History: 1990 to Present

Photograph of the South Quay, London, after the Provisional IRA bomb attack Bomb damage at South Quay, London, after a Provisional IRA bomb attack in February 1996.

Major changes in the focus of the Service's work took place in the early 1990s with the end of the Cold War.

The threat from subversion diminished greatly with the demise of the Communist bloc, to the point where it is now considered negligible. The threat from espionage persisted but by this time required fewer resources to tackle.

Terrorism, however, had not abated. Large-scale Provisional IRA attacks continued to take place in Northern Ireland and the British mainland, and international terrorism posed a growing threat worldwide.

In October 1992 responsibility for leading the intelligence effort against Irish republican terrorism on the UK mainland was transferred to the Service from the Metropolitan Police. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (formerly the Royal Ulster Constabulary) retained this responsibility in Northern Ireland.

In this new work, we drew on the experience gained from our role in running long-term intelligence operations against Irish-related terrorism overseas during the 1970s and 1980s. The Service came increasingly into the public eye during the mid-1990s, with our officers giving evidence in a number of Irish Republican terrorist trials.

The 1994 Intelligence Services Act further strengthened the Service's legal basis. It also established the Intelligence and Security Committee, a committee of senior parliamentarians charged with overseeing the expenditure, administration and policy of the three intelligence and security agencies (the Security Service, the Secret Intelligence Service and the Government Communications Headquarters - GCHQ).

The Security Service Act was amended in 1996 to give the Service a role in assisting the law enforcement agencies in fighting serious crime.

Combating international terrorism

Photograph of the World Trade Center on fire after the 9/11 attacks The World Trade Center on fire after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States marked a key turning point for the Service. They demonstrated for the first time that terrorists had both the will and ability to kill huge numbers of people.

Government funding of the Service was increased immediately after the attacks to increase its work against the international terrorist threat, and further funding was announced in February 2004.

The Service also committed itself to increasing its staff to deal with the rapid growth in its workload.

Following the 11 September attacks, the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) was created to act as the UK's centre of excellence and expertise on assessing the threat from international terrorism. It is a self-standing organisation comprised of representatives from eleven government departments and agencies. JTAC is located in Thames House, working alongside the Security Service.

Terrorism in the 1990s and 2000s: a timeline of major developments

  • 1990 - The Provisional IRA (PIRA) assassinates Conservative MP Ian Gow at his home in Sussex.

  • 1991 - PIRA attacks Downing Street with mortar bombs during a meeting of the Cabinet.

  • 1993 - A huge PIRA bomb explodes in Bishopsgate, London, killing two people and causing damage costing over £350 million.

  • 1994 - PIRA declares a "cessation of military operations" and Sinn Féin enters the ongoing Northern Ireland peace talks.

  • 1996 - After a breakdown in talks, PIRA resumes its attacks in Northern Ireland and the mainland, bombing London's Docklands and Manchester city centre.

  • 1997 - PIRA declares a second ceasefire.

  • 1998 - Al Qaida vehicle bombs explode outside United States embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, killing over 220 people and injuring over 4,000 more. In Northern Ireland, 29 people are killed and over 200 injured when the dissident Real IRA attacks Omagh.

  • 2000 - The Greek terrorist group November 17 assassinates Brigadier Stephen Saunders, the British military attaché to Greece. In the subsequent investigation, the group's leaders are captured and convicted.

  • 2001 - Al Qaida operatives attack the World Trade Center and Pentagon using hijacked aircraft, killing themselves and nearly 3,000 other people. In response, the United States and an international coalition invades Afghanistan to expel al Qaida and its Taliban supporters.

  • 2002 - 202 people are killed in an al Qaida-linked attack in Bali, Indonesia.

  • 2004 - Terrorists attack Madrid commuter trains, killing 191 people and injuring more than 1,500.

  • 2005 - Suicide bombers attack the London transport network, killing 56 people and injuring over 700.