THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The death of Osama bin Laden does not mark the end of the terrorism threat to Britain and an attack could happen at any time, the head of the Metropolitan Police has warned.
Sir Paul Stephenson said the threat of a terrorist attack remains “severe” and added: “To be blunt it means that an attack is highly likely and could occur without warning at any time.”
“As Government, the police and the security service assess the impact and consequences of the death of Osama bin Laden, it is clear that there can be no let up in our vigilance,” the Scotland Yard Commissioner said in a speech at the Policy Exchange think-tank in central London.
He said that al-Qaeda was responsible for the injury and death of thousands of people worldwide and was committed to the use of terror and murder to achieve their aims.
“One man's death does not mark the end of an ideology and we must remain alert to the continuing threat from al-Qaeda, its affiliates and those acting alone,” he added, drawing attention to the additional threats from “lone wolf” operators and al-Qaeda franchises outside Pakistan.
“The police and security services will continue to work locally, nationally and with our international partners to do everything possible to counter the terrorist threat but we cannot do this alone, we need the help of the public to protect the country from the threat of terrorism,” Sir Paul told the audience. » | Duncan Gardham, Security Correspondent | Thursday, May 05, 2011
