON: What was the atmosphere like? Because we've just seen this report and it seemed that people seemed incredibly calm in the area?
COLLINS: Everyone was calm, because nobody knew what was actually going on, but people believed that, you know, it could have been a road traffic -- nobody knew what had really taken place.
ANDERSON: What were people saying?
COLLINS: Well, after the incident happened about 10, 15 minutes after, people started to say that this could have been terror related. And these people did seem to know facts about the case, so afterwards it became very tense and people were obviously speechless that this had happened in their local community.
ANDERSON: Do you live in this area?
COLLINS: Yeah, I'm local to this area as well.
ANDERSON: And how would you describe it as a community?
COLLINS: It's usually a nice place to live. There's never any problems like this. And it's just a normal borough of London.
ANDERSON: A pretty shocking incident.
COLLINS: Completely.
ANDERSON: Well, Lauren, thank you very much indeed for joining us. Lauren Collins who was on the bus earlier on today when this incident took place.
It was here in Woolwich, which is southeast London. It's about 10 miles from central London in south London near, as I said, the Royal Artillery Barracks which is just to my right-hand side. It's this historical home of the royal artillery and remains a military training area.
The King's Royal Troupe, the King's Troupe Royal, sorry, the King's Troupe Royal horse artillery, a mounted unit, is housed here. Their duties include providing the gun carriage and horses for state ceremonies such as Margaret Thatcher's funeral last month. They also deploy soldiers to Afghanistan.
Well, I'm joined now by one of our senior international correspondents Matthew Chance who is here with me at the scene.
Matthew, again, let's just go over the details of what we know to date?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, details are actually still very sketchy, according to the official information we have, we know that just over here, just a few hundred yards down that road where you can see those lights, there's still a lot of forensic teams on the ground over there. One man was attacked by two individuals. There lots of eyewitnesses. You've spoken to one.
It's been reported that that man who was killed, apparently hacked to death with a machete or a large butcher's knife, may have been a member of the security forces, may remember the army as reported by the local MP that he's a member of the Royal Artillery, as you just mentioned, that's not been confirmed by the British ministry of defense at this stage.
Police were called to the scene. They arrived within 20 minutes. They were confronted by these individuals that apparently carried out the attack. And they opened fire on them.
There were other weapons seized at the scene as well.
ANDERSON: What does seem remarkable is that one of the assailants, or the alleged assailants, had time to be videoed by a member of the public who was just walking past here, make some comments, and then they seemed to have waited for the police to arrive.
CHANCE: Yeah, in fact that seems to have been what one of their objectives -- and it's very difficult at this stage to talk about what they were trying to achieve in all of this -- but clearly they were there in part for the publicity. They were, according to eyewitnesses, encouraging people to take photographs of them. And a good deal of cellphone video and still photography that's come out as a result of that.
And they were making political statements as well. We saw in that Paul Davis package a few moments ago the political statements that were being made by that one individual who as he was covered in the blood of that dead soldier.
ANDERSON: Yeah, shocking and brutal stuff. Do we know any more about the condition of these two alleged assailants who are I believe in hospital at this point?
CHANCE: Yeah, one of them was evacuated by air to a local hospital, the other one was taken by a road ambulance to the hospital. One of the individuals is said to be in a serious condition. I'm not clear on the state of the other individual.
They haven't been named at this stage, of course. Although there's, you know, a good deal of speculation at the moment, or a good deal of work going into trying to identify these people. We're expecting a statement shortly.
ANDERSON: Yeah, OK. The government has said this is a suspected terror attack. We have no idea about the motive as of yet.
CHANCE: Well, no idea except that the -- as you saw in that exclusive video that was obtained, these people -- these individuals clearly doing this, motivated, you know, by some kind of Islamic fundamentalism. I mean, they were talking about -- I mean, one of the striking things about this video is how that individual with his blood-stained hands turned to the camera and apologized to members of the public, particularly women he said, because he said in our lands women have to see this kind of thing all the time.
What he meant by our lands, we assume to mean Muslim lands, Islamic lands, because he was clearly British. He spoke with a very thick London accent and so clearly from the Muslim community in this country.
ANDERSON: Matthew, for the time being, thank you very much indeed for joining us.
