Iraq war ‘made extremists of people': ex-police terrorism chief looks back at 7/7
Neil Basu said governments need to accept that foreign policy, such as Britain's stance on the Israel-Gaza war, can have a direct effect on domestic security.
Accepting that link, he said, does not excuse violence but allows security professionals and the public to plan for any 'blowback'.
The interview with the Guardian marked the 20th anniversary of the attacks on London's transport network and the arrival of the modern age of Islamist mass murder in Britain.
Suicide bombers attacked three underground trains and a bus leaving 52 people dead and more than 750 injured. The shock was compounded when it was revealed that the atrocity was the work of British-born terrorists, supported by Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida.
Basu was head of counter-terrorism until 2021 and said the current level of attack threat to the UK was higher than in 2005. Other sources confirm that grim assessment.
Basu said the 7 July attacks contributed to a growth in suspicion of Muslims and damage to race relations that left people of colour fearful, reversing progress made since the 1980s.
They also came two years after the UK, then with Tony Blair as prime minister, joined in the US invasion of Iraq, on the false pretext that it had weapons of mass destruction.
Basu said: 'A driver of the 7/7 attacks was foreign policy and Iraq, that does not excuse in any way what they did.
'That foreign policy decision has radicalised and made extremists of people who might not have been radicalised or extreme. And if they were on the pathway, it's pretty much guaranteed …
'All terrorists will have a freedom fighter story. Bin Laden would have had a freedom fighter story. We might think it's crap. We might think it's self-justification, but he will have had a story about liberating his lands from the great invaders.'
Basu said it does not mean a terrorist threat should dictate foreign policy but governments need to be honest that such decisions may mean 'you'll be less safe when you're at Westfield on a Saturday afternoon'.
The 7 July ringleader was Mohammad Sidique Khan, a teaching assistant and community worker, who was married and a father, and had been to a terrorist training camp in Pakistan.
In a suicide video after his death he attempted to justify the acts of murder by him and three others, claiming in a Yorkshire accent: 'We are at war and I am a soldier. Now you too will taste the reality of this situation.'
Basu said: 'There is no one path for any single individual to go down a terrorist route. There's a multiplicity of paths, and one of them is: 'I'm right, you're wrong. Now that looks obscene to us … They are on God's side. We are on Satan's side.'
He said the backlash against Muslims in Britain, a fraying of the social fabric and rise of extremism are what the terrorists would have hoped for: 'When terrorists hide behind a religion to commit an atrocity people blame every follower of the religion and the religion itself. We ought to stop doing that.
'That causes a fear and suspicion of people who don't look like you, think like you, eat like you, worship like you. That has got worse, not better, and that has been caused exactly as terrorists want, by dividing a society by committing the shocking act.'
Progress in race relations, 'a trajectory of tolerance' since the 1980s, had reversed after devastating terrorist attacks.
Basu said:'That's what I think has been most soul-destroying … It has interrupted a trajectory of tolerance that I was becoming very familiar and happy with….
'It started with 9/11 … 7/7 accelerated that in this country. The relationship between races is worse today, or as bad today as it was in the 70s and 80s. That period of tolerance is over, and feels very much over.'
All Muslims being tarred with suspicion after terror attacks had caused wider damage.
Basu, who is mixed race, said: 'How can that not possibly have set in a lot of people who were undecided about whether they wanted a multicultural, racially integrated society? How is that going to affect them? In exactly the way the terrorists wanted. It was going to make them say, we don't want those people here.
'The zeitgeist has changed. If I as a 6ft, ex-police officer with quite a few skills and lots of mates and the ex-head of counter-terrorism feel more vulnerable today than I felt in pretty much most of my adult life, I think that there is a change.'
Basu said greater societal resilience was needed and that over the past 20 years the extremes had fed off each other, with events such as last summer's riots part of a bitter legacy.
He said: 'The ringleaders in those events who are causing the most anxiety you can trace way back to the 'war on terror'. You know where [Tommy] Robinson came from, where the EDL [English Defence League] came from … you can trace all the way back to being mobilised by these horrific terrorist acts.
'I look at the rise of extreme rightwing terrorism in this country … of rightwing racist attitudes towards black and brown people, and I look at the rise in hate crime reporting … and can't help but think we've got a vicious cycle that started when certain vicious groups started killing people on western soil. I think they were intending to do that, and they have succeeded.'
Basu said that when the police focus had to shift to terrorism after 2005, attempts to stamp out prejudice in the ranks waned, following the inquiry into the Stephen Lawrence murder and police errors that left his killers free.
