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MI5 to e-mail terror updates
09/01/2007 15:13 - (SA)
London - Britain's MI5 will begin sending out terror alerts to members of the public over e-mail on Tuesday, part of a move by the spy agency toward greater openness.
Anyone interested in following the threat level - which has sat at "severe" since August 14, 2006 - will receive e-mail updates should the level change. The highest level is "critical", meaning an attack is imminent.
A second service allows users to subscribe to updates on MI5's website, which might include news about leadership changes or the government's agenda for combating terrorism, Home Office spokesperson Stephen Carter said.
The e-mail alert system is another tentative step into the limelight for the domestic spy agency, whose doings - and even existence - has long been shrouded in secrecy.
The government only officially acknowledged the existence of MI5 in 1989, and its leadership remained a secret until 1992.
It unveiled its terror alert system last August. The threat level has risen once since then, rising to "critical" on August 10 after the announcement of a foiled airline bombing plot.
The threat level fell back to "severe" five days later.
The United States and France, which have similar alert systems, do not offer any kind of official e-mail service.
- AP
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