Thousands using Britain as base for Islamic terrorism
Thousands of Islamist militants in the UK are actively supporting jihadist activities at home and abroad, according to a leaked Government document.
The secret report, obtained by a Sunday newspaper, states that Britain will remain "a high-priority target" for international terrorists aligned with al-Qaida for the foreseeable The document marked "restricted" was reportedly drawn up by the intelligence branch of the Ministry of Defence, MI5 and Special Branch, and describes the threat from Islamist extremists as "diverse and widely distributed" with the number of terrorists in Britain "difficult to judge". However, it cites estimates from the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre that there are "some thousands of extremists in the UK committed to supporting jihadi activities, either in the UK or abroad".
It goes on to state: "For the foreseeable future the UK will continue to be a high-priority target for international terrorists aligned with al Qaida.
"It will face a threat from British nationals, including Muslim converts, and UK-based foreign terrorists as well as terrorists planning attacks from abroad."
The new document paints a picture of the kinds of people caught up in extremist activity in the UK. It reads: "The majority of extremists are British nationals of south Asian, mainly Pakistani, origin but there are also extremists from north and east Africa, Iraq and the Middle East, and a number of converts. The overwhelming majority of extremists are male, typically in the 18-30 age range."
The document also states that a number of extremists at large in the UK have been trained in terrorist camps overseas and have "some ability to construct improvised explosive devices, incorporating home-made explosives"... The Scotland on Sunday
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