Monday, October 10, 2011

More than 200 British-based Islamic terrorists are currently plotting to carry out suicide bombing attacks in Britain and are likely to strike during 2012's London Olympics, intelligence chiefs have warned

British government ministers have been briefed on the threat by senior intelligence officers from MI5 and MI6 who claim that the figure is a conservative estimate. The information is said to be part of a secret government report on the enduring threat from Al-Qaeda and other Islamic terrorist organizations. It is estimated that there are 2000 Islamic extremists based in Britain currently planning some kind of terrorist activity. Intelligence chiefs say that there is little the authorities can do to prevent a well-organized attack by an Islamic terrorist cell. MI5 has described 2012's Olympics as the biggest security operation in Britain's history. It is feared Islamic extremists will avoid targeting the sporting venues where security will be high and instead attack public areas like train stations. Security experts believe that they may adopt the deadly tactic used in foreign countries where explosive vests are packed with hundreds of ball-bearings and detonated in crowded areas. It is estimated that by using this tactic a bomber could kill up to 20 people in a suicide attack. On 7 July 2005, 52 people were killed and over 700 injured when four Islamic terrorists detonated suicide bombs on the London underground and a bus. The bombs used were homemade, peroxide-based devices which had been packed into rucksacks. Two weeks later a second series of bombings on the London transport network failed when only the detonators of the home-made explosives went off. Muktar Ibrahim, 29, Yassin Omar, 26, Ramzi Mohammed, 25, and Hussain Osman, 28, were found guilty of conspiracy to murder and were each sentenced to a minimum of 40 years' imprisonment. Documents published by the WikiLeaks website suggested that MI6 officers are now bracing themselves for a further wave of suicide bombings. Recently, six Muslims from Birmingham were remanded in custody over a suicide bombing plot. Two of the men, Irfan Nasser and Irfan Khalid have been accused of planning to make home-made explosives and stating their intentions to be suicide bombers. They are also accused of travelling to Pakistan to receive training, making martyrdom videos and plotting a bombing campaign.

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