Britain raised its terror threat assessment on Friday from “substantial” to “severe,” the second-highest level, suggesting an attack on the country is “highly likely,” British Home Secretary Alan Johnson said.
The change was announced just weeks after a failed plane bombing in the US and days ahead of two major international conferences on Yemen and Afghanistan in London.
“The Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre [JTAC] has today raised the threat to the UK from international terrorism from substantial to severe,” Johnson said, referring to the assessment unit within the MI5 intelligence agency.
“This means that a terrorist attack is highly likely, but I should stress that there is no intelligence to suggest than an attack is imminent,” he said.
In a television statement shortly afterwards, Johnson refused to say whether the amended threat assessment — to four in a five-level scale — was linked to the failed Detroit plane bombing on Dec. 25.
“We never say what the intelligence is,” he said, adding: “It shouldn’t be thought to be linked to Detroit or anywhere else for that matter.”
But a US official, who requested anonymity, said “that’s the implication.”
The US Department of Homeland Security said the announcement brought Britain in line with US security measures introduced “over the last few weeks.”
Johnson said the JTAC “looks at all factors and no one should draw any assumptions from this,” adding that the higher threat level meant Britain put “more resources in, we heighten the state of vigilance.”
In a statement issued by his office, he said that the threat level, which has been made public on MI5’s Web site since August 2006, was kept “under constant review.”
The JTAC “makes its judgments based on a broad range of factors, including the intent and capabilities of international terrorist groups in the UK and overseas,” he said.
Johnson said Britain continues to face a “real and serious threat” from international terrorism and urged the public to remain vigilant.
The threat level was last at “severe” on July 20 last year, when it was downgraded to substantial, suggesting an attack remains a “strong possibility.”
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Wednesday reiterated the threats the country faced as he unveiled new security measures sparked by the attempt to blow up a US airliner flying into Detroit, which has been claimed by al-Qaeda.
“We know that a number of terrorist cells are actively trying to attack Britain and other countries,” he told lawmakers in the House of Commons.
Brown said the “crucible of terrorism” was based on the Afghan-Pakistan border, but noted how the failed Detroit attack also highlighted the threat posed by militants in Yemen.
The alleged bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, had reportedly trained in Yemen. He had also studied in London for three years.
Britain has organized a meeting to strengthen international support for Yemen in its efforts against al-Qaeda, to take place in London on Wednesday, the day before a high-level conference on Afghanistan.
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