Terrorist Alert Level Raised to ‘Severe’ in UK

Britain, as of January 22, has seen the terrorist level raised to ‘severe’, which is the country’s second highest level. The threat level, which implies that an attack is most likely to occur, comes in the wake of reports from India indicating a threat of a plane hijacking.

The alert was raised prior to the announcement of the hijacking threat, but the threat has led to an increase in tension and created hype surrounding the cause for the increase. The Indian Intelligence Bureau sent information to MI5 after the capture of a suspected extremist Islamic leader.

Although the report has not specified the UK has the target for the attack, it did detail a plot in which insurgents linked to al Qaeda and based out of Pakistan were involved. The plot included plans to hijack an aircraft on either Air Indian or Indian Airlines leaving from Delhi or Mumbai, and then supposedly, crash the hijacked aircraft into a major British city.

This, however, is not the first plot discovered where plans were outlined to attack a major British city. At the time the former plot was revealed, former prime minister Tony Blair, was led to send armoured vehicles to the airport concerned for extra security.

The Indian government, in response to the reports, has taken steps to ensure heightened airport security as well as increased sky marshals and screenings at all major airports in the country. Although he remained vague as to the real reasons for the rise in the terror alert, Home Secretary Alan Johnson did address the issue. The rise in alert is just four weeks after a 23-year old Nigerian studying in the UK attempted to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight over Detroit.