9/11. 7/7. For the majority of people, these sets of numbers require little more explanation. They are forever synonymous with the horrific events that they connote, events in the recent past which sent shockwaves of horror around the globe. Both started off as perfectly ordinary working days, but as the horrific events unfolded, hundreds and thousands of innocent people brutally lost their lives due to the actions of radical terrorists. With terror attacks having taken place from France to America in the past few years, it remains a major concern that a similar tragedy may happen in the U.K. sometime soon. Yet earlier this week it was revealed that British Security Services have prevented 13 potential terror attacks on British soil since June 2013 alone, and more than 500 since July 7th 2005. This seemingly astounding feat has no doubt saved the lives of hundreds of innocent citizens. So how exactly have intelligence forces managed to achieve such an accomplishment?
It would certainly appear to be no easy task. Assistant commissioner stated that, at any one time, there are more than 500 live terror investigations underway. Yet the defences in place to halt terror attacks consist of more than the English Channel which keeps Britain separate from continental Europe, or the fact that we are not a member of the passport-free Schengen Zone. The major security agencies in Britain consist of GCHQ, MI5, MI6 and the police. Ever since the devastation of the 7/7 terror attacks, they have worked much more closely together, sharing information and intelligence, to ensure that such a tragedy never takes place again. And so far, they have been successful.
One major asset, as detailed by Mark Rowley, Assistant Commissioner to Specialist Operations in the Metropolitan Police Service, is that the public now much more readily contribute information about fellow citizens acting in a way which they find odd or unusual. Whereas this could be negatively interpreted as people being over-cautious and less trusting of others, it has had the effect of foiling what could have been potentially devastating terror attacks on the British public. It was noted by the Metropolitan Police that people are often reluctant to come forward with information, either believing it to be of little importance and not wanting to waste police time, or not wanting to become implicated in such in-depth police work. Nevertheless, Mr. Rowley said that public contribution in helping to prevent such attacks is “extraordinary”, and on several occasions, public tip-offs have led to the beginnings of investigations, whereas in other cases they have added to information already held by the police.
Their report showed that enough emphasis cannot be placed on people’s gut-feelings, and trusting their instincts with what they judge to be out of character. One example comes from a lecturer at a university who taught a student it later turned out was self-radicalised. The lecturer described how the student asked him in oddly explicit detail which bacteria could be used to kill people. Feeling uneasy, he alerted police, and the student was arrested. This is just one example of many arrests which have been made over the past few years, an average of one per day. This is unsurprising, given that the threat for international terrorism in the UK has remained at “severe” for more than two years, which indicates that an attack is highly likely. Yet no attacks have happened so far, due to the diligent work of the police service, and the information from the British public.
However, the threat of terror attacks doesn’t all solely come from the Islamic State (ISIS). Threats from Al-Qaeda are still prevalent, and attacks from far-right groups are seeing a steady increase. Yet with the advance of technology, it is easier for such groups to use advanced techniques such as encrypted communication methods to communicate with one another, while simultaneously concealing their plans from intelligence agencies. Mr. Rowley also added that data is obtained through observing terrorist attacks which have taken place in other countries, such as the Nice truck attack in 2016. He stated that this varied range of weapons, from firearms, to knives, to vehicles, made detecting potential terror attacks even more difficult still.
Nevertheless, statistics released by anti-terrorist hotlines showed that calls to them have more than doubled over the past year. Mr. Rowley merited the direct action taken by the public who called in to report suspicious behaviour, once again stating that it all contributed to stopping terrorist action. It is true that British security agencies are vital in stopping terrorist action in the UK. The importance of the public working in conjunction with the police was deemed vital by the article, as the police themselves are redoubling efforts to stop terrorists. In November 2016, police in London’s Lambeth area saw the arrival of patrol anti-terrorist officers and uniformed and undercover police officers. Armed with guns, it is hoped that they will be able to stop any terrorist action they may come across. However, their job would be far more difficult do without the information they receive from the citizens they are trying so hard to protect. Together, the police and the people can ensure that terror attacks such as the harrowing 7/7, never take place again.
Yet, as these statistics have revealed, the possibility of there being another attack like 7/7 is indeed possible. France, Germany and the USA are but a few of the Western countries who have experienced extreme violence at the hands of terrorists in recent years. Only a year ago, in Birmingham and London, attacks during the Christmas period which would have resulted in the loss of many lives were halted. But imagine if they had not have been? Or if many of the other attacks had not been stopped in the efficient and effective manner that they were? It is due the efficiency of our citizens and intelligence service that we do not associate other dates with such loss, the way we do with 7/7 and 9/11. Their combined effort has permitted our safety in Britain, and we can only hope that this will continue for many years to come.
[1] Source: Wellphoto, https://stock.adobe.com/uk/search?k=terrorist+police&show_images=1&filters%5Bcontent_type%3Avideo%5D=1&filters%5Bcontent_type%3Atemplate%5D=1&filters%5Bcontent_type%3A3d%5D=1&color=&native_visual_search=&similar_content_id=
