Latest news with #KenMcCallum
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
China's primary intelligence organisation labelled world's largest spy; accused of global espionage
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel China's primary intelligence organisation, known as the Ministry of State Security (MSS), has been classified by CBS as the largest and most active espionage agency globally, according to The Eurasian CBS news segment painted a grim picture of Beijing's worldwide intelligence ambitions, indicating that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) seeks to utilise a global network of covert operatives to observe and influence incidents outside its borders while surveilling and intimidating Chinese dissidents in the US, as reported by The Eurasian report from CBS implies that the MSS has broadened its scope far beyond standard intelligence collection, embedding agents within academia, businesses, and even local authorities in the China's emergence as a superpower, its espionage capabilities have become more refined, targeting not only state secrets but also influencing narratives, stealing technology, and suppressing dissenters abroad, as cited in The Eurasian Times report."MSS's primary target isn't a foreign government, although the United States ranks a close second. Rather, its foremost focus is on the Chinese populace, particularly those who reside abroad, especially in the US," said Jim Lewis, a former US diplomat with over three decades of experience in countering Chinese intelligence, as noted by The Eurasian view aligns with a larger trend unveiled in a recent CBS News analysis, "The Chinese Communist Party remains focused on employing a global network of covert agents to oversee and sway events beyond its borders while also surveilling and intimidating Chinese dissenters within America," as quoted in The Eurasian Times underlying mission of the MSS goes beyond conventional espionage; it aims to govern narratives, enforce loyalty, and stifle dissent within the very communities it purports to strategies used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) don't solely target dissidents or defectors, but they also pose a systemic challenge to international standards and democratic sovereignty, as stated by The Eurasian Times August 2023, MI5 (the UK's intelligence agency) Director General Ken McCallum disclosed that China's MSS had approached over 20,000 UK nationals, primarily via LinkedIn, in efforts to procure confidential information, as noted by The Eurasian intelligence agency reported a similar occurrence in 2018 when MSS contacted 4,000 individuals through LinkedIn. In Germany, more than 10,000 citizens were allegedly targeted using the same strategy, according to The Eurasian Times report.
Straits Times
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Israeli embassy in London target of foiled Iranian terror plot
LONDON - The Israeli Embassy in London was the target of a terror plot by five Iranian nationals who were arrested by British police last weekend, according to people familiar with the matter. The five men were detained on May 3 on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act, in an operation led by the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terror Command. The arrests related to a plot targeting a specific site, the Met said, declining to name the location for 'operational reasons'. Israel's Embassy in Kensington, west London, was the main target, the people said, with an attack believed to have been imminent before police arrested the suspects. The Metropolitan Police declined to comment and the Israeli Embassy did not respond to a request for comment. 'Iran in no uncertain terms categorically rejects any involvement in such actions and confirms that we have not been informed of any allegations via proper diplomatic channels,' Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X, adding that Iran was prepared to assist the investigation. 'There is a history of third parties bent on derailing diplomacy and provoking escalation resorting to desperate measures, including false flag operations,' he added, in an apparent reference to ongoing US-Iran talks about Tehran's nuclear programme – a process that Israel has consistently opposed. In a separate investigation also on May 3 , counter terror police arrested three more Iranian nationals under section 27 of the National Security Act, which permits the police to detain, without a warrant, anyone suspected of involvement in 'foreign power threat activity'. The Met said the two investigations weren't connected. In a speech last year, Mr Ken McCallum, director-general of the UK security service MI5, said the agency had responded to 20 potentially lethal plots in Britain since January 2022 that were backed by the Iranian state. BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
We need to ban the IRGC
