Posted on 07/18/2005 7:20:14 PM PDT by wagglebee
LONDON, July 18 - Less than a month before the London bombings, Britain's top intelligence and law enforcement officials concluded that "at present there is not a group with both the current intent and the capability to attack the U.K.," according to a confidential terror threat assessment report.
The previously undisclosed report was sent to British government agencies, foreign governments and corporations in mid-June, about three weeks before a team of four British suicide bombers mounted their July 7 attack on London's public transportation system.
The assessment by the Joint Terrorist Analysis Center prompted the British government to lower its formal threat assessment one level, from "severe defined" to "substantial." The center includes officials from Britain's top intelligence agencies, as well as Customs and the Metropolitan Police.
Asked to comment on the document, a senior British official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, "We do not discuss intelligence assessments."
British officials said the reduced threat level had no practical impact on terrorism preventive measures, and the British home secretary said it did not make Britain more vulnerable to attack.
The tersely worded threat assessment was particularly surprising because it stated that terrorist-related activity in Britain was a direct result of violence in Iraq.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Looks like the MSM isn't satisfied with just going after George Bush - they want Tony Blair's head on the mantle as well.
Looks like the Brits beat 'em to it.
"... terrorist-related activity in Britain was a direct result of violence in Iraq."
I'd just love to see a "connect the dots" on that one.
i heard on the news today some Brit who'swho being ask if they weren't partly to blame since they helped draw up the boundries for Iraq in the first place, and the guy got indignant saying something about "going back a little bit too far there aren't you?" and changed the subject...
So, terrorist activity wasn't a direct result of British presence in Iraq?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.