TerrorismMI6 asks for more spies in Afghanistan to fight terrorism after NATO withdrawal
MI6, the U.K. Secret Intelligence Service, is calling for reinforcements from other agencies in order to strengthen the U.K. intelligence presence in Afghanistan after NATO forces withdraw from the country in 2014. Intelligence analysts warn that Afghanistan will become an “intelligence vacuum” which will allow terrorists to pose an increased threat to Britain. Intelligence sources said that Britain’s intelligence agencies were already “very stretched” and focused on potential threats from Yemen and Somalia, a fact which might persuade al Qaeda to seek to exploit the lack of attention to Afghanistan.
MI6, the U.K. intelligence service, has called for reinforcements of intelligence operations in Afghanistan, saying that the country will become an “intelligence vacuum” which will allow terrorists to pose an increased threat to Britain.
The Telegraph reports that the Secret Intelligence Service has appealed for additional staff from other intelligence agencies after the agency’s analysts warned that there will be an increased terrorist threat from Afghanistan following British troops withdrawal next year. Prime Minister David Cameron has committed to withdrawing all British troops by December next year.
The U.K. government says that the Afghan forces are up to the task of coping with Taliban and al Qaeda threats, but there is a growing concern among the U.K. intelligence agencies that Afghanistan would again become a hospitable area for international terrorists once NATO forces leave.
The Telegraph notes that both that a plan is being discussed to bolster MI6 presence in Afghanistan with staff from Defense Intelligence (DI), the Ministry of Defense’s own intelligence agency.
A well-placed source told the Telegraph that the need to strengthen the U.K. intelligence presence in Afghanistan after the NNATO withdrawal will be difficult, as Britain’s agencies were already “very stretched” and focused on potential threats from Yemen and Somalia, a fact which might persuade al Qaeda to seek to exploit the lack of attention to Afghanistan.
The source described Afghanistan as “the weakest link” in Britain’s foreign intelligence coverage. “We have been heavily reliant on defense intelligence,” the source said. “When the Army goes, we will have a big gap in our intelligence capability.”
DI, the smallest of Britain’s intelligence agencies, specializes in “early warning” analyses of emerging threats, and has done extensive work on Afghanistan.
Attaching DI staff to MI6 would help “make sure that there is a continuance of the ongoing understanding of what’s going on on the ground”, the source told the newspaper.
About 100 British soldiers are expected to remain to train Afghan officers, and Britain has also pledged financial support. Senior military sources have suggested that troops may need to remain until 2020 to help fight the Taliban.