He added:'Events like 7/7 in 2005 blew apart the whole post-Lawrence diversity agenda. It literally destroyed it.'
Robert Quick, head of counter-terrorism between 2008-09 said the number of counter-terrorism operations he was overseeing was up to 100, with about 2,500 people of concern. Now that figure is 600 operations with many more people suspected of potential involvement and support for terrorism.
Islamist attack plots dominate the work of counter-terrorism officials, followed by those from the far right and also those where there is no clear cause. In addition, there is now the threat from hostile states, mainly Iran and Russia.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
King Charles leads 80th VJ Day commemoration in UK
King Charles led VJ Day commemorations in the UK as a national service of remembrance and two-minute silence marked the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender in the second world war and the end of the six-year-long conflict. He was joined by the queen, the prime minister, Keir Starmer, and veterans who served in the far east theatres of war as wreaths were laid at the National Memorial Arboretum service in Staffordshire. Powerful testimonies read aloud reminded of the terrible cost of war, while a flypast featured the Red Arrows and historic second world war aircraft, including a Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster bomber. Guests of honour included 33 veterans aged from 96 to 105. A Royal Navy veteran, Alfred Conway, from Lincolnshire, watched as his great granddaughter laid a wreath on the Burma railway memorial at the arboretum. George Durrant, who served in the intelligence corps, appeared on stage to urge people not to forget the sacrifices made by his comrades. In Japan, Emperor Naruhito spoke of his 'deep remorse' on the anniversary and said he felt 'a deep and renewed sense of sorrow' in a sombre speech in an indoor arena in the centre of the Japanese capital. A visit by two cabinet ministers to the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo angered countries that suffered Japanese military atrocities, particularly China and South Korea, AFP reported. The shrine, which the country's Asian neighbours view as a symbol of Japan's wartime aggression, honours 2.5 million mostly Japanese soldiers who perished since the late 19th century but also enshrines convicted war criminals. Japan's prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, a political moderate, sent a customary offering to Yasukuni, according to Kyodo news. No Japanese prime minister has visited the shrine since 2013, when a trip by then-premier Shinzo Abe sparked fury in Beijing and Seoul. China's foreign ministry on Friday summoned the chief minister of Japan's embassy in China, Yokochi Akira, to lodge solemn representations over Japanese politicians visiting the war shrine, according to a ministry statement, Reuters reported. In an audio message before the national service of remembrance to the nation, realms and Commonwealth, Charles spoke of allied prisoners of war 'who endured years of brutal captivity: the starvation, disease and cruelty that tested the very limits of human endurance' and the 'mental and physical scars' the war left on those who survived. He vowed the service and sacrifice of VJ Day heroes 'shall never be forgotten'. In what is believed to be the most direct reference by a British monarch to the suffering in Hiroshima and Nagasaki after their atomic bombings, he said: 'We should also pause to acknowledge that in the war's final act, an immense price was paid by the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – a price we pray no nation need ever pay again.' More than 90,000 British troops were casualties in the war against Japan, and nearly 30,000 died according to the Royal British Legion, while more than 12,000 Britons were among the 190,000 Commonwealth troops held as prisoners of war by the Japanese. Of the Allied forces, the US suffered the greatest losses, with more than 100,000 killed in action. In Hiroshima and Nagasaki, more than 200,000 people were killed by the US bombs and in the months after succumbing to radiation sickness, the effects of burns and other serious injuries. Hundreds of buildings across the UK were due to be lit up on Friday evening to mark VJ Day 80, including Buckingham Palace, 10 Downing Street, the Houses of Parliament, the Tower of London, Tower 42, the Shard, Blackpool Tower, Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Durham Cathedral, Cardiff Castle, the Cenotaph and the White Cliffs of Dover.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
AntiSocial Asylum hotels
Anger has flared outside hotels used to house asylum seekers. Protestors say they are worried about illegal migration, cost to the taxpayer and a lack of consultation, but one issue seems to spark even more concern - the safety of women and children. Opponents have accused protestors of racism and whipping up hate. Is there any evidence that asylum seekers are more likely to commit sexual offences? We trace the clamour for more data to answer that question. Police have been given new guidance on disclosing the ethnicity and nationality of suspects in criminal cases - especially high profile ones. What might be the effect? And why are so many asylum seekers currently housed in hotels anyway? We hear how the system is supposed to work and how it's evolved. Presenter: Adam Fleming Producers: Simon Tulett, Natasha Fernandes, Emma Close and Tom Gillett Editor: Penny Murphy Production coordinator: Janet Staples Studio engineer: Annie Gardiner