You're watching Connect the World live from southeast London. This is Woolwich. We are following developments of what the government is calling a suspected terror attack. Coming up this hour here on Connect the World, Britain's prime minister on his way home to hold these emergency talks, the emergency committee COBRA here in the UK meeting earlier on this evening. We're told it will meet once again tomorrow.
We'll cross live to Downing Street for the latest on that. That's here on CNN. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: I'm Becky Anderson live in southeast London tonight at the scene of what was a brutal, brutal, brutal attack earlier on today. The government calling it a suspected terrorist attack.
British prime minister David Cameron cutting short his visit to Paris today, returning to host what is an emergency meetings known as COBRA here, an emergency meeting to be held tomorrow morning. Our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is outside 10 Downing Street this morning -- this evening.
Nic, what's the latest from there?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORREPSONDENT: Well, Becky, that COBRA we're told lasted a little less than an hour. At least one important decision taken that we've been informed about, doubtless other very important discussions held. We're not aware of those. But what we've been told is that the Woolwich barracks close to where you are will now have tightened security and the other army barracks around London will also have tightened security. It gives an indication that potentially there is concern that there may be a followup type of attack, that's not being said directly by the spokesperson that we talk to earlier on. But it is perhaps an implication of the actions being taken, or possibly an abundance of caution.
David Cameron in Paris said that he had been briefed by Terersa May, the home secretary who held that COBRA meeting here, said he'd been kept up to date, called this a terrorist incident.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAMERON: I've been briefed by the home secretary about this absolutely sickening attack in Woolwich in London. It is the most appalling crime. We obviously are urgently seeking, and the police are urgently seeking the full facts about this case, but there are strong indications that it is a terrorist incident.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: And what we can expect is the prime minister back here later tonight. He will host the COBRA meeting that is expected tomorrow. We don't know what time that will be.
But the prime minister has also said and made it very clear to the British people that this act will not affect the country. The terrorists, he said, will not win.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAMERON: Britain has suffered terrorist attacks before, terrorist attacks from the IRA, terrorist attacks from Islamic extremists. We have suffered these attacks before. We have always beaten them back. And we've done that through a combination of vigilance, of security, of security information, of good policing, but above all the way we've beaten them back is showing and absolutely indomitable British spirit that we will not cowed, we will never buckle under these sorts of attacks. The terrorists will never win.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Well, he followed that up with a tweet as well saying we will never buckle to terrorists. So a very clear message being portrayed by the British prime minister, but the questions that will now be asked about these men who were arrested by some of the representatives at that COBRA meeting today. There were the intelligence security services represented, the defense chiefs represented, the mayor of London, the police -- metropolitan police commissioner represented there. They will very likely be looking into whether or not these men have been communicating with other potential radicals, what websites they've been visiting and also who have they been telephoning? What are their telephones been used for?
So all of these things very likely will have been discussed at the meeting here and will likely be discussed again at that meeting tomorrow -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Let's just interrogate some of the details that came out of that meeting, Nic. They've upped the security both here at these artillery barracks in southeast London and indeed at other barracks across London. But as far as I understand it, they haven't upped the overall security level across the country. Am I right in saying that?
ROBERTSON: You are right in saying that. That would very likely been something that will have been a question that will have been reviewed and perhaps the implication is at the moment they don't have enough concrete information so far about these men.
I mean, the questions that they're going to be asking were, were they acting alone? Were they the sort of Richard Reid type shoe bomber? Remember him after September 11 tried to donate a bomb in his shoe on a flight to the United States. He'd been a convert to Islam.
They're going to want to dig into all these sorts of background issues to try and figure out were they working with others, were they just self radicalized, and what their backgrounds were, Becky.
ANDERSON: Nic, I'm losing you slightly. So I'm going to take a very short break and see if we can get you back a little later on, but the time being Nic Robertson at 10 Downing Street with the very latest from that emergency government meeting today. As we say, the British prime minister David Cameron cutting short his trip to Paris on his way back to London to reconvene a COBRA meeting in the morning.
We're going to take a very short break. More after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: I'm Becky Anderson in southeast London for you this evening at the scene of a brutal deadly attack. Just to remind you, just hours ago here just behind me, down by the traffic lights as you see them just behind me, one man, believed to be a serving British soldier was macheted to death by two assailants. Those alleged assailants now in hospital having been shot by the police at the scene.
