Brits admit fears of attack

2004-04-07 13:16

London - Almost three out of four people believe an al-Qaeda terrorist attack is inevitable, according to a poll of British voters published in London's Times newspaper on Wednesday.

The Populus poll found that despite the belief of 73% of those polled that there would be a major al-Qaeda terrorist attack in Britain "before long", only 12% had changed their plans or routines because of the terrorist threat.

A large majority, 80%, thought that Muslim leaders in Britain should do more to root out and condemn terrorist sympathisers within their communities.

Just over half, 51%, opposed the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq to lessen the terrorist threat, as against 43% thought they should pull out.

There was strong support for the introduction of compulsory identification cards, with 72% in favour, to help counter terrorism.

The poll comes the day after it was widely reported in the media that British and US intelligence services had foiled a suspected plot to detonate a chemical bomb in Britain by a group thought to be sympathetic to Al-Qaeda.

Police have refused to comment.

Security services were said to have intercepted communications between potential attackers, who were believed to be planning to detonate a combination of explosive and a highly toxic substance called osmium tetroxide, according to the reports.

Britain, a staunch ally of the United States in Iraq and in its "war on terror", remains on a heightened state of alert against a feared attack on its soil, particularly following the Madrid bombings last month.

Populus surveyed 1 045 adults between April 2 and 4.

- AFP