It turns out that the terrorists are British subjects of Nigerian descent and had been under investigation by the security serviices for ties to terrorism.

USA Today:

The two suspects videotaped butchering a soldier to death on a London street before spouting extremist slogans to bystanders were part of a early security services investigations for possible terror links, according to a government British official.

The official, who spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about the investigation, said he could not provide other details because the suspects may face trial, the Associated Press reported.

Investigations by Britain's domestic security service, MI5, can include undercover surveillance, phone tapping and communications intercepts.

Scotland Yard meanwhile confirmed that the victim was a soldier, but did not release his name. The government also lifted its temporary order for members of the military not to wear their uniform in public.

The assailants, who struck the soldier, apparently at random, with their car on Wednesday then attacked him with knives and meat cleavers, are under arrest. Both were hospitalized after being shot by police.

During the night, police raided two homes, one in Greenwich and one in Lincolnshire, in connection with their investigation into the brutal attack.

The Associated Press, quoting an unidentified British official, said both men had been part of an earlier security services probe.

The BBC, quoting unidentified sources, reported that one of the suspects is 28-year-old Michael Adebolajo, who comes from a devout Christian family but converted to Islam after leaving college in 2001. The BBC said he was described as "bright and witty" when he was at college.

No doubt if the unfortunate victim had been murdered in the US, the government would have gone to great lengths in denying he was a victim of a terrorist plot.

Even after one of the alleged murderers made a chilling statement:

One of the men sought to justify his actions in chilling remarks to a bystander who recorded the attack near the Royal Artillery Barracks in South London on video.

"We swear by Almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you," he said, clutching knives in his bloodied hands. "The only reasons we have done this is because Muslims are dying every day. This British soldier is an eye for an eye a tooth for tooth. We apologize that women had to see this today but in our lands our women have to see the same. You people will never be safe. Remove your government. They don't care about you."

Nope, I don't see any Islamic terrorism there, do you?

Fortunately for Great Britain, their government is a little more realistic than our own and are treating the attack as an act of terrorism. Whether they find any connections between these men and terrorist groups, like the Nigerian based Boko Haram, remains to be seen.