Terror and intelligence

THE anti-terror police raids last night in Willesden and Kent, and the arrest of a man suspected of terrorism in Whitehall who was allegedly carrying knives, are good news and bad news. Bad, obviously, in that they show that the terrorist threat is still very real. Good, in that they also seem to have been identified by police on the basis of intelligence. Indeed a tip-off from the public played a part in the Whitehall arrest, though both the Harlesden and Whitehall suspects were already being monitored by police and MI5. It is good intelligence that will help to keep us safe, and our intelligence is better than most.

Yet the grim reality is also that this protection is not absolute and cannot be. Where attacks require planning and co-ordination they are easier to monitor, but it is another matter to deal with terrorism that involves the possession of kitchen knives, or an ordinary car or lorry. It’s heartening that the police have had help from Muslim communities in this case, but it will take continuous vigilance from us all to prevent further attacks.