Mohammad Sidique Khan and Shehzad Tanweer , the main
protagonists of the 7/7 bombings that killed 52 commuters , were deemed to be "clean skins" who had not left
any significant impact on the intelligence radar prior to the July
bombings. These "peripheral" figures were not placed in
the list of 'essential' targets, and thus managed to slip through, what we once
hoped was the water tight net of our intelligence services.
However, what remains baffling is how such a conclusion
could emerge, when the climate of evidence and research at the time seemed to
suggest the opposite. Authorities had known about Khan and Tanweer
since 2001, with confirmed evidence proving that both men were being watched
and had been caught meeting with Omar Khyam on no less than four occasions in 2004
to discuss the ways in which they could evade the authorities, as well as scams
that could be run to raise the funds for their activities. In addition to their
links with Khyam, the leader of an al-Qaeda-inspired gang who was jailed in May
2007 for leading a plot to bomb either a shopping centre or nightclub, the ISC
document demonstrated knowledge of Khan and Tanweer's plans to travel to
Pakistan to take part in Jihad (holy war) in either Afganistan or
Kashmir. It seems almost ironic then that one of the key issues the report
intended to focus on was why these bombers had not been picked up by the
police, when intelligence services were fully aware of their consistent
association with extremists, as well as their willingness to participate in the
'holy war' themselves.
Sources
have said that there were no intelligence reports that implied the July
bombings themselves were being planned. "We cannot criticise the judgments made by MI5 and
the police based on the information that they had and their priorities at the
time," the report claims, its authors adding that, due to limited
resources, attention could only be showered on " the crocodiles nearest
the boat". One can't help wondering how much closer Mohammad Sidique Khan
and Shehzad Tanweer should have been before the intelligence coverage took note
of the serious threat they posed to the security and safety of the country.
Valid points, but the blame, if any is to be directed, should fall elsewhere. How easy is it to criticise the intelligence services?
A threat is dependent on three things as far as I am aware: intent, capability and opportunity.
There is little we can do about the intent of terrorists to do us harm (windows into men's souls and all that), and their capability is largely determined by their own application, determination and financial backing, but the opportunity we afford them is very much within our control.
Intelligence services never have been and never will be 'water tight,' even if we can control 100% who comes to these shores. But recent ONS figures tell us that 720,000 NI numbers were allocated to foreign nationals in the year to September 2008. Of these, 154,000 were from Asia and the Middle East. Include Africa and the figure is 214,000. And these are the ones officially counted through NI number allocations.
Please explain how it is possible for the intelligence services to monitor all these people (a good proportion are going to have some link or other to dubious people), whilst the country has an open door policy for anybody to come here irrespective of their attitude to our ways?
And once hostile people come here, they are free to move around in the same way Britons have become accustomed for centuries. There really is little that a civilised culture can do in the face of this sort of animosity, except prevent them from coming here (and more importantly, staying) in the first place. This is the only way to address the 'opportunity' strand.
It is politicians who set the strategic agenda and so they must face the criticism; the intelligence services merely try to sweep up after the destructive ignorance of our elected masters.
Give them a break.