Al-Qaeda tried to infiltrate MI5
2006-07-04 08:35
London - Al-Qaeda sympathisers have been trying to infiltrate British security service MI5, a news report said on Monday.
The infiltrators tried to take advantage of a sharp expansion in MI5's numbers by applying for jobs at the agency, BBC radio and television reported.
However, the attempt failed because the suspicious
applicants were weeded out during a six-to-eight month vetting
process, it said, quoting government officials.
Rigorous vetting procedure
Britain's interior ministry, which speaks for MI5, declined
to confirm or deny the report.
"All applicants for jobs at the Security Service/MI5 are
subject to a rigorous vetting procedure and a number of
candidates are turned down on security vetting grounds," it
said.
The number of MI5 officers is set to rise to 3 500 from
2 600 now to try to prevent attacks such as those carried out by
British Muslim suicide bombers on London transport a year ago
that killed 52 people.
Advertising for new recruits
Once highly secretive, MI5 now advertises openly for
recruits on its website and says it is very keen to talk to
speakers of Arabic, Bengali, Urdu, Somali and Sorani (a Kurdish
dialect).
Tens of thousands of people apply to join MI5 each year,
with 400 making it through to final selection, the BBC said.
Applicants' backgrounds and sympathies are intensively
investigated.
Created in 1909 as a counter-espionage bureau, MI5 is best
known for dealing with Soviet espionage during the Cold War and
with Irish militant groups.
After the September 11 attacks in the United States, the British government has sought to shift MI5's priority to countering Islamic militants.