British Prime Minister David Cameron says there are strong indications that today's incident is terrorist related.
Joining me now to discuss and assess what we've heard and seen today is CNN's terrorism expert Paul Cruickshank.
And I think let's just step back for a moment and just try and understand what we have heard and seen. Your assessment.
PAUL CRUICKSHANK, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: Well, all the points are so far from eyewitness accounts suggested this is an act of Islamist terrorism. That would be the first attack by Islamist terrorists that led to a fatality victim since the London bombings in 2005. So obviously a very, very significant event here in east London.
There's been a track record in the UK of Islamist extremists going off to soldiers, British soldiers. There was a plot in Birmingham in 2006 where they were trying to behead, plotting to behead a British Muslim soldier. That plot was thwarted, but in that plot they also wanted to videotape the beheadings.
So some similarities, some track record.
We've obviously seen across the west plots directed at soldiers in the United States with the Ft. Hood shootings in 2009, in France last year with the shootings of French soldiers in Toulouse.
And al Qaeda's leaders have really encouraged this sort of attack against soldiers. So it's maybe an act of al Qaeda inspired terrorism, but obviously very early stages in the investigation, Becky.
ANDERSON: Let's just -- you alluded to the terrorist plot here in the UK back in 2007. I just wanted our viewers to get just a little bit more on that as we discuss whether this crime bears striking similarities to this previously foiled terror plot.
Back in 2008, the ringleader of an Islamist group was jailed for life after plotting to kidnap and behead a British Muslim shoulder. Parvez Khan pleaded guilty, as I understand it, to planning the kidnap as well as supplying equipment to extremists in Pakistan.
During his trial, the court heard Khan planned to behead the soldier, he said, like a pig. He also planned to post the footage on the internet.
As you suggest, very early stages in what will be an ongoing investigation at this stage, but you again alluded to the fact that this might be as much al Qaeda inspired as it would be al Qaeda led.
CRUICKSHANK: Well, that's been the pattern of sort of past terrorist attacks. We saw in Boston, that's now being seen more as an al Qaeda inspired kind of attack where people are actually radicalized in the west, but they're looking at al Qaeda's message online, picking up messages from extremists cleric and deciding to take matters into their own hands.
It may wee be that that's what was saw here today. There was certainly some amateurishness in the attack. They sort of hung around for quite a long time for police to come to the scene. Now that's not what al Qaeda teaches in training camps, certainly, Becky.
ANDERSON: All right. OK, well for the time being we're going to leave it there. We've got some other news to do this evening, but do stay with us as we dissect exactly what happened here in southeast London as we move through the show.
An update for you now on other news.
I want to get you just the latest on a number of stories, one of which is Oklahoma. U.S. President Barack Obama planning to visit the tornado ravaged state on Sunday. The storm is now being categorized as what's known as EF-5, the strongest possible. Now 24 people have died, including nine school children. It's possible more victims will be found. The town -- you'll have seen the pictures -- is absolutely pulverized. Buildings, homes, and schools have been wiped out.
The financial damage, too, will be steep. More than 2,700 insurance claims have been made. Total damages are estimated to be more than $2 billion.
Well, in less than a month, Iran will pick a new president. On Tuesday, just eight candidates were approved to run out of a crowded pool, let me tell you, of more than 600. Several big names were rejected, including Rahim Mashaei, a top aid to current president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; also former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. No reason was given for their disqualification.
But all presidential candidates must be approved by a guardian council, a panel that operates under the supreme leader the Ayatollah Khomeini.
Well, a man shot dead by an FBI agent in Florida was being investigated for a possible connection to the Boston marathon bombings. This story for you now. Officials say the 27-year-old Ibragim Todashev knew both of the Tsarnaev brothers.
The FBI says that he was being questioned when a violent confrontation took place. A law enforcement force said the agent shot Todashev in self defense today.
And a story out of Sweden for you where at least eight people, eight people this evening are under arrest after days of rioting in the capital Stockholm. The violence apparently triggered by a police shooting there.
