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April 9, 2006
UK: MI5 Claims 400 Islamist Terrorists Are At Large
According to today's Sunday Times, the police and the intelligence agency MI5 have claimed that there are at least 400 al-Qaeda terror suspects at large in Britain. Previous estimates, made last year by Lord Stevens, the former Metropolitan police commissioner, gave the figure as 200.
Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller, the head of MI5 (pictured), who took up her appointment in October 2002 has said that, if those who have attended terrorist training camps in Pakistan and Afghanistan are included, the actual figure could be as high as 600.
James Hart, police commissioner of the City of London, who coordinated responses to the London attacks of July 7 2005, said: "With about 400 terrorist suspects it requires a great deal of resources to investigate them. It's impossible. You simply have to make intelligent guesses about who to watch. It's a bit of a lottery."
There is a kernel of 40 to 60 "hard-core" terror suspects who have the ability and the will to cause attacks in Britain. There are more Islamists at the periphery who could become actual terrorists at any time.
MI5 have identified "hot-spots" for potential terrorist activities, which include particularly the city of Manchester, where several potential suicide attackers have been stopped at the airport, bound for Iraq.
We reported last November that MI5 was claiming it needed more funds, to recruit 800 potential spies, particularly for G-unit, the Islamic terrorism branch.
MI5 has used additional funding to open offices in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham and Glasgow. There are plans to open offices in Wales and the southwest.
But according to the Times, the police are short of necessary funding to counter the terrorist threat. James Hart said that not enough money was being given to counter terrorism, and the safety of the nation was at stake. Patrick Mercer, Tory spokesperson for homeland security, said money should be given by the government to this end straight away.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at April 9, 2006 7:26 PM
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