Boris Johnson: Neither Islam nor UK foreign policy to blame for Woolwich attack

Boris Johnson has said the blame for the brutal murder of a soldier in Woolwich lies with the ‘warped mind-set’ of his killers.

The London mayor, arriving for a meeting of the government’s emergency Cobra committee chaired by prime minister David Cameron, said it was wrong to blame either Muslims or the presence of UK troops in Afghanistan for the attack.

One of the two suspects in yesterday’s killing made a series of political statements in the wake of the attack, while counterterrorism officers are waiting to question both men in hospital after they were shot by armed police.

‘One obvious point, it is completely wrong to blame this killing on Islam but also wrong to draw a link between this murder and British foreign policy,’ Mr Johnson said on Thursday morning.

‘The fault lies with the warped mind-set of those who did it and for the sake of the victim and his family the killers need to be brought to justice.’

The mayor also paid tribute to the bravery of the people in Woolwich after several women went to the aid of the victim as he lay prone in the street.

Urging Londoners to ‘go about their lives in the normal way’, he added: ‘People should take their cue from the people of Woolwich who showed such natural courage and stood up to those killers.’

Mr Johnson reiterated his call for people living in London to continue their day as usual, suggesting the government is treating the attack on Woolwich as an isolated incident.

After visiting the scene of the murder later, he thanked the police for their ‘excellent work’ and pledged to bring those accountable to justice.

The terrorism threat level in Britain remains ‘substantial’.

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