Now Sweden's prime minister is speaking out on this issue. Hala Gorani has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Dozens of cars burned in the streets of Stockholm late Tuesday, the fiery aftermath of a third straight night of rioting in and around the Swedish capital. Authorities are blaming youth gangs and criminals and say the angry mob also set fire to several buildings and hurled rocks at police and firefighters.
MICHAEL ERSOY, RESIDENT (through translator): I didn't recognize any of them. And it's really bad that they go to places and burned cars and such and set fire to a police station and smashed a lot of windows. I tried to stop them, but...
GORANI: Violence first broke out Sunday in the suburb of Husby, an area of high unemployment and low income.
It appears it was sparked by a deadly police shooting. Earlier this month, officer shot and killed a 69-year-old man they say threatened them with a machete. The incident is now under investigation. And Sweden's prime minister is appealing for calm.
FREDRIK REINFELDT, SWEDISH PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We have to show that we won't allow a group of young men who believe in the use of violence to run society. They think they can change things by using violence and that they can do what they want. But in Sweden, we have democratically agreed that laws are the same for everyone. And the police have to make sure that is the case.
GORANI: The unrest has shocked one of Europe's richest capitals. And many Swedes say it highlights the government's failure to deal with high youth unemployment.
Hala Gorani, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, a cruise ship captain will stand trial for a deadly disaster at sea last year. An Italian judge has ruled that the captain of the Costa Concordia will face charges of manslaughter of dereliction of duty. That's to happen in July. He's accused of abandoning the vessel while people were still on board.
Now the ship ran aground off the coast of Tuscany. 32 people were killed. Dozens of survivors are suing in civil court.
And a man is being charged with the murders of four members of the Royal Household Calvary here in the UK in a 1982 IRA attack. John Anthony Downey was from Ireland. He's also charged with intending to cause an explosion likely to endanger life.
Now the Calvary members and seven horses were killed as they traveled through London's Hyde Park on their way to Buckingham Palace.
We're going to take a very short break at this point. Your news headlines will follow this. And we will continue to interrogate what the government has described as suspected terrorist attack here. The scene behind me earlier on today in the UK just 10 miles from central London.
Back, after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back, I'm Becky Anderson in Woolwich, southeast London at the scene of what the government in the UK is calling a suspected terrorist attack. Here is what we know at this stage this hour.
It all began around 2:20 PM local time, just hours ago here in London in a street close to me in this London suburb of Woolwich. Police were called after reports of an assault on a man by two others armed with weapons.
Now, witnesses said the victim was hacked to death on the road just behind me here. According to a local politician, the man is believed to have been a serving soldier from a nearby barracks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(PEOPLE SHOUTING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, this was the scene after police opened fire on his suspected attackers. Both are now in hospital where they are being treated for their injuries. The UK government called a meeting of Civil Emergency Committee, or COBRA, as it's known, to discuss the attack this evening.
They announced there will be increased security in Woolwich here and in other military barracks around London. Britain's prime minister is returning from Paris early to deal with the situation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID CAMERON, PRIME MINISTER OF BRITAIN: I've been briefed by the home secretary about this absolutely sickening attack in Woolwich in London. It is the most appalling crime. We obviously are urgently seeking and the police are urgently seeking the full facts about this case, but there are strong indications that it is a terrorist incident.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I want to show you some video now that we showed at the top of this hour. It is dramatic and, let me tell you, it is disturbing. Be warned, it's -- what you see is, effectively, a man with blood on his hands appear -- holding what appears to be a meat cleaver. Here is what that man had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I apologize that women had to witness this today, but in our land, our women have to see the same. You people will never be safe. Remove your government! They don't care about you!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And another warning, be it more disturbing footage, but we think it's important that you see it. This time I'm going to show you silent video of what is the victim, what we believe to be a serving British soldier who was hacked to death by one of these assailants. He is on the ground in south London followed by the suspects. Have a look at this.
(VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, a gruesome scene, a man's body dumped in the middle of a street in the middle of the day just miles from central London. Witnesses say he'd been -- been hit by a car before these two attacked him with cleavers. Authorities say the two suspects in the killing were shot in a confrontation with police and are now being treated in hospital.