Times
2 hours ago
- Times
Times letters: How inheritance tax changes affect growth
Write to letters@ Sir, You argue in your leading article 'From Me to You' (Aug 14) that it is 'morally wrong' to levy inheritance tax on 'those who have worked hard throughout their lives to earn something to pass onto the next generation', but the biggest slice of inherited wealth is in the form of a house sale. The amount of income used to acquire a house depends mainly on the size of the mortgage at the time the house was bought — that is, its historic value — not on what it is sold for as part of probate, its current value. An adjustment for inflation may be appropriate, but there is no reason a house should be tax-exempt because its deceased owner 'worked hard to acquire it'.Peter Curwen Leeds Sir, For Rachel Reeves, wealth is a sin and she intends to tax it like other sinful behaviours. Sin taxes have a long history in reducing activities that politicians disapprove of. Sin taxes on smoking, drinking and driving have succeeded. Inevitably, as our sinning diminishes, so do sin tax revenues. Tobacco and fuel duty revenues are both down. Alcohol duty revenue is up, marginally, but on lower per capita consumption because tax rates on stronger booze have increased. Sin taxes on wealth will have the same result. There will be far less of the sinful activity of wealth creation, and eventually tax revenues will fall. The worst sinners are already fleeing our shores. Inheritance tax revenue will disappear as people stop leaving wealth to their children. As you have reported (Jul 28), capital gains tax revenues are already falling, from £14.6 billion in 2022-23 to £12.1 billion in 2023-34 as the sinners prepare to repent. What's more, with far fewer of the '1 per cent club' who pay 30 per cent of total income tax, we can all look forward to even higher tax bills ReeceLondon N4 Sir, I wonder if Rachel Reeves has fully considered the implications of subjecting pensions to inheritance tax. Having worked for more than 40 years and contributed to a pension in the belief that this would relieve the state of any responsibility for me in old age, I am now confused. Obviously I don't know how long I may live, but in the hope it may be a reasonably long time I have invested in UK stocks and shares, both to protect my family and to promote UK stocks and shares. All of us have benefitted, but now I must re-evaluate. Several of my options include selling the UK stocks and shares. Reeves has said she wants pension funds to invest more in the UK stock market, but how will her policies encourage that?Paul Mitchell Thédirac, France Sir, The proposal to 'tighten' rules on the seven-year exemption to IHT on gifts is odd ('Budget may tighten rules on inheritance tax', Aug 13). We seem to have forgotten the reason for this relief, which is to encourage growth. Essentially, it is better for growth for elderly people to pass on assets to younger people who will use them. A simple example is an older person taking cash from their bank and giving it to their child to buy a house. This results in work for estate agents, surveyors, solicitors and contractors, as well as a tax contribution in stamp duty and VAT. For a pro-growth government, to remove the incentive to give these gifts seems HardsBlakeney, Norfolk Sir, John Stewart says (Thunderer, Aug 13) that the proliferation of cycle lanes on main roads is because priority is given to cyclists making longer trips, at the expense of people using side-roads for shorter journeys. The reason priority is given to main roads is that they are where cyclists are in most danger. In many places outside London, it is impossible to make even short journeys without using main roads. I agree, though, that the design of cycle lanes needs review. Bumps and bollards that separate cycle lanes from vehicle lanes are hazards, as are jay-walking pedestrians and car passengers opening doors without looking. Some cycle lanes at junctions are so labyrinthine that they are difficult for both pedestrians and cyclists to navigate. The sad fact is that at present some cycle lanes are so badly designed that it is often safer, and certainly quicker, to avoid SpenceSale, Cheshire Sir, The residents of Streatham Hill are due to suffer more than a year of roadworks as Transport for London and Lambeth council reduce the motor vehicle capacity of the A23 to a single lane. The reason is that it is safer for cyclists and pedestrians to create a segregated cycle lane with floating bus stops and reduce access from residential side roads. I believe that if they wanted to keep everyone safe — and save money — they could ban cyclists from this stretch of the A23 and direct them to the low-traffic neighbourhood along the southbound carriageway. One of reasons the council gave for creating the LTN was that it would make it safer to cycle and CrillyLondon SW16 Sir, Harry Wallop writes (Business, Aug 15) about the poor prospects for delivery riders in the gig economy. These riders and others in such jobs will, at the end of their working lives, have little if any pension and will be dependent on the state. The people running these companies will have retired comfortably