Terror threat is alarming, warns British spy chief

LONDON: Britain’s domestic intelligence chief warned during a rare public speech that the terrorist threat the country faces has accelerated at an alarming pace and is worse now than at any time in his 34-year career.

MI5 Director General Andrew Parker said his agency, also known as the Security Service, is constantly expanding and upgrading its capability, but cannot realistically prevent all attacks targeting civilians.

“In 2017, with all that has happened and much that has not, it is clear that we are contending with an intense UK terrorist threat from extremists,” Parker told journalists in London.

“That threat is multi-dimensional, evolving rapidly, and operating at a scale and pace we’ve not seen before.”

He noted a “dramatic upshift” in the threat this year, with successful attacks in London and Manchester that killed 36 people combined.

He said continental Europe has faced a similar surge, particularly in France, Belgium, Germany and Spain.

“The scale at which we are operating is greater than ever before,” he said.

Parker said MI5 has more than 500 live investigations involving roughly 3,000 people known to be involved in extremist activities.

In addition, he said, more than 20,000 individuals have been scrutinised in the past for possible terror ties and there are undoubtedly “violent extremists” who have thus far not been detected by the Security Service. — AP