MI5: 30 terror plots being planned in UK

[Newsjock]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,,1944351,00.html

Richard Norton-Taylor
Friday November 10, 2006
The Guardian

MI5 has identified 30 major terrorist plots being planned in Britain and is targeting more than 1,600 individuals actively engaged in promoting attacks here and abroad, Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller, the head of the agency, warns today.

The 30 plots are the most serious of many more planned by some 200 British-based "networks" involved in terrorism, she said in a speech seen by the Guardian. In a gloomy assessment of the home-grown terrorist threat, MI5 says most of those involved are British-born, and most are connected with al-Qaida.

Dame Eliza is known for her sober assessments about the extent of the terrorist threat and has distanced herself in the past from ministers' more dramatic speeches on the subject, so her public intervention will be taken seriously. However, sceptics will question why MI5 and the police have not acted to arrest or charge those said to pose such a direct threat to Britain's security. Security sources argue that the alleged plotters are still being tracked because there is either insufficient evidence to apprehend and charge them or because their plans have not reached the stage when they pose an imminent threat to the public.

[babylonsister]

1. I don't know what to believe anymore after the liquid-bombs-on-

planes scenario. The one that inconvenienced so many people, and do to this day? I've since heard most of the terrorists from that foiled plot have been released.

[David Dunham]

3. If these 1600 people are really dangerous, Blair should deport them ASAP

[jannyk]

7. Deport them to where? The article says they are British Born n/t

[Art_from_Ark]

4. Distraction from Tony Blair's problems

American voters expressed their supreme dissatisfaction with Emperor Pissypants and his failed policies in Iraq and elsewhere. Perhaps people in the UK are feeling the same way, and Tony desperately needs a diversion.

[aquart]

2. In other words, they haven't bought a thing.

But they're talking big in the pub. Or wherever.

Although the British have significantly irritated so many people, people who do know how to plant bombs, it's just as well they check these things out.

Any of those groups Scottish?

[babylonsister]

5. Curious here; why'd you ask about a Scots group?

I'm part Scottish, so am curious, and also wonder what I haven't been hearing about.

[aquart]

6. Some really want separation.

Just wondered if they felt Irish about it.

[Henny Penny]

10. Irish about it?? n/t

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

8. Why don't they stop them then?

:shrug:




Ridiculous.

[Up2Late]

9. 30 terror plots being planned in Britain: spy chief (AFP)

30 terror plots being planned in Britain: spy chief

10/11/2006 06h02

LONDON (AFP) - British intelligence services are involved in tackling more than 1,600 people from 200 groups or networks who are "actively engaged" in terrorism, the head of the domestic spy agency MI5 said.

Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller said in comments that led television news bulletins late Thursday and early editions of Friday's newspapers that MI5 was aware of nearly 30 "plots to kill people and to damage our economy". The risk to Britain was "sustained... not a series of isolated incidents" and the "serious, growing threat..." from terrorism would last a generation, she added.

Her assessment, made in a rare public speech, came after a Muslim convert was jailed for life Tuesday for plotting to kill thousands of people in devastating attacks in Britain and the United States.

Dhiren Barot, 34, who was told by a judge at Woolwich Crown Court, southeast London, that he would have to serve at least 40 years behind bars, planned suicide attacks and atrocities involving a radioactive "dirty bomb".

(more at link) <http://www.afp.com/english/news/stories/061110054925.5m7ern46.html>

[Henny Penny]

11. They are setting the scene again... bastards!

The Dems have been given a mandate to change things, whether they like it or not, signifying that public opinion has changed drastically.

The public are no longer on board with this whole war on terror crap and they will have to be made get on board....

[Marie26]

12. This is Britain, not the US.

And it does seem like there is more of a threat of home-grown terrorism in Britain than the US. 30 plots seems pretty high, though.

[Henny Penny]

13. Just look at what MI6 and MI5 actually do for a living.

How they manipulate public opinion, its not pretty.

[CJCRANE]

15. The Brits are often used

to manipulate the American news cycle - don't forget the whole the "liquid bombs" stuff from August.

[DixieBlue]

14. I heard this on NPR this morning ...

sounds a little fishy to me. Not sure how much I trust all these terrorist plot news releases. I don't know whether it's government's worried about getting their asses torn if something does happen ... or if it's a case of elevating terror alert levels when most needed.

I'm so sick and tired of "terror, terror, terror".

[CJCRANE]

16. This is not new.

Similar information was released publicly by the Met in August during the liquid bombs scare.

This time it's just a Blairite tactic to grab the headlines and divert from the US elections fallout (which of course makes Blair look bad, as he was *'s #1 Poodle).