Let's bring back Matthew Chance tonight. We've got Paul Cruickshank, who's our terrorism analyst also standing by. But again, just for those viewers who may just have joined us, what do we know at this stage of the details of this attack, of the man who was killed, and of the assailants?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, officially, Becky, we don't -- we don't have a great deal of information. The authorities confirming that one man has been killed. He's been reported by the local MP here to be a member of the security forces, the Royal Artillery.
We know that he was hacked to death. We know two men carried out that attack, and they've been sort of brought down by the police. They were shot by the police when they arrived on the scene 20 minutes afterwards and taken away to hospital. One was medevacced by air to hospital, the other one was taken by a road ambulance.
The detail that we do know comes to us from the very many eyewitnesses that were present when this appalling attack took place. Some of them were on a bus, some of them were just passersby. And indeed, it seems to be for public consumption that this attack took place in such a public place.
We saw that video earlier of one of the individuals, blood on his hands, literally, carrying that meat cleaver, talking about the reasons why this attack was carried out, and apologizing to the women amongst the public who had witnessed this, saying that "in our lands," I think he said, women have to witness this sort of all the time.
By "our lands" he was presumably referring to Muslim countries, because he was a very, very British accent, a very London accent that he was talking in.
ANDERSON: What have you heard from the Muslim community tonight, if anything?
CHANCE: Muslim community leaders have, of course, condemned this. They've made the point repeatedly that this does not represent the actions of the mainstream Muslim community in this country, and they've gone out as much as they possibly can to condemn it.
We've also had condemnation coming from various other quarters as well, not least the Help for Heroes charity. Remember, this man who was killed, believed to be a member of the -- a serving member of the military, was wearing a t-shirt which said "Help for Heroes" on it.
That's a prominent charity in this country that was set up to help people who've been injured in battle in Afghanistan and Iraq and other conflicts that the British soldiers have been involved in. He may well have been targeted because he was wearing that t-shirt just outside this barracks here in Woolwich. They've come out, the charity, they've condemned it. They've called it appalling.
ANDERSON: We haven't been given any details on the two alleged assailants. Have we been told whether they were on any sort of intelligence files that the authorities here have? Are these people that the police knew anything about?
CHANCE: Well, I think that's something that's currently being looked at. We do know from security sources that the police have been in contact with intelligence services and asked about whether these people were on any kind of watch list, whether they were involved in any kind of incidents previously or whether they were deemed to be suspicious. We don't know whether they were or not at this stage.
But there's a big forensic operation, remember, underway right behind us now, that forensic teams are still out there, police are going to be looking at the scene, the crime scene, very, very carefully.
There's a lot of CCTV cameras, I noticed, around the area as well. I expect that imagery as well as the imagery that was taken by members of the public is going to be forensically examined to see what can be extracted from that.
ANDERSON: This is a very mixed community, of course, in this area of southeast London. You don't live very far away, I didn't live very far away from here for a period of time. This is a -- it's a mixed community, it's not one that you would expect there to be any sort of tinderbox action in at all, is it?
CHANCE: Well, it's -- it is a very mixed community racially. It's -- this particular area of Woolwich is, I suppose it's fair to say, a pretty working class area. It's not the richest, most affluent of areas in London, not even the richest, most affluent in southeast London.
But it's certainly not notorious for this kind of violent action and sort of conflict between ethnic and racial groups. It's mixed, it's relatively peaceful. All the residents that we've spoken to, the eyewitnesses, the residents as well, absolutely shocked that something like this could have happened in this little corner of London.
ANDERSON: Matthew, for the time being, thank you very much, indeed, for joining us. All right, it does seem absolutely remarkable that only six or seven hours ago the sort of scenes that we've described for you and shown for you, of course, in that dramatic video, just took place behind me here on this street.
Another fairly dramatic set of images now to show you. What you're looking at is YouTube footage that shows the scene just after the fatal incident, witnesses describing the gruesome scene saying a man was hit by a car, hacked with cleavers, his body then dumped in the middle of the road.
As mentioned, the victim is thought to be a British soldier attacked by two men in what appears to have been a frenzied assault. We are going to take a short break for you at this point. We're going to be back with more analysis on this, what the government is describing as a suspected terrorist attack in south London after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to this live edition of CONNECT THE WORLD just out of the main part of London, ten miles to the southeast of London in one of the relatively quiet suburbs here. What the government has described as a suspected terrorist attack earlier on today.
