Anti Terror Information

Index

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A background to the threats in Great Britain

The UK faces a range of covert threats to its security.  The background information available on these threats aims to put Britain's security advice in context.  

There is a serious and sustained threat from international terrorism to the UK and UK interests overseas.  The most significant terrorist threat comes from Al Qaida and associated networks.  Information on Al Qaida's typical methods of attack and targets and the current threat to the UK has been prepared by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre [JTAC].

Northern Ireland-related terrorism continues to pose a threat.  Dissident republican terrorist groups, who have rejected the Good Friday Agreement of April 1998, still aspire to mount attacks in Great Britain.

The spread, or proliferation of weapons of mass destruction [WMD] is another potential danger to the UK's security.  The Security Service has been involved in countering this threat since 1992.

The threat from espionage or spying against the UK did not end with the collapse of Soviet communism in the early 1990s.  Several countries are actively seeking British information and material to advance their own military, technological, political and economic programmes.

 

Good Security Practices: The top 10 Guidelines

The following measures feature in much of the advice given on this website. They provide a general reference point for businesses or organisations putting new security measures in place.

Many of them will help protect against crime as well as terrorism and other security threats.

1   Take time to carry out a risk assessment. What kind of threats might you be facing? What is the likelihood of these happening? Where are your vulnerable points? Seek counter terrorist advice through the Counter Terrorist Security Advisor [CTSA] at your local police force.  

2   If you are building or acquiring new premises, try to plan your security measures from the outset. This is likely to be more efficient [in both time and expense] than adding on security measures at a later date.

3   Make security awareness part of your organisation's culture.  Put someone at Board level in charge. Arrange regular briefings for staff on what they should be looking out for, and keep notices up-to-date. Take your staff seriously if they identify potential threats. Train staff in emergency and evacuation procedures, and rehearse them regularly. Give more specific training to anyone you think might have to handle a bomb threat.

4   Ensure good basic housekeeping in and around your buildings - for example, keep public areas tidy and well-lit, remove any unnecessary furniture, keep garden areas free from dense shrubbery.

5   Look at the access points to your premises. Keep them to a minimum. Consider introducing passes for staff and procedures for booking in visitors and contractors. Searching of bags may also be desirable but, as with other measures, should be proportionate to the threat and also carefully explained to staff. Look also at vehicle access and parking arrangements. Consider introducing a barrier system, and arranging your car park so that unauthorised vehicles cannot get close to your building.

6   Consider the range of physical measures - locks on windows and doors, CCTV, alarms, lighting - and install them according to your circumstances. Ensure they are working and arrange regular checks.

7   Look at your mail-handling procedures. Consider setting up a mailroom away from your main premises, and train staff in emergency procedures.

8   When recruiting staff or hiring contractors, ensure that they are who they say they are by checking documentation. Follow up references. Once employed, follow good employment practice and in particular ensure that staff have the opportunity to voice grievances and concerns.

9   Look at how you might protect your information.  Ensure that those who supply, operate and maintain your IT systems are reputable and reliable.  Possible security measures range from enhanced IT security to disposing carefully of any confidential waste.

10  Plan now for Business Continuity - how you will continue to function if something happens which means your premises or IT systems are out of action.

 

Questions and answers

Question   Why won't the Government or police give out more detailed information about the nature of the threat of the Government's emergency plans?

Answer   The government and police are committed to giving you as much information as they can about terrorism. Their guiding principle is that wherever they can give you information that will help to protect you, they will.  But they also have a responsibility to protect people working in the intelligence and security fields, and not to give out information that could compromise their safety.  This includes intelligence, which also needs to be carefully analysed and assessed, to work out whether it is reliable or not.

The police know that you understand that they will not go into the specific details of contingency plans, because if terrorists knew all the details of their preparations to respond to attacks, it would immediately make those plans vulnerable and put the country at risk.

Question   What is the current alert state and is there a colour code?

