Feed: British brace for possible terror attack - AggScore: 12.8

British brace for possible terror attack

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caption id alignalignleft width127 captionMI5 and the Metropolitan Police issued warnings last Friday on suspect terror plots. Photo The Mirrorimg class srchttpcdn2b.examiner.comsitesdefaultfilesstyleslargehash6675british20flag.jpg alt width127 height84 captiondivThe British domestic intelligence agency MI5hasalerted aviation and policeofficials that alQaedamay beplanninga terroristattack against a U. K. airport or other Britishtarget in a threat described as credible, according to sources at the New Scotland Yardand the British Home Office.divTheintelligence officialsadded that no changes to security will be made and the planned method of attack is still unclear. According to the Scotland Yard source, British counterterrorismofficials immediately warned their U.S. counterparts of a possible terror threat to planes flying through the U.K.There are currently several U.S. counterterrorism teams posted in London and other parts of the U.K., including a team of New York City police detectives from the NYPDs intelligence division.TheNYPD officers assigned in Londonwould not give details, but indicated that British authorities have said they were following the mandated protocolsin the U.K. The heightenedalert cameas a result of increasedchatter among suspects under surveillance byBritish counterterrorists,but there is no imminent threatthat no threat.The Metropolitan Police public information officer statedthat the overall threat level from international terrorism remains at severe the secondhighest level, meaning an attack is highly likely. The level has not changed since January 2010.The Home Officestated that any imminent, serious threat to public safety would prompt a change in the overall threat level and would see it raised to critical, the highest point on the systems five point scale.According to MI5, asignificant number of British nationals and foreign citizenswho residein the UK are known to be linked to or sympathetic with Al Qaeda.blockquoteTERRORIST SYMPATHIZERSSympathizersare supporting the activities of terrorist groups in a range of ways. For example, they areulliproviding resources for terrorist networks engaged in conflicts overseaslilifundraising for terrorist networks overseas and in the UKliliacquiring and disseminating false documents for use by terrorists in the UK and overseas andlilifacilitating training in the UK and overseas in extremist ideology and terrorist techniques.liulblockquoteIn some cases they have also been engaged in directly planning, or attempting to carry out, terrorist attacks. Some British citizens and residents have received terrorist training in camps overseas. Relationships forged in these training camps have formed the basis of loose networks of terrorists who can operate outside structured organizations. Others have formed groups within the UK in which members reinforce each others adherence to extremist ideologies.A number of British residents have traveledto Iraq and Afghanistan to join the insurgencies against those countries governments and international forces. Some have returned to the UK and are believed to be involved in supporting and planning terrorist activities here.More than 40terrorists have been convicted under the Terrorism Act and another 183 have been convicted of terroristrelated offenses, including murder, illegal possession of firearms and explosives offences. 1,165 people have been arrested under the Terrorism Act and 114 areawaiting trial.International terrorism is a nationwide problem. Those involved in international terrorism are not associated with any single area of the UK individuals convicted of terrorist offences have lived throughout the country. Likewise, terrorists have sought to target a variety of different places. Attacks related to international terrorism have occurred in London and Glasgow, and thwarted terrorist plots have been aimed at targets outside the capital, according to a statement from Londons Metropolitan Police.