A British government source telling us here at CNN that security is being beefed up at barracks -- security barracks, army barracks -- across London today, and the reason for that is quite simple: that it was a brutal attack on what appears to have been a serving soldier here in the UK, that has led to these -- this decision by the UK government today.
Quite remarkable scenes seen on video that was shot at this scene just behind me here today, still some forensic work going on, and I'm sure that will continue into the night by the authorities here.
With me now, CNN's terrorism analyst, Paul Cruickshank. And it's interesting to see the government saying that they're beefing up security at these barracks, not just here, which -- there's a barracks just across here, which is where we believe the serving soldier was staying, but across London. What do you read into that?
PAUL CRUICKSHANK, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: Well, one of the real concerns here, Becky, is there could be copycat attacks, that this attack could inspire others. Believe it or not, there are Islamist extremists in the UK who will be feeling jubilation now that a soldier has been killed by what appears to be Islamist extremists in the UK.
So, a real risk, as far as the security services are concerned, that people will try to imitate them. That's why the security is being stepped up.
ANDERSON: Speaking to Nic Robertson just earlier on, who was reporting on the COBRA meeting, which is the civilian emergency committee meeting held by the government earlier on today, and we'll talk to Nic shortly, but he -- the story out of that is that the security's being beefed up at the barracks, but that we aren't seeing a rise in the overall security level across the country. Does that surprise you?
CRUICKSHANK: Well, we're not seeing that at this point. Obviously, it's very early stages. What the investigation will be looking at is were these people connected to anybody at all or were they just acting on their own behalf, perhaps inspired what they were seeing on the internet.
They'll be looking at that very, very closely right now. But the fact there's not been a big step-up of security nationwide suggests that at the moment, there's not belief that this is part of a wider conspiracy.
ANDERSON: What are we, three, four weeks out from the Boston bombings? Of course, we believe inspired by al Qaeda but not planned by, perhaps, or the sort of al Qaeda-inspired sort of new wave of what can be described as terrorists these days.
Since 2005 and the 7/7 bombings here, Britain has learned an awful lot about how youngsters can be inspired online, on the net, from various other places. But there was a sense that things had gone a little quiet. Were they wrong?
CRUICKSHANK: Well, that's right. There's sort of been a fall-off of some degree in the last few years, some of these cases. There were a number of cases just before the Olympics, but the security services here are ever-vigilant.
In the years since 7/7, the last time we saw fatality victims, they've broken up dozens of plots, and that's a huge amount of tremendous work from the security services having to break all these plots up. Some of them have been linked to al Qaeda, some of them have been inspired by al Qaeda.
Obviously, if the people don't have connections to organized terrorist groups, they're not communicating with people on watch lists, it's much more difficult to break up these sorts of plots.
ANDERSON: All right. I want to just hear what the home secretary, Theresa May, had to say. Stay with me for one sec while we just listen to sound from Theresa May. She was chairing this COBRA committee meeting earlier on today, the prime minister in Paris. He is, of course, on his way home. Let's just hear what Theresa May had to say earlier on today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THERESA MAY, BRITISH HOME SECRETARY: This attack was an attack on everyone in the United Kingdom, and it will be condemned by people from every community. Our thoughts and prayers tonight are with the victim and his family.
We have seen terrorism on the streets of Britain before, and we have always stood firm against it. Despicable acts these will not go unpunished. There will be a further meeting of COBRA in the morning, and further updates and statements will be issued when possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: "We have seen terrorism on the streets of Britain before and we have always stood against it," said Theresa May. "Despicable acts like this will not go unpunished." Pretty strong words out of the British government tonight.
CRUICKSHANK: Well, obviously they'll be wanting to investigate, let's get on the top of this. Who was responsible? Were they connected to other people? In past incidents, plotting to kill soldiers in the United Kingdom, there's sort of been a few people involved, some people with knowledge of the plot. So, they'll be looking at all those angles tonight as the investigation, which is just getting going, Becky.
ANDERSON: All right. Paul, for the time being, thank you very much, indeed, for joining us. Paul Cruickshank, CNN's terrorism expert.
Let's get you to 10 Downing Street, where Nic Robertson is standing by. Nic, what have you got?