Answer    The government and police do not believe it is beneficial to the UK to have one single national system to indicate the current general level of threat.  Rather than one blanket system, they operate specific systems in various public sectors and key industries, like aviation and the utilities.  This reflects the fact that when alert states need to be raised in one sector, the threat assessment for other sectors could stay the same.  Their concern is always to minimise the damage to the economy and our prosperity caused by alarms of this nature.

Information on the general level of threat must be meaningful if it is to be of practical use.  They will provide regular assessments of the threat, set in context, to the public and to Parliament.

Of course, if a warning, or specific advice, is ever necessary to protect public safety and save lives, the police will issue it without hesitation. The police have systems in place to put those immediate warnings out if necessary.

Question    What should I do if there is a terrorist attack?

Answer   If you are at the site of an incident, follow the instructions of the emergency services.

If it is a major incident, and you are not in the immediate area, police advice is to 'go in, stay tuned in'.  Go home or go inside some other safe location, stay indoors and tune in to local radio or television news programmes for advice and information.  The police will issue advice immediately, through all forms necessary, if you need to take specific action.

It is always sensible to have a battery-powered or wind-up radio in the house to prepare for a range of emergencies, including power cuts and floods.

Question   Do I need to buy a gas mask or protective suit to protect myself from chemical or biological threats, and do I need to stockpile food, water, or anything else?

Answer    No. There is currently no information that would lead the police to advise you to obtain protective clothing, including gas masks, or to take other special precautions.

However, it is always sensible to be prepared for a range of emergencies, including severe weather or floods.

The police will issue advice immediately if you need to take specific action.

Question   How will I know what to do if there is a chemical or biological incident, and why can't you tell us more in advance?

Answer    There is no such thing as a standard chemical or biological incident, and therefore no such thing as a standard response.

How we respond to a chemical or biological incident - accidental or otherwise - would depend on a number of factors.  The emergency services are best placed to decide the appropriate response, taking into account the relevant factors.

To give detailed advice in advance about how to handle every potential threat would be misleading and unhelpful.  Worse, it could lead to confusion in an actual incident - the advice given for one type of situation might be wrong in different circumstances.

The police and the emergency services, will provide immediate information and advice in the event of a discernible threat or a specific incident.

At the moment the police do not believe that the best way to offer useful, up-to-date advice is to issue a national leaflet.

Question   There has been a lot of media coverage about people getting smallpox vaccinations. Do I need a vaccination and can I get one from my GP?

Answer    No.  Smallpox was declared eradicated in 1980.  Consequently, smallpox vaccinations are not available on the NHS through family doctors and General Practitioners do not hold stocks of the vaccine.

The Department of Health holds a strategic stock for use in an emergency, which can and will be distributed quickly in the event of a bio-terrorism incident involving smallpox, but they are not currently recommending vaccination for the wider UK public.  This decision follows World Health Organisation guidelines about how best to protect the public.  It has not been taken lightly, and the situation is being kept under very careful review.

The Department of Health have recommended vaccination for a small number of frontline health-service staff and military personnel.  This is because these frontline staff and personnel would provide the first response if there were a confirmed, suspected or threatened release of smallpox.

Question   Is it safe to visit and travel around London?

Answer   London has lived with the threat of terrorism for more than 30 years. Operational responses are well co-ordinated, regularly practiced and continually reviewed.

Since the September 11 attacks in the US, additional measures have been taken, including specific counter-terrorism funding to the Metropolitan Police and detailed work by London Underground with the emergency services and security services to ensure systems are in place to deter or deal with an attack.

Strategic emergency planning for the Capital is lead by the London Resilience Forum (LRF). The LRF considers all aspects of the threat against the Capital and has contingency plans in place, which are regularly exercised.

The LRF is chaired by Nick Raynsford as Minister for London Resilience, with the Mayor as his deputy, and comprises the heads of the emergency services and London Underground, plus senior-level representatives from the city's local authorities and utilities, as well as the Home Office and the Cabinet Office.

