British intelligence chief says al Qaida poses long-term threat

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, October 17, 2003

British intelligence chief says al Qaida poses long-term threat

British intelligence chief admitted Thursday that the threat posed by al Qaida to security in Britain may remain for many years.

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

British intelligence chief admitted Thursday that the threat posed by al Qaida to security in Britain may remain for many years.

Individuals representing al Qaida continued to pose a threat of attack in Britain, Eliza Manningham-Buller, director of the British Directorate of Military Intelligence, Section 5 (MI5), said at a lecture hosted by the City of London police force.

The danger would not diminish within five years and then it would remain for a "considerable number of years thereafter," Manningham-Buller said, stressing that it was a "bleak assessment" and that she was "personally concerned."

Claiming that MI5 and other agencies had succeeded in "degrading" al Qaida capability, the MI5 chief admitted al-Qaida was "sophisticated and particularly resilient" and its members, including some in Britain, were able to blend into society by living normal, routine lives until called upon for specific tasks.

However, Manningham-Buller said the collection of intelligence had a "constraining" impact and there had been a significant number of new leads.

In her lecture, the MI5 director also defended the British government over accusations it had tried to manipulate public opinion before the war in Iraq by sending in troops to protect London's Heathrow Airport from a terrorist attack.

Questions?Comments? Click here

Al-Qaida's Gulf Chief Caught: US Officials

Top al Qaida Official Issues New Threat against US

Spanish authorities arrest 5 al-Qaida suspects

Chinese, US presidents to meet in Bangkok ( 2 Messages)

Activists sail to Diaoyu Islands to proclaim sovereignty ( 5 Messages)

When will Nobel dream come true for China? ( 10 Messages)

US, don't be doubtful of everything: commentary ( 5 Messages)

China to launch manned space flight on Oct. 15 ( 33 Messages)