NIC ROBERSTON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, that meeting that concluded several hours ago, about an hour long. The various heads of -- the home secretary, the defense secretary, the Metropolitan Police commissioner, the mayor of London and, perhaps, very -- most significantly here, the intelligence services all gone their own way.
What they will be doing now will be digging down, examining those e- mails that may or may not have been sent by these men, examining their cell phone records, trying to build up a picture of who they were.
Working alone? Inspired by what they had read on the internet? What sort of profile do they fit, and is there the threat -- and this must be the urgent thinking tonight -- is there, from what they're learning already, a threat that will continue past this particular incident, or can -- is this, essentially, a one-off.
But expected tomorrow, another meeting of COBRA, the high-level cabinet security meeting, similar to the one that was held here. So, these are -- this is what we're expecting here, other than the prime minister returning here from Paris later tonight, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes. All right, Nic, thank you very much, indeed, for that. Nic Robertson at 10 Downing Street for you this evening. We're going to take a very short break once again here. We will be back in 90 seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: I'm Becky Anderson on what is now a very quiet street in southeast London. But earlier on today, the scene was completely different here as what the government is calling a suspected terrorist attack unfolded.
I want to run over what we know so far this hour. Details, of course, are still coming in as to this attack. But the video we are about to show you, and we've been saying throughout this hour, is disturbing.
We do, though, want to show you what the scene was like here in the immediate aftermath of what was a brutal, brutal attack. Police called to Woolwich, which is where I am now, after reports of an assault on a man by two others armed with weapons.
Witnesses said the victim was hacked to death. Police opened fire on both of the suspected attackers, they're now both in hospital being treated for their injures.
The UK government called a meeting of its civil emergency committee to discuss the attack this evening. The prime minister says there is a strong indication that it was a terrorist attack.
Well, another report for you, now. We showed this at the beginning of this hour, but we do think that it is worth showing again. It just gives the sheer, sheer audacity of this attack, shown just immediately after what happened. This is a report -- an exclusive report -- by Paul Davis. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL DAVIS, ITV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a south London street, a man with bloodied hands, carrying a knife and machete, approaches a camera and tries to justify what has just happened.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I apologize that women had to witness this today, but in our land, our women have to see the same. You people will never be safe. Remove your government! They don't care about you!
DAVIS: He then walks back up the road, back towards the victim of this attack, who lies prone in the street. A young man believed to be a soldier. The man with blood on his hands then talks to a second man.
There are also heated conversations with passersby, people who have witnessed appalling violence, some of whom tried to stop it.
(SIRENS)
DAVIS: But there was more violence to come. These pictures were taken shortly after the police opened fire on the two apparent attackers who, according to witnesses, made to attack the officers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get back! Get back! Move back! Move back! Move back!
DAVID: These pictures were taken by a man who'd been on a bus heading for a job interview, the day Baghdad-style violence came to south London.
Paul Davis, ITV News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Yes. Just remarkable stuff. Let me bring in CNN's terrorism expert, Paul Cruickshank, once again for some final thoughts on what has unfolded today here on the street behind us, Paul.
CRUICKSHANK: Well, it seems that we've had the first fatality victims in an Islamist terrorist attack since the July 7, 2005 bombings. That's obviously a very significant event here in the UK.
We're not sure if this -- if these individuals are sort of -- the nature of their motivation in terms of a link to al Qaeda inspiration at this point. But it's possible these are sorts of people who were looking at kind of al Qaeda online propaganda. That's all going to be investigated.
There are two people right now, suspects in hospital. Authorities will be wanting to talk to them, obviously, very, very urgently to find out if there are others involved, if there are other plans which were afoot.
ANDERSON: Let's have a quick listen to what the Met commander had to say earlier on today just a couple of hours ago. Have a listen to this, viewers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIMON LETCHFORD, METROPOLITAN POLICE COMMANDER: At approximately 2:20 this afternoon, police officers were called to an assault in John Wilson Street, Woolwich, where one man was being assaulted by two other men.
A number of weapons were reported as being used, including a report of a firearm. Officers, including local officers from Greenwich Police Station, and shortly fire -- shortly after, firearms officers, attended the scene. On arrival, they found a man who was later pronounced dead. At this early stage, I'm unable to provide any more information about the man who has died.
