The Royal United Services Institute in central London is running a one-day workshop on June 22, on terrorism in the UK.
RUSI’s homeland security and resilience arm reports that with terrorist actions becoming more numerous, widespread and increasingly more atrocious, the threat to the UK remains clear and deadly. The UK, and its economy, represents a prime target to al Qaeda and its sympathisers, besides to single-issue groups, such as animal right supporters, it is claimed. Organisers quote a Home Office estimate that there may be 10,000 to 15,000 British people who ‘actively support’ al Qaeda or related terrorist groups. Speakers will examine the cases of ‘shoe bomber’ Richard Reid, Sajit Badat and Kamal Bourgass with a view to drawing further conclusions about current and future threat to the UK. Sessions cover extremists in the UK (including the threat to UK business); how Home Office proposals to strengthen police powers will be effective in tackling single issue groups; and what the financial, charity and business sectors can do to hinder UK terrorist finance. Invited speakers include Ken Jones, chair of ACPO’s Terrorism Committee and Sussex Chief Constable; Richard Wilson, Head of Business Policy, Institute of Directors; and Sir Ronnie Flanagan, Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Home Office.
This one-day workshop aims to highlight the areas in which we perceive the evolving threat to both citizens and business to be greatest and to put the threat into a societal and commercial context. This workshop also aims to illustrate the terrorist’s financial support system within the UK and provide the necessary responses and counter-actions required from UK government, business and society. The government, organisers add, is addressing the terrorist threat to the UK in three main ways: strengthening security, making pre-emptive arrests and improving information gathering. The introduction of Anti-Terror legislation is aimed at further protecting UK citizens and increasing the capability to capture and convict terrorists in the UK. These measures will be analysed and suggestions for improvements made.
