U.K. outlines counter-terrorism priorities

In her first major speech on counter-terrorism, U.K. Home Secretary Theresa May said yesterday that tough decisions will be taken to protect the British public from further attack, Brian Sims reports for Info4Security.

Speaking to an invited audience at independent think tank RUSI in the heart of London, May outlined her plans to deal with the threat of terrorism (which she referred to as being “more diverse and more fragmented than ever”).

May’s priorities are to: enhance protective security measures, invest in conflict prevention and stopping overseas terrorist plots, refocus the U.K. strategy for preventing radicalization, and strike a better balance between liberty and security.

May stressed that lessons will be learned following the recent airline bomb plot. “The specifics of the attack — notably the type of device and how it was concealed — were new to us,” said May.

As a result, all aspects of freight security will now be urgently reviewed and updated guidance duly issued to all airport security personnel.

May explained that the nature of the terrorist threat has changed in recent years. Although al Qaeda is “weaker than at any time since 9/11,” other groups now “aspire to attack us.”

Pointing to affiliate al Qaeda groups in North Africa, Somalia, and the Yeman, May explained: “We see the continued emergence of a more diverse and devolved terrorist threat without a strong, directive and commanding centre and joined more by ideology than hierarchy.”

May confirmed that all funding for core counter-terrorist capabilities in policing and other agencies will be maintained. More than £2 billion has been allocated for counter-terrorism policing alone across the next four years.

There will also be increased investment in police firearms capability in order to deal with the threat of a Mumbai-style attack in the United Kingdom.