Britain has gone too far - MI5 chief warns of worst-case scenario

MI5 chief Ken McCallum has warned that Britain faces a combination of threats — Islamist terrorism, espionage, sabotage, and cyberattacks from hostile states — more dangerous than after September 11, 2001. McCallum accused Russia of waging hybrid warfare and China of competing for resources. For Israel, it is particularly significant that radical Islamism remains a concern, and the Jewish community has already been targeted.

The head of British counterintelligence MI5, Ken McCallum, issued a warning that Britain faces a combination of threats more dangerous than during the September 11, 2001 attacks. Islamist terrorism has not disappeared, but has been joined by espionage, sabotage, and cyberattacks from hostile states. McCallum accused Russia of waging hybrid warfare against the West and China of intensifying its struggle for strategic resources and trade routes. Cyberattacks on critical infrastructure pose a separate danger. For Israel, it is particularly noteworthy that radical Islamism remains a persistent problem. McCallum recalled the recent case of an Islamic extremist who tried to purchase automatic weapons to attack the Jewish community in Manchester. The article notes that while the British government is in conflict with Israel over policy in the Gaza Strip, its own counterintelligence warns that the threat of Islamist terrorism at home has not disappeared.