# Soldier \[Murdered and Possibly\] Beheaded in public street in London **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 22, 2013, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldier-murdered-and-possibly-beheaded-in-public-street-in-london/659040 "2013-05-22T17:12:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldier-murdered-and-possibly-beheaded-in-public-street-in-london/659040/1 "2013-05-22T17:12:50Z")
> **[Woolwich attack: aftermath and reaction to killing on London street – as it...](https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/may/22/woolwich-two-shot-in-police-incident-live-coverage)** > > • Soldier killed, according to local MP Nick Raynsford• Armed police shot two men 'carrying weapons'• Terrorist attack feared as Cobra emergency committee meets Apparently a Soldier who was around 500 yards away from Woolrich Barracks was ran down and beheaded. So, in light of this, what will this now do for relations between communities in London, and in the UK at large? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldier-murdered-and-possibly-beheaded-in-public-street-in-london/659040/2 "2013-05-22T17:20:25Z")
Can we at least wait to see who did it, and maybe why? For all we know they were “collecting” on a gambling debt. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldier-murdered-and-possibly-beheaded-in-public-street-in-london/659040/3 "2013-05-22T17:29:25Z")
I’m sorry, but a soldier is killed, and now COBRA is involved? WTF? ---
**Author:** ![Pjen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Pjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pjen)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldier-murdered-and-possibly-beheaded-in-public-street-in-london/659040/4 "2013-05-22T17:32:19Z")
BBC reporting that it ma y have been a member of the armed services. The two attackers were ‘moslem appearance’, the man was attacked with a knife and machete while the other filmed it. God is Great was shouted. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldier-murdered-and-possibly-beheaded-in-public-street-in-london/659040/5 "2013-05-22T17:32:32Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > I’m sorry, but a soldier is killed, and now COBRA is involved? WTF? I _thought_ it smelled of something Zartan would organize. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldier-murdered-and-possibly-beheaded-in-public-street-in-london/659040/6 "2013-05-22T17:35:20Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Can we at least wait to see who did it, and maybe why? For all we know they were “collecting” on a gambling debt. The British government believes it was supposed to be terrorism. And while it’s sad and crazy, it shows the continued incompetence of what’s left of international terrorism in the West. I wouldn’t speculate about social relations in a country I don’t live in, but this does seem a lot less effective and scary than bombings and other things. Terrorism is supposed to sow paranoia. ‘Could there be a bomb in this stadium?’ This is more random than anything else. ‘Are two guys going to run down the street and attack me with a machete? Eh, probably not.’ ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldier-murdered-and-possibly-beheaded-in-public-street-in-london/659040/7 "2013-05-22T17:35:55Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > I’m sorry, but a soldier is killed, and now COBRA is involved? WTF? Maybe they finally realized that they can’t shoot for shit and decided to try something else. I hope they got Shipwreck. I never understood what he was supposed to be doing with other Joes. ---
**Author:** ![Pjen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Pjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pjen)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldier-murdered-and-possibly-beheaded-in-public-street-in-london/659040/8 "2013-05-22T17:43:09Z")
We shall respond as Shrub did to 9/11 but in proportion. We shall invade the Comoros islands and send three people kidnapped randomly from round the world and detain them in Tropical Sark. ---
**Author:** ![Pjen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Pjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pjen)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldier-murdered-and-possibly-beheaded-in-public-street-in-london/659040/9 "2013-05-22T17:45:43Z")
If available in the US, it is worth watching a satirical film called “Four Lions”. It has proved remarkably accurate in some of its portrayals and suggestions! It is available: > **[Amazon.com: Four Lions : Kayvan Novak, Nigel Lindsay, Riz Ahmed, Adeel Akhtar,...](https://www.amazon.com/Four-Lions-Chris-Morris/dp/B004R0WKTS)** > > Amazon.com: Four Lions : Kayvan Novak, Nigel Lindsay, Riz Ahmed, Adeel Akhtar, Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain, Simon Blackwell, Christopher Morris, Chris Morris, Angus Aynsley, Carole Baraton, Peter Carlton, Will Clarke, Rita Dagher, Mark Findlay, Mark... ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldier-murdered-and-possibly-beheaded-in-public-street-in-london/659040/10 "2013-05-22T17:47:52Z")
