Terrorism is a growing threat in the United Kingdom and is defined as the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians.
The Covid-19 pandemic caused mental health, young suicides, violence at home and excess drinking. However, the media didn't mention that since the lockdown in 2020 terrorism JUMPED UP Read on for FREE
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The UK’s terrorism threat level is broken down into the National Level - the threat to the UK (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) - and the Northern Ireland-related Threat Level.
For both systems, the UK uses a five tier scale Threat Level, ranging from “Low” where an attack is considered highly unlikely, to “Critical” where an attack is assessed as being highly likely in the near future.The currentThreat Level in the UK and in Northern Ireland is “Severe”, which means that an attack is considered as being a highly likely possibility.
Academy
The threat level for the UK from international terrorism is set by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC), while MI5 is responsible for setting the threat levels from Irish and other domestic terrorism both in Northern Ireland and in Great Britain.The following factors are taken into account in order to determine the threat level.
• Intelligence: Known information about currently active terror groups or individual suspects, past precedent, recent activity and operations in other countries.
• Capabilities of threat actors, including common modes of operation, sophistication level, amount of planning required and previous types of attacks that can indicate how easily actors can mount attacks and in what locations their capabilities lend themselves to operating in.
• Intent of threat actors.The intent as to whether or not there is an increased motivation for threat actors to stage attacks such as relevant dates, public holidays, political developments or other triggering factors.
• Timescale: How quickly terrorist actors can coordinate attacks and what the current trend is regarding increasing or decreasing frequency.
The assessments are intended to guide security practitioners to assess the appropriate level of security mitigation measures given the existing threat.
Today the current threat level is
“Substantial”
Despite the known presence of organized groups in the UK, most of the Islamist threat in the UK stems from “lone wolves”. While the term has been criticised by some, as to whether an individual can act completely in isolation, the term describes a threat actor who, despite being inspired by terrorist groups or individuals, has no known affiliation with any larger group. Currently, across UK prisons, the majority of prisoners incarcerated on terrorism offences are classed as Islamist terrorist threats, with a total of approximately 157 incarcerated individuals, compared with 44 from far-right extremists as of March 2021, illustrating the sustained threat from Islamist extremism across the UK. Prisons also provide fertile grounds for radicalisation across the UK.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also contributed to a heightened threat of radicalisation and growing intent amongst Islamist extremists as extended periods of lockdown have allowed vulnerable citizens to spend more time online viewing potential harmful or extremist content, away from their support networks. Amid an easing of COVID-19 restrictions driven by globally rising vaccination rates, 2021 saw an uptick in lone-wolf attacks, primarily of low-capability, across Europe. As highlighted by the change in threat level, growing radicalisation, as well as global events, such as the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, will likely continue to encourage radicalised individuals to carry out inspired attacks, posing a growing threat to UK security. Whilst the change in radicalisation may not be instant, it is likely that there will be an increase in attempts at online inspiration and the radicalisation of individuals in the UK as Afghanistan becomes a potentially more permissive environment for al-Qaeda.
Targets/high-risk areas
Attacks target mostly crowded public spaces, such as transport systems, stadiums, markets and shopping centres.Targets such as city squares, bridges, markets and large events, all of which have high levels of foot traffic pose attractive targets due to having high impact potential but are often stopped quickest due to a higher presence of security forces. Finsbury Park and London underground stations such as Parson’s Green have also been targeted in recent years for their high concentration of people and ease of access.
Venues that are considered symbolic of western values or that are perceived to oppose Islamic values such as music venues and nightlife locations represent visible and high-profile targets for Islamists terrorists.This is highlighted by the Manchester Arena bombing or the London Bridge attacks, both of which targeted central urban symbols.
Government buildings also remain attractive targets, particularly parliament and other symbols of government; however, extensive security measures in place means that lower-capability militants pose a reduced threat to these targets.There is also a growing threat to public officials and members of parliament. On 15 October, MP Sir David Amess was killed after being stabbed multiple times by an assailant with extreme Islamist views.The attack illustrated the vulnerability of MPs while in their constituencies and has led to calls to better secure and regulate who has access to high profile politicians while they return to their constituencies.The attack on Sir David Amess represents one of the most high-profile incidents in recent years, since the murder of Jo Cox in 2016, highlighting the threat posed to MPs as potential targets.
Left-wing Terrorism
MI5 have also been increasingly investigating the activity of far-left terror organisations and other far-left pressure groups such as Insulate Britain which are often responsible for significant disruptive protest activity and who’s members promised to escalate their tacticsfollowing recent court appearances.Although the number of left-wing terror cases investigated
are in the single digits, according to MI5, and only represent a minor threat, it is possible that, as environmental crises worsenmovements become more notorious and engaged, pressure groups on the far-left could increase their activities and become a more prominent threat.
