Midday Roundup: British security services knew knife-wielding attackers

Terror in London. British security and intelligence forces acknowledged today they knew about the two men accused of attacking and killing a British soldier in broad daylight yesterday. The men, both though to be of Nigerian descent, hacked the soldier to death with knives and a meat cleaver on a relatively busy London street while yelling “Allahu akbar.” They told bystanders they wanted to start a war and that the attack was in retaliation for British involvement in Afghanistan. Security forces stopped one of the suspects from leaving the country last year. He was suspected of heading to Somalia to join al Shabaab militants. Once police arrived yesterday, the suspects were wounded in a shootout. Before law enforcement officials arrived on the scene, bystanders clustered around the body of the dead soldier and tried to talk the attackers out of harming anyone else. Several also filmed the attackers on their phones, capturing an Islamic rant with which they justified their actions.

Another ricin attack. The FBI arrested a Washington state man after he sent a letter laced with the deadly poison ricin to a federal judge. Matthew Ryan Buquet, 37, was arrested Wednesday. The U.S. Postal Service intercepted two letters last week—one addressed to the courthouse and the other to the downtown Spokane post office. Investigators are trying to figure out what might have prompted Buquet to send the letters. Court records showed no evidence he had appeared before the judge he is accused of sending the letters to. Buquet is the second person in as many months arrested and charged with sending letters poisoned with ricin. A Mississippi man was charged last month with sending letters to President Barack Obama, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and a Mississippi county judge.

Misconduct at West Point. In another blow to the military following a slew of incidents involving sexual misconduct, an Army sergeant has been charged with secretly photographing and videotaping at least a dozen women at West Point, including in a bathroom. Sgt. 1st Class Michael McClendon faces charges of dereliction of duty, mistreatment, entering a women’s bathroom without notice, and taking and possessing inappropriate photos and videos of women who were naked or in various states of undress. McClendon, who is a combat engineer and joined the military in 1990, was assigned to the academy from 2009 to this month. He was a member of the support staff at West Point, working with cadets. After the allegations emerged, he was transferred to Fort Drum, N.Y., where he continues to work and is not under arrest.

Free lunch. The man hailed as a hero for helping three Cleveland women escape the house where they’d been held as prisoners for almost a decade was rewarded today with “burgers for life“ from 12 area restaurants. In the immediate aftermath of the rescue, Charles Ramsey repeatedly told reporters how he was eating his lunch from McDonald’s when he heard a woman yelling for help from the house next door. Of course, he put down his Big Mac to rush to her aid. The restaurant giant hinted on Twitter it would be in touch with Ramsey, presumably to offer him a free meal or two, but it looks like local Cleveland businesses beat Ronald to the punch, and the publicity.