London: Britain launched a new security alert system on Tuesday, ranking the terrorist threat to the country as ‘severe’ and saying an attack was highly likely.
It was the first time the government had published such information. Until now, it has argued that doing so would cause unnecessary alarm.
But faced with growing criticism that it was failing to spell out the threat from groups like al-Qaeda, the government has decided to follow the lead of other countries and introduce a graded alert system.
It has five levels ranging from ‘low’ (attack unlikely) to ‘critical’ (attack expected imminently), and is similar to the one used in the US for the past four years, although, unlike the US model, it is not colour-coded. ''Severe'' is the second highest level.
The threat level was posted on a website - www.intelligence.gov.uk - and on the Home Office (interior ministry) and security service sites. Analysts say the decision to publish is part of a concerted effort - not only by the government but also by the two security services MI5 and MI6 - to be seen as more accountable.
''I don't think it'll have a massive impact on the public but I do think it might help government, the security services and the police have a clearer idea of where they all stand in their assessment of the threat faced,'' said Chris Pope, intelligence analyst at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).
''It might also mean the authorities are less likely to be criticised when things go wrong.'' Until now, Britain operated a more complex 7-level system and never told the public what the level was.
The government was heavily criticised for having downgraded the threat level in May 2005, just two months before suicide bombers killed 52 people in London.
However, a parliamentary committee later concluded the downgrade had not meant Britain was any less able to deal with the bombings when they happened.
For decades, Britain's intelligence services have enjoyed - many would say actively nurtured -- a reputation for extreme secrecy. Countless James Bond movies and spy novels have helped cement that reputation in the popular imagination.
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