Allegation – MI5 Recruited Al Qaeda Sympathizers

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MI5 mistakenly recruited al Qaeda sympathisers who were trying to infiltrate the British secret service, it has been alleged.

Conservative MP Patrick Mercer is demanding a probe into claims six Muslims were thrown out of MI5 because of concerns about their past.

Two of the six allegedly attended al Qaeda training camps in Pakistan while the others had unexplained gaps of up to three months in their CVs.

Mr Mercer, counter-terrorism sub-committee chairman, told Sky News that MI5 is believed to have detected two sympathisers at a “fairly early stage” of their secret service training.

The others allegedly did not make it through vetting procedures.

However, Mr Mercer wants clarification on how successful the security services have been at detecting enemy infiltrators.

via MI5 Recruited Al Qaeda Sympathisers Claim: Conservative MP Patrick Mercer Demands Probe | UK News | Sky News.

Active Islamist Extremists In UK May Number In The Thousands

More Islamist extremists are active in the UK than previously thought, a secret intelligence report seen by the Sunday Telegraph has suggested.

There are “some thousands” of militants in Britain, with extremist cells concentrated in London, Birmingham and Luton, the quoted report says.

The document also states the UK will remain “a high-priority target” for al-Qaeda for the foreseeable future.

The Home Office said resources had been invested to tackle the complex threat.

The paper says the document – marked “restricted” – was drawn up by the intelligence branch of the Ministry of Defence, MI5 and Special Branch.

Although the report states judging the number of militants is “difficult”, it cites estimates from the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) which claim there are “some thousands of extremists in the UK committed to supporting jihadi activities, either in the UK or abroad”.

The document continues: “For the foreseeable future the UK will continue to be a high-priority target for international terrorists aligned with al-Qaeda.

“It will face a threat from British nationals, including Muslim converts, and UK-based foreign terrorists, as well as terrorists planning attacks from abroad.”

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U.S. Considers Creation of Domestic Intelligence Agency

On Monday, at the request of Congress, the RAND Corporation outlined the pros and cons of establishing a domestic intelligence agency. It also discussed different ways to organize a new entity, either as part of an existing department or as a new agency.

But there’s one thing you won’t find in the report a recommendation on what to do.

“We were not asked to make a recommendation, and this assessment does not do so,” the report says.

Instead, says RAND’s Gregory Treverton, the report provides a “framework” for policymakers to use when deciding whether and how to reorganize counter-intelligence efforts at home.

RAND is a nonprofit think tank seeking to help improve policy and decision making through objective research and analysis.

Collecting intelligence domestically always has been a sensitive issue, at least partially because of episodic abuses by the government, notably against civil rights leaders, unions, antiwar organizations or even communists and hate groups.

But the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks renewed calls for increased domestic intelligence to prevent future attacks. Critics said that in the lead-up to the attacks, the FBI devalued counterterrorism agents and failed to heed signs that an attack was imminent.

“If you didn’t carry a gun, you didn’t count so much,” Treverton said.

After the attacks, the FBI moved to transform its primary mission from law enforcement to counterterrorism intelligence and prevention. It now focuses on terrorism through its National Security Branch and the National Counterterrorism Center.

The RAND report focuses on two options to the current system.

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UK – Threat Of Large Scale Terror Plot Being Monitored

Lord West, who advises the Prime Minister on security matters, told the House of Lords: “There is another great plot building up again and we are monitoring this.”

His comments came the day after the House of Lords forced the Government to abandon plans to extend detention without trial for terror suspects to 42 days.

Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, dropped the measure from the bill after it was defeated in the upper house but warned critics they were exposing the country to a greater risk.

During a debate on the Counter-terrorism Bill, Lord West repeated the government’s intention to keep the proposals in a separate piece of legislation to be introduced if needed in the face of an emergency.

He told peers: “Some of the measures that we have put into place in the past 15 months have made us safer, but that does not mean that we are safe.

“The threat is huge. It dipped slightly and is now rising again within the context of ’severe’.

“There are large complex plots. We unravelled one, which caused damage to al-Qaeda and the plots faded slightly.

“However, another great plot is building up again, which we are monitoring.

“We have done a great deal to protect ourselves and to look after our water supplies, our resilience, underground trains, our preparedness and communications.

“We have done all the things that we need to do, but the threat is building – the complex plots are building.”

The Daily Telegraph reported two weeks ago that security sources believed terrorist activity was nearing “critical”.

The threat level is at the “severe end of severe” according to sources who say the level of “ambient activity” among terrorist cells has increased in recent months and they are now operating at full stretch.

The source said: “We are not chasing shadows. These are potential threats to security and life. Police and the security network are operating at full capacity.”

The assessment, which has five levels, has only been “critical,” meaning an attack is “imminent,” during last year’s attack on Glasgow airport and the July 2005 London bombings.

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British Government To Watch Every Call And E-mail

Ministers are considering spending up to £12 billion on a database to monitor and store the internet browsing habits, e-mail and telephone records of everyone in Britain.

GCHQ, the government’s eavesdropping center, has already been given up to £1 billion to finance the first stage of the project.

Hundreds of clandestine probes will be installed to monitor customers live on two of the country’s biggest internet and mobile phone providers – thought to be BT and Vodafone. BT has nearly 5m internet customers.

Ministers are braced for a backlash similar to the one caused by their ID cards program. Dominic Grieve, the shadow home secretary, said: “Any suggestion of the government using existing powers to intercept communications data without public discussion is going to sound extremely sinister.”

MI5 currently conducts limited e-mail and website intercepts which are approved under specific warrants by the home secretary.

Further details of the new plan will be unveiled next month in the Queen’s speech.

The Home Office stressed no formal decision had been taken but sources said officials had made clear that ministers had agreed “in principle” to the program.

Officials claim live monitoring is necessary to fight terrorism and crime. However, critics question whether such a vast system can be kept secure. A total of 57 billion text messages were sent in the UK last year – 1,800 every second.

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Palmtop Computer Stolen From Open Window In M15 Hideout

A burglar who climbed into the property in Greater Manchester on Sunday night got away with the terminal which contained highly sensitive information about national security.

The house was being rented by the national intelligence service but the device was encrypted, so a security breach is thought unlikely.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: “Shortly after 11.20pm police Sunday 28th September were called to a house in Greater Manchester, following reports of a burglary.

“An encrypted handheld computer was stolen. It is believed the offender entered through an open window. Inquiries are ongoing.”

He asked anyone who was offered the stolen property to hand it in to the nearest police station. Police sources told Times Online that it is believed to be an opportunistic rather than targeted burglary.
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