Two men, who we believe from early reports, to have been carrying weapons, were shot by police. They have both been taken to separate London hospitals and are receiving treatment for their injuries.
I can understand that this incident will cause community concern, and I would like to reiterate that we are investigating the circumstances of this incident. The MPS will investigate the circumstances of this man's death, and the Independent Police Complaints Authority -- I'm sorry, Commission -- as is routine, will investigate circumstances involving the discharge of police firearms.
There will continue to be a police presence in this area tonight and in surrounding areas. This presence will continue as long as it is necessary. I would ask people to remain calm and to avoid unnecessary speculation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Met commander calling for calm in the community here this evening. It is very calm as we speak, certainly, on this road, but that's an important point he makes.
CRUICKSHANK: Well, that's absolutely critical, that there needs to be calm, that there don't need to be tensions that flare up between the communities, between the Muslim community, other communities. That's absolutely critical after any attack like this, they don't want more violence, obviously, ensuing, Becky.
ANDERSON: William Hague tweeting -- and I'm just reading it from my device, here -- "Shocked" -- and William Hague, of course, the foreign secretary here in the UK -- "Shocked by savage Woolwich murder. A time for unity, our whole country standing together in seeking the facts, and condemning this brutality."
CRUICKSHANK: Well, that's right. There's a significant problem with radicalization in this country. They've been dealing it for more than a decade. The security services have broken up dozens of terrorist plots. Obviously, it seems one has now got through.
Obviously, that's absolutely terrible, but they've been very good at preventing these plots over the last several years, so the public should not be alarmed.
ANDERSON: Let's have a listen before we finish CONNECT THE WORLD live from Woolwich this evening, to what the British prime minister had to say, briefly, in Paris today, where he was holding meetings. He's on his way back to the UK. But these were his thoughts before he left.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAMERON: Britain has suffered terrorist attacks before, terrorist attacks from the IRA, terrorist attacks from Islamic extremists. We have suffered these attacks before. We have always beaten them back. And we've done that through a combination of vigilance, of security, of security information, of good policing.
But above all the way we've beaten them back is showing an absolutely indomitable British spirit, that we will not be cowed, we will never buckle under these sorts of attacks. The terrorists will never win.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: As the forensic investigation goes on, continues behind me here in Woolwich this evening, the question that the police and the security forces here will be asking is simply who are these men, who are they allied to, and whether there are -- there's anybody else and any sort of cell that they might have been associated with, surely.
CRUICKSHANK: That's absolutely right, and they have one big advantage here. These men are still alive, they're in hospital. They can be interviewed, they can get absolutely crucial clues from the interviews with them.
Were there others involved in this conspiracy? How did they get their weapons? These are the sorts of questions which are going to be asked right now very, very urgently by British authorities, Becky.
ANDERSON: Will authorities be surprised that they used -- that this was an assault with knives and machetes, not, for example, with homemade bombs, which we've seen in the past?
CRUICKSHANK: Well, this seems an attack that was designed to shock. It was brutal, it was horrific, as they eyewitnesses have been describing. They wanted this to sort of reverberate around the world.
Clearly they wanted this to be recorded, they wanted this to energize people in the UK who subscribe to this ideology, also around the world. And really unfortunately, they've succeeded in murdering a British soldier today, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes, absolutely remarkable stuff. The -- the investigation could take a very long time.
CRUICKSHANK: Well, that's right. And the entire weight of the British security services, police, they're going to throw a massive amount at this to try and figure out what happened, why it happened, how these people, if they were, indeed, radicalized, were radicalized. That's all now getting started. This is going to be weeks and weeks and weeks.
And you've got to presume that at a certain time that there will be a trial here in the UK. And actually, a lot of these high-profile terrorism trials are actually been taking place very, very near here at Woolwich Crown Courts, which is just a few miles away from where we are now, Becky.
ANDERSON: Meantime, security being beefed up, not just at the barracks here to my right in Woolwich in southeast London, but at barracks across London, we are told by the British government today. We will hear more after the civil emergency meeting that David Cameron is expected to chair when he arrives back into London from Paris in the morning.
For the time being, from myself and Paul Cruickshank here in Woolwich and from the show it's a very good evening.
END
