1. We hear from the report that this was a "tirade" directed at the soldier. If the soldier had reason to believe that he was under threat of physical attack, such a tirade would satisfy the definition of "common assault." It isn't necessary for an actual physical attack to take place, simply that the victim had a justifiable fear that an attack would take place.
2. Religious 'aggravation' is a crime:
The Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 amends the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 to include religious aggravation within the definition of Section 28 CDA. Casework Bulletin 35 of 2001 provides further guidance. All references in this chapter to racial aggravation should therefore be read to include religious aggravation.
So, the incident appears to satisfy this definition and at least one, if not two crimes seem on the face of it, to have been committed.
The question now is, "What are the police doing about this incident?" Has the perpetrator been 'interviewed'? Charged? If not, why not? Too busy handing out speeding tickets? Or too hot to handle?
Though I've been against our involvement in Iraq from the very start, Afghanistan is a different matter. The drug dealing and deviationist Islamic teachings are where the real threat to the west always came from. When I read about this assault on one of our soldiers it made me so bloody angry I could hardly speak.