More spies for Britain

2008-03-19 20:30

London - Britain was to increase the number of spies it employed to tackle threats from extremists, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Wednesday as he presented the first report on a new, national security strategy.

Staff numbers in the domestic service MI5, the overseas service MI6 and its "listening" station GCHQ "will rise in number to 4 000, twice the level of 2001" (before the September 11 attacks in the US), he told lawmakers.

Four new, regional counter-terrorism units and four regional intelligence centres would also be created, and there would be greater input on security matters from non-government experts, he added.

Brown said, furthermore, that the public should be better informed about the existing threat to the country from extremists, and announced the publication of a "national register of risks" later this year.

Parliament's intelligence and security oversight committee should also be more transparent, holding meetings in public rather than behind closed doors, with lawmakers discussing security issues more, he added.

Britain's international responsibility

Brown restated Britain's commitment to leading the way in controlling nuclear proliferation and reduction, and the creation of a 1 000-strong civilian standby force to go into failed and failing states.

There were also continued commitments to conflict prevention and resolution in world hotspots, including funding 850 Burundian troops in war-torn Somalia, and reconstruction in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Britain has been grappling increasingly with the issue of greater security after London was hit by four Muslim-extremist suicide bombers on July 7, 2005, who killed themselves and 52 others on the public transport network.

- AFP