Britain lifts terror warning to 'severe' before Afghan talks
Source: Agencies |
January 24, 2010, Sunday
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BRITAIN raised its international terrorism threat level to "severe" - its second highest level of terror alert - from "substantial" on Friday, Home Secretary Alan Johnson said.
"The Joint Terrorism Analysis Center (JTAC) has today raised the threat to the UK from international terrorism from 'substantial' to 'severe.' This means that a terrorist attack is highly likely, but I should stress that there is no intelligence to suggest that an attack is imminent," he said.
"JTAC keeps the threat level under constant review and makes its judgments based on a broad range of factors, including the intent and capabilities of international terrorist groups in the UK and overseas," he said in an issued statement.
Britain, a close US ally, hosts an international conference on Afghanistan on January 28 that London says may set a timetable for transferring responsibility for some areas to Afghan control. Those present will include Afghan President Hamid Karzai, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and foreign ministers of Afghanistan's other main partners.
The threat level was last changed on July 20, 2009 when it was lowered to "substantial" from "severe." It had been lowered to "severe" on July 4, 2007 from "critical," the highest level, which had been declared on June 30, 2007.
Talks on Afghanistan will be preceded by a January 27 meeting on Yemen, which declared war on al-Qaida last week under pressure for a crackdown on the global militant group after its Yemen-based wing said it was behind an attempt on Christmas Day to blow up a US passenger jet.
The West and neighboring Saudi Arabia fear Yemen could become a failed state, allowing al-Qaida to use the country as a launchpad for further international attacks.
The meeting brings together foreign ministers of Yemen's main development partners.
A Home Office advisory said the threat level meant people should remain on alert for danger, including looking for suspicious bags on public transport.
But it added that they should go ahead with life as normal as the risk of being caught up in an attack was very low.
"The Joint Terrorism Analysis Center (JTAC) has today raised the threat to the UK from international terrorism from 'substantial' to 'severe.' This means that a terrorist attack is highly likely, but I should stress that there is no intelligence to suggest that an attack is imminent," he said.
"JTAC keeps the threat level under constant review and makes its judgments based on a broad range of factors, including the intent and capabilities of international terrorist groups in the UK and overseas," he said in an issued statement.
Britain, a close US ally, hosts an international conference on Afghanistan on January 28 that London says may set a timetable for transferring responsibility for some areas to Afghan control. Those present will include Afghan President Hamid Karzai, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and foreign ministers of Afghanistan's other main partners.
The threat level was last changed on July 20, 2009 when it was lowered to "substantial" from "severe." It had been lowered to "severe" on July 4, 2007 from "critical," the highest level, which had been declared on June 30, 2007.
Talks on Afghanistan will be preceded by a January 27 meeting on Yemen, which declared war on al-Qaida last week under pressure for a crackdown on the global militant group after its Yemen-based wing said it was behind an attempt on Christmas Day to blow up a US passenger jet.
The West and neighboring Saudi Arabia fear Yemen could become a failed state, allowing al-Qaida to use the country as a launchpad for further international attacks.
The meeting brings together foreign ministers of Yemen's main development partners.
A Home Office advisory said the threat level meant people should remain on alert for danger, including looking for suspicious bags on public transport.
But it added that they should go ahead with life as normal as the risk of being caught up in an attack was very low.
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