MI5 Publishes Intelligence Review of 7/7 Terror Attacks
MI5 Website: Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) has published a review of intelligence concerning the London terrorist attacks of 7 July 2005. The review was carried out as part of a lengthy and detailed investigation by the ISC to determine whether the attacks could have been prevented in the light of what was known at the time and what should have been known. Drawing on sensitive intelligence gathered by the Security Service, the police and other UK agencies, the ISC concludes: “we cannot criticise the judgements made by MI5 and the police based on the information that they had and their priorities at the time.”
Two of the 7/7 attackers appeared on the fringes of another terrorist plot, Operation CREVICE, that the Security Service was investigating in 2004, but were not identified or investigated in detail by the Service or the police as they appeared to be petty fraudsters, not involved in attack planning. The ISC has found that, prior to the attacks, there was no reason to believe that the two — Mohammed Siddique Khan and Shehzad Tanweer — were involved in a plot to carry out terrorist attacks. Immediately following the CREVICE arrests, further work was undertaken on leads emerging from the CREVICE investigation. However, shortly after this, all of the Service’s resources had to be fully committed to other threat to life investigations.
The ISC reports that, since the attacks, the UK’s intelligence agencies and the police have implemented certain changes in the way that they operate. The Government has also increased the resources directed towards national security work. While it is impossible to guarantee that there will be no repeat of the 7/7 attacks, the ISC concludes that the chances of detecting a similar plot have been improved.
The ISC has also tackled a number of allegations about the handling of 7/7-related intelligence material. It has found that there is no evidence to support claims of overlooked clues and ignored warnings.
