The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in London says that the Westminster attacker was in the country three times and taught English there.
A statement released late Friday says Khalid Masood taught English in Saudi Arabia from November 2005 to November 2006 and again from April 2008 to April 2009.
The embassy says he had a work visa. It says he returned for six days in March 2015.
The embassy says he wasn't tracked by Saudi security services and didn't have a criminal record there.
Before taking the name Masood, he was known as Adrian Elms. He was known for having a violent temper in England and had criminal convictions.
Masood drove an SUV into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before fatally stabbing a policeman. He was shot dead.
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Comments (38) Closed
Jo
Mar 25, 2017 01:24pm
Saudi Arabia has a lot to answer for influencing people in following hard line ideology
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M.Saeed
Mar 25, 2017 01:37pm
He was stated to have an accomplice who probably had slipped after mowing down the pedestrians. It is not a simple case as it being made to appears.
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Dr Mazhar
Mar 25, 2017 01:59pm
A guy hit and killed 5 innocent people in Melbourne last month. No body asked his religion because he was not Muslim, Media didn't say it was a terrorist attack because he was not Muslim, even police didn't kill him because he was not Muslim. Khalid Masood had criminal history long before he was converted to Islam, When police and intelligence fail to protect people it is easy for them to put everything on religion.
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sam
Mar 25, 2017 02:06pm
@Dr Mazhar Accidents vs attacks is answer... Not Muslim or non Muslims.
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Nomi Goraya
Mar 25, 2017 02:17pm
@Dr Mazhar I partially tends to agree but there are few differences due to which such attacks like in London or Paris are dubbed as religiously motivated and tracked to religion. The incident in Melbourne yo quoted was and act of individual which he executed due to his mental state and was not influenced by any ideology (be very clear that twisted and sick ideology of IS has nothing to do with Islam) but in case of other mentioned attacks it was ideologically motivated and there was one thing in mind of attacker that he is doing it as a greater good. IS and other terrorist outfits very cleverly capitalized on criminal mind set when he fails to gain all goals in life and resort to violence what IS did that it made that violence a great virtue. The way west is dealing with such incidents is as dangerous as this IS mindset is where Muslims who have to suffer the most due to this twisted IS mindset which tends to hijack their religion are painted as real problem. But it is different
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irfan uk
Mar 25, 2017 02:45pm
Why was this person killed and not shot in the leg or something so that the police could interrogate him and maybe find some real answers? It makes no sense to me and most others why someone would commit an act like this so we really need answers. People blaming Muslims for these terrorists need to understand that we the Muslims use the same roads and streets and parks and all other places so we are a target just as much as others.
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Sajid malick
Mar 25, 2017 02:50pm
@Dr Mazhar I agree with you.
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jafar abbas
Mar 25, 2017 02:57pm
How depressing for the Muslim world. Each terrorist or it's group in found links with K.S.A.
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Lafanga
Mar 25, 2017 03:02pm
@Nomi Goraya How do you know for sure that Melbourne attack was not religiously motivated but London attack was? All we know so far is that a guy mowed down people on the bridge then killed a cop in front of the parliament before being shot and killed. How can you say from this that it was religiously motivated other than one simple fact that this guy changed his name to a Muslim name at some point in his life. That is all.
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Love Your Country
Mar 25, 2017 02:59pm
Loss of innocent life is regrettable no matter where it happens to followers of whatever faith. But did the world pay as much attention to 20+ children killed in one targeted air strike in Syria (no matter who was hitting). I challenge all readers to find me one meaningful and balanced discussion on issues of foreign policy related faults of the policy of the Western powers that are only affecting the Muslims. Discussion is successfully kept focused on terrorists to lead the general public look away.
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imran
Mar 25, 2017 03:05pm
killing innocent people and that too children is barbaric and totally condemnable. Our thoughts and prayers for the victims, their families and friends and those who are recovering in hospitals.
no religion teaches us to target innocent human lives.
i have lived in london for 6 years and Londoners didnt deserve such a barbaric and terrible act.
our thought to all the expats overseas who have to bear its repercussions
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Sajid malick
Mar 25, 2017 03:09pm
This was the media who discriminate such ideology otherwise I believe people understood the actual story and the things which has going on now a days.
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Nomi Goraya
Mar 25, 2017 03:09pm
@Lafanga Sir I hate even more than this when such senseless crimes are related to Islam but just to get emotional and blame for everything on others and keeping our own head buried deep in sand is not solution. We have to wake up to take back our religion from IS and other outfits who has nothing to do with Islam and making life hell of Muslims. I have no doubt in my mind that to blame a whole religion or whole community for a mindless is attack is the worst thing but London attack is not an isolated event why all countries who have sizeable Muslim population are suffering due to this twisted ideology of IS. Can you give me a any example of Muslim country who do not consider attacks such as in London or Paris a real threat? I know that it is not Islam but you can not just paint it as discrimination and sleep that it was just an isolated event. People traveled from Europe to IS held areas and exploded on order of IS and still we think that it is some isolated event?
