Al-Qaeda sympathizers have been trying to join MI5 (British counter-intelligence) as the agency expands to recruit more agents from diverse backgrounds in an attempt to bolster its counter-terrorism capability, security sources revealed on Monday night.
A number of potential infiltrators were discovered during the vetting process after applying, but had been weeded out.
The disclosures come amid a big recruitment drive by MI5, with about 100,000 candidates applying for 400 jobs. Staff numbers are expected to grow by over 50 percent over the next two years to 3,500, with over half the service's resources devoted to counter-terrorism.
Last week the parliamentary intelligence and security committee, which oversees the work of MI5, warned of the risks of taking on many new recruits.
Last night's admission came as Scotland Yard's most senior anti- terrorism officer claimed that four major plots, including one with poison, had been foiled since the July 7 attacks last year.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke said yesterday that his officers were picking up more intelligence of conspiracies to inflict mass murder than ever. He said the branch was involved in 70 operations in the UK and around the world to thwart attacks.
In a press conference to mark the first anniversary of the July 7 bombings, Clarke held out hope that people could still be prosecuted for their involvement in the plot. It was "entirely possible" that charges could be brought against those in the UK and abroad who had knowledge of the bombings that killed 56 people, including the four suicide bombers, and injured more than 700.
He also revealed that:
* Sixty people are awaiting trial for terrorism offenses in the UK, 41 of whom have been charged since July 7 last year.
* Most of the accused are British, and counter-terrorism chiefs are concerned at how young some of the accused are. One is 16 years old.
* One of the four plots disrupted is alleged to involve the use of poisons.
* Despite ?30 million (US$55.4 million) in extra money and extra staff, his officers are working close to flat-out to investigate.
The briefing was one of the most detailed on-the-record assessments by a British counter-terrorist official since the Sept. 11 attacks on the US. Clarke said the investigation into the attacks in July last year was still piecing together the final months of the four bombers.
"We are reconstructing the days, weeks and months leading up to the attack, to see if we can get to the point where we can show, to a level required for a criminal prosecution, people who must have been aware of what was going to happen," Clarke said.
Britain's counter-terrorism officers have faced recent criticism over a raid on an east London home in search of an alleged chemical weapon, which saw 250 officer storm the house and left one man shot.
No one was charged over the raid and no device has been found.
Clarke said the counter-terrorism effort would lead to "shocks" in the relationship between the police and British Muslims.
SEEKING CHANGE: A hospital worker said she did not vote in previous elections, but ‘now I can see that maybe my vote can change the system and the country’ Voting closed yesterday across the Solomon Islands in the south Pacific nation’s first general election since the government switched diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to Beijing and struck a secret security pact that has raised fears of the Chinese navy gaining a foothold in the region. The Solomon Islands’ closer relationship with China and a troubled domestic economy weighed on voters’ minds as they cast their ballots. As many as 420,000 registered voters had their say across 50 national seats. For the first time, the national vote also coincided with elections for eight of the 10 local governments. Esther Maeluma cast her vote in the
Nearly half of China’s major cities are suffering “moderate to severe” levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding, especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released yesterday. The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found that 45 percent of China’s urban land was sinking faster than 3mm per year, with 16 percent at more than 10mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables, but also the sheer weight of the built environment. With China’s urban population already in excess of 900 million people, “even a small portion
UNSETTLING IMAGES: The scene took place in front of TV crews covering the Trump trial, with a CNN anchor calling it an ‘emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment’ A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former US president Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said yesterday. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital. The man was in Collect Pond Park at about 1:30pm on Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials and witnesses said. A large number of police officers were nearby when it happened. Some officers and bystanders rushed
HYPOCRISY? The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday asked whether Biden was talking about China or the US when he used the word ‘xenophobic’ US President Joe Biden on Wednesday called for a hike in steel tariffs on China, accusing Beijing of cheating as he spoke at a campaign event in Pennsylvania. Biden accused China of xenophobia, too, in a speech to union members in Pittsburgh. “They’re not competing, they’re cheating. They’re cheating and we’ve seen the damage here in America,” Biden said. Chinese steel companies “don’t need to worry about making a profit because the Chinese government is subsidizing them so heavily,” he said. Biden said he had called for the US Trade Representative to triple the tariff rates for Chinese steel and aluminum if Beijing was