Grim Milestone: 2,000 Terror Suspects in UK
Charles Johnson
Thu May 3, 2007 at 3:04 pm PDT • Views: 514
Grim. Ominous, even. The latest word from the UK’s MI5 intelligence is that at least 2,000 British Muslims are actively supporting Al Qaeda, with direct links to jihad groups and training camps in Pakistan.
The number of terror suspects being monitored by MI5 in the UK has grown by a quarter in the past six months, the BBC has learned.
The security service and police are monitoring about 2,000 individuals who they say are actively involved in supporting al-Qaeda. Some are thought to have direct links with al-Qaeda in Pakistan.
The fertiliser bomb plot case has highlighted the links to terrorist training camps in Pakistan. More than 400,000 Britons each year go to Pakistan on innocent family visits.
But Pakistani intelligence agents cannot follow everyone. And from cites like Karachi, it’s easy for Jihadist recruits to head up into the hills to training camps hidden in areas like Malakand. There, they’re taught explosives and weapon handling by al-Qaeda veterans.
This is how the London bombers got their final training before returning to Britain.
Frank says: