London: Amid concerns over Prime Minister
David Cameron`s security during his recent visit to
Afghanistan, an expert on Friday warned of a `new wave` of terror
in Britain due to the impending release of radicalised
prisoners from British jails in the near future.
Britain, according to Michael Clarke of the Royal
United Services Institute (RUSI), faces a new wave of
home-grown terrorists as 800 radicalised prisoners are about
released from jail.
Senior military figures have expressed concern about
the security arrangements for a recent trip by Cameron to
Afghanistan.
He had to change his schedule at the last minute
because of fears the Taliban might be planning to attack his
helicopter.
Clarke, a former adviser to the Gordon Brown
government, said in a report published today that the security
services could struggle to cope with a new generation of
extremists seeking to carry out "lone wolf" attacks.
Over the next five to 10 years, about 800 prisoners
currently in jail for non-terrorism offences are due to be
released after being radicalised during their time in jail.
They will be joined by convicted terrorists serving
short sentences who, once freed, are likely to be just as
committed to the cause of jihad as before they were jailed,
the report claims.
The report warns that al Qaeda`s leaders, such as
Yemeni preacher and US citizen Anwar al-Awlaki, are
encouraging individuals to launch less sophisticated but
equally deadly attacks on crowded places.
Their targets have also changed from concentrating
on aircraft to including attacks on trains, hotels and
sporting events.
The current government threat level stands at
"severe", indicating a terrorist attack is considered "highly
likely". The level was raised from "substantial" in January.
"British prisons still house more terrorists than in
any other European country, though not for very long periods,"
Clarke warns.
Probation officers have warned that about one in 10
of the 8,000 Muslim prisoners in high-security institutions in
England and Wales is successfully targeted.
This amounts to "around 800 potentially violent
radicals, not previously guilty of terrorism charges, [who]
will be back in society over the coming five to 10 years,"
Clarke says. These radicals are ideal candidates to form a
"new wave" of terrorists threatening Britain, the report says.
Britain`s "globalised society" makes it more
vulnerable, says Clarke. "In an open society there is only so
much that any government can do to protect the public."
PTI