Question    Is there anyone I should be looking out for specifically?

Answer    It is their actions that give terrorists away, not their appearances.  While you should stay alert to suspicious behaviour, it is very important to remember that terrorism affects us all.  No community or religion should be made a scapegoat for the actions of terrorists.  People of many faiths died on September 11, and the leaders of all faiths condemned the attacks.

The police have a clear vision of a multi-cultural Britain - one that values the contribution made by each of our many ethnic, cultural and faith communities.

The police are determined to see a truly dynamic society, in which people from different backgrounds can live and work together - whilst retaining their distinctive identities - in an atmosphere of mutual respect and understanding.

If you see harassment or discrimination, do not ignore it. It is everyone's responsibility to prevent it.

Question    What if there is a terrorist attack and my children are at school?

Answer   In the event of a specific terrorist threat or incident, the local police will work with schools to ensure they are protected and to enact their emergency plans as necessary.  The action taken would depend on the incident itself, and would not be very different from the emergency plans that schools already have for fire evacuations and bomb threats.

All schools and Local Education Authorities in England have been made aware that they can access guidance on dealing with terrorism via the UK Resilience website. Many local authorities have also issued guidance to schools in their area to assist in emergency planning.

Question   Is it safe to fly?

Answer   The UK aviation security regime is one of the most developed in the world.  It was further tightened in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in the United States.  The programme is kept under permanent review and adjusted when necessary.

Our aviation security programme works on many levels, with measures for all stages of the process - from check-in through to the flight itself.  Not all of the measures are obvious: a lot goes on behind the scenes.

In May 2002 the Home Office and the Department for Transport appointed Sir John Wheeler to carry out a major independent review of airport security and policing. With the Department for Transport, we accepted and are now implementing the additional measures recommended in his October 2002 report.

Security measures on the ground currently include an enhanced passenger searching regime, and a tightening up of the articles that cannot be taken into an aircraft cabin.

Amongst in-flight security measures are regulations ensuring that cockpit doors on all aircraft leaving the UK and using UK airspace are locked.  We are also implementing a requirement to fit strengthened cockpit doors, six months ahead of the international deadline.

In 2002, we also decided to reinforce the existing package of measures for in-flight security by developing a capability to place covert, specially trained armed police officers aboard UK civil aircraft, should that be warranted.

Question    What about my pets or animals?

Answer   The handling of animals, including pets, would depend very much on the particular circumstances of an incident.  In drawing up contingency plans following the deliberate release of biological agents, such as infectious diseases, we have given consideration to the handling of animals.

Should businesses purchase their own equipment to detect chemical, biological or radiological materials as part of their counter-terrorism contingency plans?

No. We take contingency planning for potential terrorist attack very seriously and are working with the emergency services to ensure that they have the equipment they need to protect the public from the use of chemical, biological or radiological (CBR) materials.  Effective measures are in place to detect such substances on a routine basis, where required, and equipment is regularly tested by independent scientists and other relevant agencies, including the emergency services.

The demanding and potentially dangerous job of detecting such materials should therefore be left to personnel in the emergency services and responsible agencies who are professionally trained in the necessary equipment. Businesses considering measures to prevent or reduce the impact of terrorism should contact the counter-terrorist security adviser in their local police force who will be able to give further advice.

 

Advice for traveller's

Travelling

Following is some basic advice for travelling at home and abroad, and a list of prohibited items that cannot be carried in your hand luggage if you are departing from UK airports.

Abroad

While the majority of visits abroad are trouble-free, it is always sensible to check the Travel section of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office website before planning a trip overseas.

It offers the following helpful information to British travellers:

Country advice - official travel advice for more than 200 countries

Risk of terrorism - a brief assessment of the threat worldwide

Travel advice of foreign governments - from those that have issued advice

Know before you go - information on how to prepare before your trip

While you are there - general tips on laws and customs abroad

If things go wrong - advice about what to do if something goes wrong on your trip

At home

Security levels have remained at a heightened level since the September 11 attacks, and passengers may still be experiencing delays on commercial flights to and from UK airports.

