The nature of the threat
A significant number of British nationals and foreign citizens resident in the UK are known to be linked to or sympathetic with Al Qaida.
British bombers: the 2005 "fertiliser bomb" plotters had links with Al Qaida.
They are supporting the activities of terrorist groups in a range of ways. For example, they are:
- providing resources for terrorist networks engaged in conflicts overseas;
- fundraising for terrorist networks overseas and in the UK;
- acquiring and disseminating false documents for use by terrorists in the UK and overseas; and
- facilitating training in the UK and overseas in extremist ideology and terrorist techniques.
In some cases they have also been engaged in directly planning, or attempting to carry out, terrorist attacks. Some British citizens and residents have received terrorist training in camps overseas. Relationships forged in these training camps have formed the basis of loose networks of terrorists who can operate outside structured organisations. Others have formed groups within the UK in which members reinforce each others' adherence to extremist ideologies.
A number of British residents have travelled to Iraq and Afghanistan to join the insurgencies against those countries' governments and international forces. Some have returned to the UK and are believed to be involved in supporting and planning terrorist activities here.
