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11/05/2006
July 7 bombing report highlights lack of resources
A lack of resources prevented security services from intercepting the bombers who carried out the July 7 bomb attacks in London, a report has claimed.
The report, conducted by the cross-party Intelligence and Security Committee, also said that two of the bombers - Mohammad Siddique Khan and Shezhad Tanweer - had been known to security officers before the bombing, but they were not placed under surveillance because officers were focusing on other terror threats.
The pair had visited Pakistan and the committee said that the pair were "likely" to have met with al-Qaeda figures during their visit.
The report said: "There were more pressing priorities at the time, including the need to disrupt known plans to attack the UK." The report also acknowledged that it was "understandable" that the pair had not been investigated, due to other terror threats.
The report also rejected a theory that a fifth bomber had been involved in the bomb plot and also discounted the theory that an alleged "terror mastermind" had left Britain shortly before the attacks.
The report concluded that more needed to be done to improve the way that the UK's security services tackled the threat of "home-grown" terrorism. It also expressed concern that "the development of the home-grown threat and the radicalisation of British citizens" was not properly understood by the the intelligence community.
However, it also said that three terrorist plots had been averted since July 7.
The Home Office also published a narrative report into the attacks. That report suggested that the bombers were motivated by "perceived injustices by the West against Muslims and a desire for martyrdom" and that the whole operation cost less than £8,000 to prepare and carry out.
Home Secretary John Reid also ruled out holding a public inquiry into the attacks, but said that meetings would be held with victims' families over the report's findings.
However, Shadow Home Secretary David Davis has repeated calls for a fully independent investigation into the attacks. He said: "This process has frankly raised more questions than answers. Can we now have what we should have had from the start - not a public inquiry, but a fully resourced independent inquiry into what was clearly a major failure of our intelligence systems."
(KMcA)
The report, conducted by the cross-party Intelligence and Security Committee, also said that two of the bombers - Mohammad Siddique Khan and Shezhad Tanweer - had been known to security officers before the bombing, but they were not placed under surveillance because officers were focusing on other terror threats.
The pair had visited Pakistan and the committee said that the pair were "likely" to have met with al-Qaeda figures during their visit.
The report said: "There were more pressing priorities at the time, including the need to disrupt known plans to attack the UK." The report also acknowledged that it was "understandable" that the pair had not been investigated, due to other terror threats.
The report also rejected a theory that a fifth bomber had been involved in the bomb plot and also discounted the theory that an alleged "terror mastermind" had left Britain shortly before the attacks.
The report concluded that more needed to be done to improve the way that the UK's security services tackled the threat of "home-grown" terrorism. It also expressed concern that "the development of the home-grown threat and the radicalisation of British citizens" was not properly understood by the the intelligence community.
However, it also said that three terrorist plots had been averted since July 7.
The Home Office also published a narrative report into the attacks. That report suggested that the bombers were motivated by "perceived injustices by the West against Muslims and a desire for martyrdom" and that the whole operation cost less than £8,000 to prepare and carry out.
Home Secretary John Reid also ruled out holding a public inquiry into the attacks, but said that meetings would be held with victims' families over the report's findings.
However, Shadow Home Secretary David Davis has repeated calls for a fully independent investigation into the attacks. He said: "This process has frankly raised more questions than answers. Can we now have what we should have had from the start - not a public inquiry, but a fully resourced independent inquiry into what was clearly a major failure of our intelligence systems."
(KMcA)
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:It will be cloudy again throughout the day. Mainly dry in the morning, but patchy drizzle in places, becoming more widespread and persistent in the afternoon. Freshening southwesterly winds. Maximum temperature 12 °C.Tonight:Cloudy with a spell of heavy rain pushing south through late evening and the early hours, followed by some clear spells. Minimum temperature 6 °C.