If you are intending to fly from the UK to any destination, including within the country, or if you are planning to collect incoming passengers, it is wise to check with the appropriate airlines and airports before you go.

Prohibited items for air travel

The following items cannot be carried on your person or in your hand luggage:

toy guns [plastic or metal], metal knives of any length, including letter openers, nor knives of any other material, [such as polycarbonate or ceramic] that are strong enough to be used as potential weapons, metal cutlery, catapults, razor blades [unless permanently set into a fixed cartridge, such as a disposable razor], tradesmen's tools that have the potential to be used as weapons, darts, scissors, including manicure scissors [except where both blades are round-ended], hypodermic syringes [unless required for medical reasons, such as diabetes], knitting needles, corkscrews, large sporting bats and clubs [such as baseball, softball and cricket bats, and golf clubs; tennis, badminton and squash rackets are okay], billiard, snooker or pool cues.

In general, airport managers and aircraft operators have the discretion to refuse any potential weapon.  Check with your individual airline for a definitive list of what you can and cannot carry on your person, in your hand luggage, and in your checked baggage.

Local police area

Lothian and Borders Police Force

Phone: 0131 311 3131

 

Click the link below for more information on preparing for emergencies and threat levels

Threat Levels

Security by the Home Office

Preparing for emergencies

List of Proscribed international groups under the Terrorism Act 2000 (Proscribed Organisations)

These terrorist organisations are currently proscribed under UK legislation, and therefore outlawed in the UK.

 

Proscribed terrorist groups

Updated January 2008

These terrorist organisations are currently proscribed under UK legislation, and therefore outlawed in the UK.

The 46 organisations proscribed were added to the list in the following order:

List of proscribed groups

Note: the information below is taken from data provided to Parliament when each group was proscribed.

17 November Revolutionary Organisation (N17): Aims to highlight and protest at what it deems to be imperialist and corrupt actions, using violence. Formed in 1974 to oppose the Greek military Junta, its stance was initially anti-Junta and anti-US, which it blamed for supporting the Junta.

Abu Nidal Organisation (ANO): ANO’s principal aim is the destruction of the state of Israel. It is also hostile to ‘reactionary’ Arab regimes and states supporting Israel.

Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG): The precise aims of the ASG are unclear, but its objectives appear to include the establishment of an autonomous Islamic state in the Southern Philippine island of Mindanao.

Al-Gama'at al-Islamiya (GI): The main aim of GI is through all means, including the use of violence, to overthrow the Egyptian Government and replace it with an Islamic state. Some members also want the removal of Western influence from the Arab world.

Al Gurabaa: Al Gurabaa is a splinter group of Al-Muajiron and disseminates materials that glorify acts of terrorism.

Al Ittihad Al Islamia (AIAI): The main aims of AIAI are to establish a radical Sunni Islamic state in Somalia, and to regain the Ogaden region of Ethiopia as Somali territory via an insurgent campaign. Militant elements within AIAI are suspected of having aligned themselves with the ‘global jihad’ ideology of Al Qaida, and to have operated in support of Al Qaida in the East Africa region.

Al Qaida: Inspired and led by Osama Bin Laden, its aims are the expulsion of Western forces from Saudi Arabia, the destruction of Israel and the end of Western influence in the Muslim world.

Ansar Al Islam (AI): AI is a radical Sunni Salafi group from northeast Iraq around Halabja. The group is anti-Western, and opposes the influence of the US in Iraqi Kurdistan and the relationship of the KDP and PUK to Washington. AI has been involved in operations against Multi-National Forces-Iraq (MNF-I).

Ansar Al Sunna (AS): AS is a fundamentalist Sunni Islamist extremist group based in Central Iraq and what was the Kurdish Autonomous Zone (KAZ) of Northern Iraq. The group aims to expel all foreign influences from Iraq and create a fundamentalist Islamic state.

