Tuesday, 26 July 2011

EDL denies links to Norwegian gunman Anders Breivik

The Prime Minister has asked the security services and police to consider their scrutiny of groups such as the English Defence League and report any concerns or recommendations to the Government’s National Security Council (NSC).
Broader issues such as the licensing of firearms and the supply of ammunition and fertilisers which can be used for bombs will also be scrutinised.
Security officials have been asked to study contingency plans to ensure that adequate measures are in place to react to any “copycat” shooting spree by an extremist in this country.
The Prime Minister ordered the urgent work yesterday morning at a meeting of the NSC which was dominated by discussions over the Norwegian atrocity.
Experts from Scotland Yard have already travelled to Norway to help with the investigation.

Britain and Spain have both been victims of horrific acts of terrorism in the past and I know that both of us will be offering every support that we can to Norway in the days ahead.”
Mr Cameron added: “Britain has already provided police assistance and will continue to offer our expertise and our moral support.
“Britain and Norway have been good allies and neighbours in very dark days before. We know that the resilience and the courage and the decency of our Norwegian friends will overcome this evil.After such a dreadful event the British government must of course review our own security at home and that is what the National Security Council started to do this morning when we met.”
Mr Cameron denied that Britain had been “complacent” about the threat of Right-wing extremism, pointing out that it was mentioned in the Government’s official terrorism strategy and in a speech he made on the issue in Munich in February.

English Defence League (EDL) has defended claims that Anders Breivik, who has admitted carrying out Friday's shooting and bomb attacks in Norway, had links to the organisation.

Mr Breivik posted supportive messages about the organisation online and claims to have had contact in the past with members of the EDL, but had distanced himself from them in his manifesto.

The leader of the EDL, Stephen Lennon - who also goes by the name of Tommy Robinson - denied that he had ever met Mr Breivik.

Speaking on Newsnight, he said he didn't believe the Norwegian had been on any of their demonstrations.

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