LONDON - Suspected al Qaeda plots targeting Britain originate increasingly in Somalia and Yemen, partly as a result of counter-terrorism pressure on the groupÂ’s leaders in Pakistan, the head of the MI5 security service said.| No kidding. Any chance these suspects will unseat the 'Asian' suspects for first place amongst suspects? |
“I am concerned that it is only a matter of time before we see terrorism on our streets inspired by those who are today fighting alongside al Shabaab,” he said, referring to an al Qaeda-aligned militant group in Somalia. “Counter-terrorist capabilities have improved in recent years but there remains a serious risk of a lethal attack taking place. I see no reason to believe that the position will significantly improve in the immediate future.”
Reiterating statements by other officials that a major security operation would be provided for the 2012 Olympics, he said Britain should not underestimate the challenge of mounting the Games securely “in an environment with a high terrorist threat”, which would be the first time this had been attempted.
Evans said the proportion of suspected plots against Britain originating in northwest Pakistan had dropped to about 50 percent from 75 percent two or three years ago, showing a diversification, not a reduction, of the threat.
“The reduction in cases linked to the tribal areas of Pakistan is partly attributable to the pressure exerted on the al Qaeda leadership there. But the reduction is also partly a result of increased activity elsewhere.”