Armed Islamic Group (Groupe Islamique Armée) (GIA): The aim of the GIA is to create an Islamic state in Algeria using all necessary means, including violence.

Asbat Al-Ansar ('League of Parisans' or 'Band of Helpers'): Sometimes going by the aliases of 'The Abu Muhjin' group/faction or the 'Jama'at Nour', this group aims to enforce its extremist interpretation of Islamic law within Lebanon, and increasingly further afield.

Babbar Khalsa (BK): BK is a Sikh movement that aims to establish an independent Khalistan within the Punjab region of India.

Basque Homeland and Liberty (Euskadi ta Askatasuna) (ETA): ETA seeks the creation of an independent state comprising the Basque regions of both Spain and France.

Baluchistan Liberation Army (BLA): BLA are comprised of tribal groups based in the Baluchistan area of Eastern Pakistan, which aims to establish an independent nation encompassing the Baluch dominated areas of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran.

Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ): The main aim of the EIJ is to overthrow the Egyptian Government and replace it with an Islamic state. However, since September 1998, the leadership of the group has also allied itself to the 'global Jihad' ideology expounded by Osama Bin Laden and has threatened Western interests.

Groupe Islamique Combattant Marocain (GICM): The traditional primary objective of the GICM has been the installation of a governing system of the caliphate to replace the governing Moroccan monarchy. The group also has an Al Qaida-inspired global extremist agenda.

Hamas Izz al-Din al-Qassem Brigades: Hamas aims to end Israeli occupation in Palestine and establish an Islamic state.

Harakat-Ul-Jihad-Ul-Islami (HUJI): The aim of HUJI is to achieve though violent means accession of Kashmir to Pakistan, and to spread terror throughout India. HUJI has targeted Indian security positions in Kashmir and conducted operations in India proper.

Harakat-Ul-Jihad-Ul-Islami (Bangladesh) (Huji-B): The main aim of HUJI-B is the creation of an Islamic regime in Bangladesh modelled on the former Taleban regime in Afghanistan.

Harakat-Ul-Mujahideen/Alami (HuM/A) and Jundallah: The aim of both HuM/A and Jundallah is the rejection of democracy of even the most Islamic-oriented style, and to establish a caliphate based on Sharia law, in addition to achieving accession of all Kashmir to Pakistan. HuM/A has a broad anti-Western and anti-President Musharraf agenda.

Harakat Mujahideen (HM): HM, previously known as Harakat Ul Ansar (HuA), seeks independence for Indian-administered Kashmir. The HM leadership was also a signatory to Osama Bin Laden's 1998 fatwa, which called for worldwide attacks against US and Western interests.

Hizballah External Security Organisation: Hizballah is committed to armed resistance to the state of Israel itself and aims to liberate all Palestinian territories and Jerusalem from Israeli occupation. It maintains a terrorist wing, the External Security Organisation (ESO), to help it achieve this.

Hezb-E Islami Gulbuddin (HIG): Led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar who is in particular very anti-American, HIG desires the creation of a fundamentalist Islamic State in Afghanistan and is anti-Western.

International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF): ISYF is an organisation committed to the creation of an independent state of Khalistan for Sikhs within India.

Islamic Army of Aden (IAA): The IAA's aims are the overthrow of the current Yemeni government and the establishment of an Islamic State following Sharia Law.

Islamic Jihad Union (IJU): The primary strategic goal of the IJU is the elimination of the current Uzbek regime. The IJU would expect that following the removal of President Karimov, elections would occur in which Islamic-democratic political candidates would pursue goals shared by the IJU leadership.

Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU): The primary aim of IMU is to establish an Islamic state in the model of the Taleban in Uzbekistan. However, the IMU is reported to also seek to establish a broader state over the entire Turkestan area.

Jaish e Mohammed (JeM): JeM seeks the 'liberation' of Kashmir from Indian control as well as the 'destruction' of America and India. JeM has a stated objective of unifying the various Kashmiri militant groups.

