UK in danger from terrorists
2004-06-29 20:31
London - Britain may not be able to protect itself from terrorist attack if extremist groups develop chemical, biological and nuclear weapons, an influential parliamentary committee warned on Tuesday.
In its annual report, the Intelligence and Security Committee said the government had underestimated the threat posed by Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network and needed to further boost funding for its spy agencies.
The report said the number of people willing to join Islamic terrorist groups was rising, "which some argue is a consequence of military action by coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan and a perceived failure to address Palestinian/Israeli issues."
The committee interviewed Prime Minister Tony Blair, several of his ministers and the heads of Britain's intelligence agencies to compile its report.
Blair's office said the government would study its findings and respond shortly.
The committee analyses the work of Britain's three spy agencies: the domestic security service MI5; the external spy agency MI6; and the Government Communications Headquarters listening station, that monitors communications around the world for potential threats.
The committee, made up of lawmakers from the main political parties, said the government underestimated the threat posed by Islamic radicals until the September 11 2001 attacks, leaving the agencies under-resourced.
"A turning point could have been the East African embassy bombings in 1998, which first demonstrated the power of Osama Bin Laden and the al-Qaeda network, but this resulted in no significant changes to priorities and resources," said the report.
Giving evidence to the committee in October, the director general of MI5, Eliza Manningham-Buller, suggested it was only a matter of time before Britain was attacked by terrorists.
The report said that funding for MI5 had been boosted, but MI6, the external spy agency, and GCHQ, the government's communication intercept operation, needed more cash to ensure the "UK's ability to identify, monitor and disrupt threats from abroad is to be improved."
The report also said that intelligence agencies had neglected other threats, such as Russian and Chinese attempts at industrial espionage.
- AP