2.2.3 Northern Ireland
According to MI5,“dissident republican terrorist groups pose the most significant threat to national security in Northern Ireland.”The nature of the terrorist threat in Northern Ireland has changed significantly in recent years.The Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) and the main loyalist groups have ceased their terrorist campaigns and engaged with the political process. However, dissident republican groups rejected the political process and the institutions created by the Good Friday Agreement, which was signed in 1998, and continue to carry out terrorist attacks.
There are four main active dissident republican groups in Northern Ireland: the New IRA, the Continuity IRA (CIRA), Óglaigh na hÉireann (ONH – which recently split into two factions ONH and IRB), and Arm na Poblacht (ANP). All of which oppose the peace process and regard violence as a legitimate means of achieving a united Ireland.These groups are also often significantly involved in criminal activities for personal financial gain, including smuggling and extortion, which are often used to fund terror activities.
Common tactics for these groups include targeted attacks against police and other security forces, as well as violent attacks against people within the communities deemed to hold contrary views.
Whilst there is continued intent within the New IRA and other dissident republican groups to launch attacks on mainland UK, it is thought that the capability amongst these groups, to carry out a major attack on mainland UK, may not yet be in place.While there have not been any major terrorist incidents in Northern Ireland in recent years, police make relatively regular arrests of citizens suspected of assisting or of being part of terror organisations. Police arrest suspected bomb-makers and criminals that supply terror networks with financial support. Most recently, in December 2021, a 52-year-old woman was arrested in the Creggan area of Londonderry under the Terrorism Act as part of a police investigation into the New IRA’s bomb-making activities including how the group store and maintain their explosive devices and equipment.
2.3 2022: Rising threat of terrorism
The recent elevation of the UK nationwide terror threat from substantial to severe illustrates the growing threat posed
by terrorism.The threat from radicalised individuals carrying out attacks has increased across Western countries since the pandemic began in early 2020 as many vulnerable people have spent more time online viewing extremist content and away from support networks. Former MI6 boss Sir John Sawers warned that the UK’s terror threat level had also risen following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, as radicalised individuals feel emboldened to carry out attacks.
The increase in frequency and intent can be seen in the 15 October attack in which UK Conservative MP David Amess
was killed at his constituency meeting in Essex by an individual inspired by Islamist extremism.The attack was the second reported in Europe in the month of October, after a man killed five civilians with a bow and arrow in the town of Kongsberg, Norway on 13 October in a similarly attack intended to instill fear and generate media attention.These attacks highlight
the rising threat of lone-wolf attacks across Europe, which are often of low-capability, involving knives, guns or small blades weapons, and are generally exceptionally hard to detect ahead of time.
A similar trend can be observed from the far right with rising concern from security sources over the number of attack plots generated and being foiled by right-wing terrorists. MI5 has reported that over the past four years they have prevented 31 late-stage terror attacks.The recent EUTerrorism Situation andTrend Report 2021 published by Europol earlier this year stated that Europe experienced nearly 60 completed, failed, and foiled terrorist attacks in 2020.
Despite this, Jihadist terrorism will likely remain the greatest threat to Europe, with the number of completed jihadist- motivated attacks increasing each year since 2019.The threat from Islamist terrorism can also leed to an increase in social tensions, as highlighed by issues such as the caseof Shamima Begum and the debate around her eligibility to maintain her UK citizenship after returning from Syria.The controversy around this has placed a burden on government resources and led to a debate regarding the treatment of returnees from Iraq and Syria.
Figure 5: Islamic terrorist attacks in the EU in 2018-2020. Source: European Union Terrorism Situation andTrend Report 2021 by Europol.
Terrorism in the UK is getting worse. The government also media are hiding the fact it's terrorism. Here is some evidence.
The Sun.
OAP MURDER PROBE
Greenford stabbing: Cops swoop on suspect’s home after OAP Thomas O’Halloran, 87, is knifed to death on mobility scooter
Then this
The Irish Times
A postmortem examination found the grandfather, who was known “throughout the local community”, had sustained multiple stab wounds to the neck, chest and abdomen.
Mr Byer, of no fixed address, was charged
on August 19th with Mr O’Halloran’s murder and possessing a large knife.
And his the race was hidden. Lee byer
Try googling this. It should be right at the top, but it's not. It was also a planned attack and not just off the cuff. He's wearing gloves and a bag which probably carried everything inside prior.
The government and media can not be trusted
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