UK eyes Pakistan with new strategy against terrorism

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UK eyes Pakistan with new strategy against terrorism​

* Britain’s new plans see threat of chemical, nuclear terrorist attacks * Predict Al Qaeda’s ideology will survive, resulting in ‘self-starting’ terror groups
* Stresses need to tackle causes of terrorism​

LONDON: Britain faces an increased threat of a chemical or even nuclear terrorist attack, officials said on Tuesday, highlighting the risks from extremists in Pakistan and Somalia.

Unveiling a new counter-terrorism strategy, they said the Al Qaeda network was becoming weaker, but warned its ideology would survive and of the growing threat from ‘self-starting’ militants, and of attacks using chemical, biological or atomic weapons. “There is the potential (for such an attack), given the international situation, what we believe to be the aspirations of some international terrorists,” said Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.

Solution: “We need to tackle the causes of terrorism. We need to get in early to prevent people actually supporting violent extremism or supporting terrorism,” Jacqui told BBC radio.

The 174-page strategy, the first unclassified document including an official assessment of the terror threat facing Britain, outlines the history of the threat and forecasts of how it will evolve. A senior Interior Ministry official highlighted threats posed notably by Pakistan and Somalia, as well as Yemen and countries in sub-Saharan Africa, which he said were problematic because of their relative instability.

Pakistan: “Pakistan weaves its way through virtually everything in this strategy,” said the official, underlining “the importance we attach to the huge amount of work we’re doing in (Pakistan)”. “We’ve got very big collaborative programmes with the Pakistani authorities, the new government ... we’re very interested in working with them,” he said.

While the strategy highlights threats from a number of sources, ministers and officials say militants in Pakistan pose the greatest concern.

Asked what other countries had garnered increased attention on the counter-terrorism front since the strategy was last published in 2006, the official listed Somalia, Yemen, Mali and Niger.

He said, “I don’t think we’ve finished worrying about Iraq, and we certainly haven’t finished worrying about Afghanistan.” agencies