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| Britain | |
| Terror threat in UK 'approaching critical' | |
| 2008-10-04 | |
| The threat level is at the "severe end of severe" according to sources who say the level of "chatter" among terrorist cells has increased in recent months. The security services say they are now operating at full stretch to counter the elevated threat. Britain's close relationship with the US has been particularly inflammatory after cross-border raids into Pakistan by American forces.
A senior counter terrorism source said: "We were looking at the threat level six months ago and asking how severe is severe? But it is October now and we are at the severe end of severe. "Al-Qaeda's core exists on the Afghan-Pakistan border. The arrangement of people changes at a frighteningly rapid pace but they have enough people to replace them and there are people who are looking at us and at external operations, some at this country in particular. "We are not chasing shadows. These are potential threats to security and life. Police and the security network are operating at full capacity." The source said a review by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, which looks at information from MI5, MI6 and GCHQ, had considered downgrading the threat from "severe," meaning an attack is highly likely, to "substantial," meaning an attack is a strong possibility, but that move was abandoned after the level of activity increased. The assessment, which has five levels, has been considered severe since the arrest of the men allegedly plotting to attack transatlantic airliners in 2006 but moved up to "critical," meaning an attack is imminent, during last year's car bomb alert which led to the attack on Glasgow airport. It is now only just below that level. MI5 is watching around 200 networks across Britain and MI6 and GCHQ are constantly monitoring communications on the crucial Afghan-Pakistan border area. Although key commanders have been killed in air strikes, one of the particular concerns is the disappearance of Rashid Rauf from Birmingham, an alleged al-Qaeda mastermind who escaped from Pakistani custody last December. Security officials are also worried about threats which may come from off the radar. They are particularly worried by lone operators who "self-radicalise" over the internet and stock-pile chemicals from domestic sources. "They are discreet from traditional networks and have a very small intelligence signature which makes them hard to pick up," the source said. There is also a fear that some in the Somali community in Britain could have "potential connections" with al-Qaeda terrorists. Last week's attack on the US embassy in the Yemen means security officials now consider the Arabian peninsular "particularly combustible." "Over the past year, al-Qaeda has invested huge energy in outlying organisations," the source said. But it is the lone operators who pose the biggest threat, particularly since attempts to cut off the supply of "kitchen chemicals" used in home made bombs, such as hydrogen peroxide and ammonium nitrate, have been unsuccessful because they are so widely available. "We are doing a lot of research work into the detection of explosives at train stations and so on but this really demonstrates the importance of preventing radicalisation," the source said. Part of the strategy has involved tackling al-Qaeda propaganda over the internet. "We are looking at the way we see the threat as a movement by the al-Qaeda core and we're finding a new language to help move on the debate," the source said. "Whatever they do, we want to do." The Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism, a part of the Home Office which co-ordinates Britain's count-terrorism strategy, is working on a number of strategies for diverting vulnerable young men and de-radicalising those who have become involved with extremist organisations. "We have limited evidence about what works but we want to get moving forward," the source said. "We need some quick wins." | |
| Posted by:lotp |
| #8 Purple. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2008-10-04 15:43 |
| #7 What colour is the severe end of severe? Cute, .5MT. :-) Where do you store the thermite and the RPGs if the attic is already full of guns and ammunition? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-10-04 15:39 |
| #6 They told me 30 years ago -- first Britain, then the US. All part of the jihad plan, which is right on schedule. |
| Posted by: ex-lib 2008-10-04 14:46 |
| #5 You guys on rantburg are all wrong. Just do what they say and no one will get hurt. They just want peace and their place in the sun. And they're really mad about all the humiliation they have experienced, which is our fault. So put down your weapons and TRUST. It will be okay. |
| Posted by: ex-lib 2008-10-04 14:45 |
| #4 For every one innocent civilian killed within this land we need to remove one mosque and its Muslim congregation from within this land. That would change the balance of power. There, fixed that for you, pieman. |
| Posted by: Jolutch Mussolini7800 2008-10-04 08:19 |
| #3 severe end of severe If I recall correctly That's shoot hippies on sight? Ah hell Ima steal from Daddy Frank J. To be more specific, here is how you should you act in different situations based on the alert levels. How should I store my firearms? *Green: Throw them in the fire. There is no more need for weapons. *Blue: Wrap them in some rags and store them in the attic somewhere in case you need them one day. *Yellow: Keep both your guns and ammo readily accessible. *Orange: Load your gun and carry it on you at all times, even around the house. *Red: The gun should be in your hand, pointed in front of you with your finger resting on the trigger. I see a stranger outside. *Green: Maybe he could give your kids a ride to school. *Blue: He might be lost; ask him what he's doing here. *Yellow: Stay in your house and avoid him. Strangers bad. *Orange: Run outside and pistol-whip him while questioning his involvement with terrorism. *Red: Kill him; no questions asked. I hear a noise at night. *Green: That's just the house settling; go back to sleep. *Blue: Probably nothing, but you better check it out. *Yellow: Grab your gun and call 911. *Orange: No time for police; run through your house shooting anything that moves. *Red: Initiate the house's auto-destruct sequence; leap out window. You see a hippy. *Green: Punch him. *Blue: Kick him. *Yellow: Punch him then kick him. *Orange: Punch him then kick him and then stomp on him. *Red: Strangle him. You receive a strange envelope in the mail with no return address. *Green: Rip it open; who knows what fun lies inside! *Blue: Open it carefully just in case. *Yellow: Don't touch it and call the police. *Orange: Can't wait for the authorities; toss it out the window and then unload a gun into it. *Red: For the love of God, immediately flee from the envelope. Hunt down and kill the mailman. You see some movement in a nearby tree. *Green: It's probably a squirrel. Hello squirrel. *Blue: Better check out what it is to be on the safe side. *Yellow: Might be the escaped monkey from the zoo. Better contact the authorities. *Orange: It's a ninja! Fire indiscriminately into the treetops. *Red: Set fire to the tree and all trees around it. No safe haven for ninjas! You see a strange van parked nearby. *Green: It must be an ice cream truck. Let's get ice cream. *Blue: Check to make sure it's legally parked. *Yellow: Better call the FBI to check this one out. *Orange: Politely knock on the van door. Kill everyone inside. *Red: Shoot the van with a rocket propelled grenade. Kill anyone who protests; they're terrorists too. You realize the person you are talking to is a Communist. *Green: Kill him. *Blue: Kill him. *Yellow: Kill him. *Orange: Kill him. *Red: Kill him and burn his body. You see a stray dog. *Green: Go pet the cute little puppy. *Blue: Better check if he has a dog tag so you can get him back to his owner. *Yellow: Call animal control. *Orange: It's some sort of terrorist trick. Shoot the dog with a sniper rifle. *Red: Destroy the dog with a thermite charge and then kill all witnesses. |
| Posted by: .5MT 2008-10-04 06:17 |
| #2 Shouldn't publish articles about mullah's daughter boobs. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2008-10-04 05:47 |
| #1 For every one innocent civilian killed within this land we need to remove one mosque from within this land. That would change the balance of power. |
| Posted by: simple pieman 2008-10-04 02:31 |