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Nomi Goraya
Mar 25, 2017 03:18pm
@Love Your Country You pointed very rightly to sole cause which is providing fuel to this twisted ideology this injustice on part of world this silence on cruelty which people have to face in their lives. If WEST wants peace in their own countries then they have to treat others in SYRIA, IRAQ etc as equal humans. Just blaming whole religion and whole community due to some sick and twisted mindset is as deplorable as this so called IS ideology is
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Abdulla Hussain
Mar 25, 2017 03:41pm
@Jo: There is no justification to point finger towards Saudi Arab. This is an individual act or acts of his mentor, the ISS not KSA. Knowing fully well the temperament of this person why the local authority did not take some steps to watch this man.
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Zak
Mar 25, 2017 03:51pm
What has visiting countries got to do with an individual's act. Only biased idiots will find links to further their prejudices.
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Nomi Goraya
Mar 25, 2017 04:03pm
@Abdulla Hussain I totally agree but from where IS derives its ideology and what is their main funding recourse ?
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Rou
Mar 25, 2017 04:09pm
Why is it that all terrorists have shady past and criminal record?
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Harmony-1©
Mar 25, 2017 04:30pm
Just going by his name, some were making typical insinuations about his origin!!!
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Sana
Mar 25, 2017 04:34pm
@M.Saeed
Sure
accomplice - yes
but he himself was guilty or is there any conspiracy theory in your mind?
That is why the cops are spending time interviewing family and friends since he had some support
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Sana
Mar 25, 2017 04:36pm
@Dr Mazhar
so it's not a terror attack?
wow
when you say these things people wonder about how closed minded you are
ISIS claimed responsibility for this attack - isn't that enough to make it a terror attack?
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pakistani
Mar 25, 2017 04:32pm
Thank God he is not a Pakistani and did not visit Pakistan.
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JYOTI
Mar 25, 2017 04:39pm
@irfan uk Absolutely spot on. I have been to Saudi Arabia 5 times does that make me a terrorist!!!
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JYOTI
Mar 25, 2017 04:41pm
A fearful world is a very ugly world. Ordinary human beings are bringing their worst out!!!
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Sana
Mar 25, 2017 04:41pm
@Zak
the visits at times- and I agree with you- not at all times are connected to becoming radicalized
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Dr Mazhar
Mar 25, 2017 04:46pm
@Nomi Goraya I just want to say that how media paints an event when any Muslim is involved as an attacker. We read in newspapers every other day about shootings in USA where innocent people are killed but no one takes care until it is done by any Muslim. most of the terrorist attacks happened in west are done by criminals (non-ideologists) Muslims, For sure I believe these organizations like Talibans, AlQaida, IS are all criminals, cruel and have nothing to do with ideological Islam. They have killed more number of Muslims and destroyed more mosques as compared to other people.
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syedchaudhrygangadinkhan
Mar 25, 2017 05:19pm
"Saudi embassy confirms UK attacker had been in Saudi Arabia:"
What does that mean?
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M.Saeed
Mar 25, 2017 05:21pm
This appears to be a serious security breach by Saudi Arabia. Anyone applying for a visa to Saudi Arabia has to give details of one's ancestors up to his grandfather and history of links to any Saudi outlawed bodies. It is surprising how he was issued visas on 3 occasions with non-Muslim parentage?
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JAMIL
Mar 25, 2017 05:25pm
@Dr Mazhar great thought
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ahaq
Mar 25, 2017 05:31pm
@Abdulla Hussain With no democracy, accountability of government in Saudi Arabia, everything goes by the whims of ruling royalties. Underground extremists thrive in such an environment.
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Jo
Mar 25, 2017 05:40pm
Remember it's a kingdom!!
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Nomi Goraya
Mar 25, 2017 05:42pm
@Dr Mazhar I can well understand your point and I have said that reaction of WEST to deal with such attacks is also part of problem and is as deplorable as ideology of IS is. But at least I can very clearly see the line which separates hate crimes or individual attacks to the Ideological attacks like this. Respected Dr. since we are blaming to West so lets come home what is problem in Pakistan? Why Pakistan thinks IS and TTP as threat why IS and TTP are attacking Pakistan a Muslim majority country and calls herself Islamic Republic. For a moment just ignore what is the source of funding and look what is the point on which each and every suicide attacker is brain washed? Do you remember the pic TTP issues after APS massacre what was written in background? I know Islam even does not allow you to harm the animal or plant but we know that IS TTP all are using the Islam to brain wash their members so we need to work to fight this ideological war on two fronts IS and West to show real Islam
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Iftikhar Husain
Mar 25, 2017 05:49pm
He had an influence on his thinking in KSA.
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Faisal
Mar 25, 2017 05:56pm
@Nomi Goraya
Well said Nomi.
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B.patel. USA
Mar 25, 2017 06:24pm
@irfan uk. A very, very sensible comment Irfanbhai.
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Abdulla Hussain
Mar 25, 2017 06:46pm
@Dr Mazhar: They are all biased towards Muslims
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Oussy
Mar 25, 2017 06:53pm
@sam in canada 11 muslim shot dead outside mosque. Taxi man shot dead. Did that even make the headlines???
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Right
Mar 25, 2017 07:22pm
@jafar abbas Stop commenting on sectarian lines, Millions of Muslims go to Saudi Arabia for work or Haj. Any one of them will do something and you will say look he has been to Saudi hence Saudi connection proven.
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