and left taxpayers to look after their former workers. Bill ParishBromley, Kent Sir, Sadly, the stone coffins and skeleton that have been on view in the northeast corner of Sherborne Abbey for the last century cannot be those of Alfred the Great's brothers (letter, Aug 14). They lie immediately beneath a 14th-century tiled pavement, within a chantry chapel, and are more likely to be those of a late-medieval abbot. When they were uncovered, in 1925, during the making of WD Caroe's new Lady Chapel, no archaeologist was there to study or record them. If the present vicar wishes to find the burials of Alfred's brothers, I suggest a careful research excavation on either side of the high Tatton-BrownSalisbury Sir, The discussion about the remains of his family brings into focus the location of Alfred himself. After his death, in 899, he was buried in Old Minster, Winchester. He was then moved to New Minster, the church built by his son, King Edward, as the dynastic focus for the family. The Norman destruction of both minsters led to the building of Hyde Abbey, just outside the walls of the city, as the 'final' resting place for Alfred, Edward and other family members. Sadly, Hyde Abbey fell victim to Henry VIII. Alfred's grave was lost until 1788, when the building of a bridewell on the site led to its rediscovery. The authorities allowed the bones to be lost around the building site. So we can now say with some confidence that the bones of Alfred and his immediate family lie scattered and shattered adjacent to the entrance to River Park in Hyde. We have long lobbied Winchester city council for a proper commemoration of Alfred and the story of the abbey in Hyde Gate, almost the last remaining original building within the abbey FennellFounder, Hyde900Winchester Sir, Further to your article 'Rolls-Royce's UK plans go nuclear' (Business, Aug 14), I have no doubt Rolls-Royce's aero-engine business will remain remarkably successful but its enthusiasm for land-based small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) is commercially misplaced. Firstly, SMRs are essentially experimental prototype scale-ups. I would be surprised if savvy companies such as Google and Amazon were contemplating reliance on experimental tech. Secondly, authoritative research by academics at the University of Pennsylvania, in a paper published in May 2022, demonstrated that SMR radioactive waste is harder to handle than waste from Gigawatt-sized nuclear David LowryInstitute for Resource and Security Studies, Massachusetts, US Sir, Alice Thomson calls for 'honest but calm dialogue' about migration (Comment, Aug 13). She concedes that 'some Islamic countries don't share western values', but understates in my opinion how big a barrier that is to integration. The schism between Catholicism and Protestantism endured for BickleyHuntingdon, Cambs Sir, In response to your question 'Which artist best captures the true spirit of Britain — in a single frame?', (Times2, Aug 15), surely Banksy's Girl with Balloon, his powerful 2002 mural, best encapsulates the nation's sentiments in these troubled times. It was voted the nation's favourite in 2017 and, as well as being one of his most famous works, it is also one of Banksy's most optimistic, as the original mural was accompanied by the words: 'There is always hope.'Adrian BrodkinLondon N2 Sir, Your excellent article overlooked Walter Sickert. Over his long and prolific career, he painted ordinary British people at the music hall and in grimy bedsits. He reinvented himself more than once and has influenced and inspired many who came later. My choice would be BostonKingshill, Kent Sir, David Hockney has spent a great deal of his time on British landscapes, most notably Garrowby Hill, and his innovative artwork on the iPad is ClarkeRye, E Sussex Sir, Anthony Roberts (letter, Aug 14) brings to mind the warning attributed to Henry Longhurst that 'If you call on God to improve the results of a shot while it is still in motion, you are using an outside agency and subject to appropriate penalties under the rules of golf.'John Murray Compton Chamberlayne, Wilts Sir, A friend of my parents had his bicycle stolen. It was found two days later and, being a good Catholic, he went to church to thank St Anthony. On leaving church, he found that it had been stolen YoungSouthampton Sir, Public statues in London have always been controversial, for many reasons (News, Aug 8, and letters, Aug 13 and 14). In 1937, a decision was made to site the memorials to Admiral Jellicoe and Admiral Beatty in Trafalgar Square, which required moving the statues of General Napier and Major General Havelock, and there had even been discussions about moving William IV from his plinth to an island at Virginia Water. It was all too much for Sir Patrick Duff, secretary of the Office of Works, who was still reeling after controversies about the statue of Field Marshal Haig on Whitehall. In a letter to the first commissioner, Sir Philip Sassoon, in January 1938, Duff fumed that the best site for all statues was at the bottom of the CrellinThorner, W Yorks Sir, Marion Brown's letter (Aug 13) revived an old misapprehension of my own. As a child I had a box of watercolour paints with the printed name of the tint under each pan. Owing to inconsistency in the printing I was convinced for many years of the existence of the colour Clive DorrPlymouth Write to letters@
