03/10/2008

Government To Update Terror Strategy

The UK counter-terrorism strategy is to be updated to increase focus on preventing the radicalisation of Muslims.

The government's new strategy, known as 'Contest', will be aimed at reducing the supply of terror recruits.

Working with local communities and monitoring the relationship between the internet and terrorism will be key.

Focus will be increased on the threat of lone radicals not connected to al-Qaeda.

Although al-Qaeda, affiliated groups based in north and east Africa and non connected groups still remain a major threat.

Since last summer the government's terrorism threat status has remained at 'severe', and senior Whitehall officials have said there is no sign of it being downgraded.

A senior counter terrorism source told the Telegraph: "We were looking at the threat level six months ago and asking how severe is severe? But it is October now and we are at the severe end of severe.

"Al-Qaeda's core exists on the Afghan-Pakistan border. The arrangement of people changes at a frighteningly rapid pace but they have enough people to replace them and there are people who are looking at us and at external operations, some at this country in particular.

"We are not chasing shadows. These are potential threats to security and life. Police and the security network are operating at full capacity."

(GK/JM)

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