Jammat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB): JMB first came to prominence on 20 May 2002 when eight of its members were arrested in possession of petrol bombs. The group has claimed responsibility for numerous fatal bomb attacks across Bangladesh in recent years, including suicide bomb attacks in 2005.

Jeemah Islamiyah (JI): JI's aim is the creation of a unified Islamic state in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Southern Philippines.

Khuddam Ul-Islam (Kul) and splinter group Jamaat Ul-Furquan (JuF): The aim of both KUI and JuF are to unite Indian administered Kashmir with Pakistan; to establish a radical Islamist state in Pakistan; the ‘destruction’ of India and the USA; to recruit new jihadis; and the release of imprisoned Kashmiri militants

Kongra Gele Kurdistan (KG): PKK/KADEK/KG is primarily a separatist movement that has sought an independent Kurdish state in southeast Turkey.  The PKK changed its name first to KADEK and then to Kongra Gele Kurdistan, although the PKK name is still used by parts of the movement.   Lashkar e Tayyaba (LT): LT seeks independence for Kashmir and the creation of an Islamic state using violent means.

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE): The LTTE is a terrorist group fighting for a separate Tamil state in the North and East of Sri Lanka.

Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG): The LIFG seeks to replace the current Libyan regime with a hard-line Islamic state. The group is also part of the wider global Islamist extremist movement, as inspired by Al Qaida. The group has mounted several operations inside Libya, including a 1996 attempt to assassinate Mu’ammar Qadhafi.

Mujaheddin e Khalq (MeK): The MeK is an Iranian dissident organisation based in Iraq. It claims to be seeking the establishment of a democratic, socialist, Islamic republic in Iran.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad - Shaqaqi (PIJ): PIJ is a Shi'a group which aims to end the Israeli occupation of Palestine and create an Islamic state similar to that in Iran. It opposes the existence of the state of Israel, the Middle East Peace Process and the Palestinian Authority.

Revolutionary Peoples' Liberation Party - Front (Devrimci Halk Kurtulus Partisi - Cephesi) (DHKP-C): DHKP-C aims to establish a Marxist Leninist regime in Turkey by means of armed revolutionary struggle.

Salafist Group for Call and Combat (Groupe Salafiste pour la Predication et le Combat) (GSPC): Its aim is to create an Islamic state in Algeria using all necessary means, including violence.

Saved Sect or Saviour Sect: The Saved Sect is a splinter group of Al-Muajiron and disseminates materials that glorify acts of terrorism.

Sipah-E Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) (Aka Millat-E Islami Pakistan (MIP) (SSP was renamed MIP in April 2003 but is still referred to as SSP)) and splinter group Lashkar-E Jhangvi (LeJ): The aim of both SSP and LeJ is to transform Pakistan by violent means into a Sunni state under the total control of Sharia law. Another objective is to have all Shia declared Kafirs and to participate in the destruction of other religions, notably Judasim, Christianity and Hinduism.
Note: Kafirs means non-believers: literally, one who refused to see the truth. LeJ does not consider members of the Shia sect to be Muslim, hence they can be considered a ‘legitimate’ target

Tehrik Nefaz-e Shari'at Muhammadi (TNSM): TNSM regularly attacks Coalition and Afghan government forces in Afghanistan and provides direct support to Al Qaida and the Taliban. One faction of the group claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on an army training compound on 8 November 2006 in Dargai, Pakistan, in which 42 soldiers were killed.

Teyre Azadiye Kurdistan (TAK): TAK Kurdish terrorist group currently operating in Turkey.

Proscribed Irish groups 

Terrorism hotlines

Terrorism hotline:   0800 789 321

Outside the UK:   00 44 20 7158 0010

Red Cross Support Line:   [24 hours] 0845 46 47

From abroad:   00 44 207 877 7492

Public Vigilance

The Police are encouraging the public to remain vigilant and to report any unattended items or suspicious activity anywhere in Britain to contact the police in your area.

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