Warning. Very [**graphic picture**](http://news.images.itv.com/image/file/208858/image_update_433745f6b0f13542_1369244508_9j-4aaqsk.jpeg) of one of the killers making political statements to an ITV camera. Disgusting. ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldier-murdered-and-possibly-beheaded-in-public-street-in-london/659040/11 "2013-05-22T17:52:54Z")
> [@RedFury](#): > > Warning. Very [**graphic picture**](http://news.images.itv.com/image/file/208858/image_update_433745f6b0f13542_1369244508_9j-4aaqsk.jpeg) of one of the killers making political statements to an ITV camera. > > Disgusting. Oh man, ITV actually interviewed the guy just after he killed someone!? ---
**Author:** ![panaccione](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@panaccione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panaccione)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldier-murdered-and-possibly-beheaded-in-public-street-in-london/659040/12 "2013-05-22T17:57:38Z")
> [@RedFury](#): > > Warning. Very [**graphic picture**](http://news.images.itv.com/image/file/208858/image_update_433745f6b0f13542_1369244508_9j-4aaqsk.jpeg) of one of the killers making political statements to an ITV camera. > > Disgusting. I was expecting much worse. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldier-murdered-and-possibly-beheaded-in-public-street-in-london/659040/13 "2013-05-22T17:57:48Z")
> [@Pjen](#): > > We shall respond as Shrub did to 9/11 but in proportion. We shall invade the Comoros islands and send three people kidnapped randomly from round the world and detain them in Tropical Sark. Sark’s no good, there was only one Breton who claimed it for Brittany and his one man insurrection was (sadly) cut short. Y’all should detain them in the Falklands instead. Then claim it’s Argentinian territory so you can’t be held accountable for what goes on there. ---
**Author:** ![Pjen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Pjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pjen)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldier-murdered-and-possibly-beheaded-in-public-street-in-london/659040/14 "2013-05-22T18:00:47Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Sark’s no good, there was only one Breton who claimed it for Brittany and his one man insurrection was (sadly) cut short. Y’all should detain them in the Falklands instead. Then claim it’s Argentinian territory so you can’t be held accountable for what goes on there. My father used to work with the current seigneur of Sark- he was a simple ngineer before his mother died leading to his reign! ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldier-murdered-and-possibly-beheaded-in-public-street-in-london/659040/15 "2013-05-22T18:02:53Z")
Apparently they were chanting “Allahu Ackbar”. [http://news.sky.com/story/1094380/woolwich-soldier-dead-after-terror-attack](http://news.sky.com/story/1094380/woolwich-soldier-dead-after-terror-attack) ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldier-murdered-and-possibly-beheaded-in-public-street-in-london/659040/16 "2013-05-22T18:06:58Z")
What does a “Help for Heroes” T-shirt refer to? ETA: Got it, British wounded servicemen and women. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldier-murdered-and-possibly-beheaded-in-public-street-in-london/659040/17 "2013-05-22T18:13:02Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > What does a “Help for Heroes” T-shirt refer to? > > ETA: Got it, British wounded servicemen and women. [Help For Heroes.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help_for_Heroes) ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldier-murdered-and-possibly-beheaded-in-public-street-in-london/659040/18 "2013-05-22T19:07:02Z")
> [@Ryan\_Liam](#): > > Oh man, ITV actually interviewed the guy just after he killed someone!? I think it’s mobile phone footage. Bizarre world we live in in which people hold up their phones rather than getting the hell away. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldier-murdered-and-possibly-beheaded-in-public-street-in-london/659040/19 "2013-05-22T19:23:49Z")
The lad who shot the footage had been on the way to a job interview according to ITV. ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldier-murdered-and-possibly-beheaded-in-public-street-in-london/659040/20 "2013-05-22T19:33:29Z")
> [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](#): > > I think it’s mobile phone footage. Bizarre world we live in in which people hold up their phones rather than getting the hell away. Not only that, but apparently passersby were engaging in conversation with the suspected killer, still holding the knife: [pic](http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/may/22/woolwich-two-shot-in-police-incident-live-coverage#block-519d1730e4b0e3928886144e) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soldier-murdered-and-possibly-beheaded-in-public-street-in-london/659040.md?page=2)