It takes some doing to be aware of a serious national security threat but to decide that it would be better not to properly address it. For years, there have been widespread demands for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps – a shadowy organisation that manages to combine Islamic fanaticism and terrorist ambitions with all the training, equipment and support of a modern nation-state – to be booted out of Britain. Yet the Government has turned a deaf ear. Last week, Iran came as close as it has ever been to carrying out a mass atrocity on British soil, with its agents only thwarted within hours of the attack in a major counter-terror operation. Still there are no serious moves to ban the organisation on our shores. What are we waiting for? It's not like the mechanisms aren't there. In 2023, we proscribed the Wagner Group, the Russian mercenary outfit, and the following year, the terror group Hizb ut-Tahrir was added to the list. Neither of these come anywhere close to the threat posed by Iran. The danger has been mounting for years. In 2022, the director general of MI5 revealed that Iranian spooks – 'a sophisticated adversary' – had attempted ten assassinations in our country within the preceding 12 months. 'Iran projects threat to the UK directly, through its aggressive intelligence services,' Ken McCallum said in his annual speech on national security. 'At its sharpest, this includes ambitions to kidnap or even kill British or UK-based individuals perceived as enemies of the regime.' Iran, McCallum said, was the 'state actor which most frequently crosses into terrorism.' That same year, two British-Iranian broadcasters were notified of an assassination plot and armed police were deployed to the channel's studios. Here was another Skripal incident waiting to happen. Decisive action came there none. The following year, Matt Jukes, head of counter-terrorism policing at the Met, revealed that the security services had foiled 15 abduction and murder plots by the IRGC. The dissident Iranian broadcaster in question was forced to move to the United States, where the IRGC is indeed banned, after further warnings about the safety of its staff. It is hard not to gain the impression of the despairing security services playing Whac-A-Mole while the Government ponders other things. Last March, a dissident Iranian journalist, Pouria Zeraati, was stabbed outside his home in London by Eastern European mercenaries on the payroll of Tehran, a common technique to cover their tracks. Once again, a chorus of voices pleaded with the Government to ban the IRGC. Before rising to power, David Lammy even pledged to do so. Yet once he had entered office, such ambitions evaporated. The threat from Tehran is not only faced by dissidents, who have been threatened with guns – with guns – in our cities. In 2023, the then-security minister, Tom Tugendhat, confirmed that Iran had been 'mapping' prominent Jews in Britain as 'a preparation for future lethal operations' to be carried out as a strategic means of exerting pressure on Israel when the time came. Were Jewish institutions the targets of last week's plot? So far we do not know. Still the complacency held. A few months later, the Jewish Chronicle revealed that British universities had been helping Iran to develop cutting-edge drone technology with a military application. During Prime Minister's Questions, Rishi Sunak announced a probe. Whatever his intentions, this immediately entered the long grass and has now been completely forgotten. The question of banning the IRGC has always involved a tussle between the Home Office and the Foreign Office, with the latter blocking attempts to take the matter seriously. The arguments made by the diplomats are as sophisticated as they are flimsy, and speak volumes about the condition of the establishment today. Firstly, they say, Tehran may retaliate by closing Britain's embassy in the city, which is necessary not just for diplomacy but also for espionage. To this, we need only respond: come on. Secondly, they have traditionally worried that banning the group would set us at odds with our European allies, allowing Iran to exploit this disunity. During the nuclear negotiations, when Joe Biden was doggedly pursuing a policy of appeasement, Britain was – believe it or not – the most hawkish voice in the room. With the Donald in the Oval Office, however, such hesitations seem rather passé. Lastly, they fear that setting a new precedent of banning an organ of a nation-state would allow campaigners to demand similar treatment for allies like Israel. To which we must say: for God's sake, toughen up, please. What all of this boils down to is a mealy-mouthed range of excuses that seek to place Rolls Royce diplomacy and bureaucratic hand-wringing above the urgent requirements of national security. True, the Government has recently listed the IRGC in the highest category of a new foreign influence register, while Jonathan Hall, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, is considering further steps. But all of this amounts to unnecessary convolution when all we need to do is grow a spine. Otherwise, we may be heading for the mother of all 'I told you so' moments, and that is one that nobody will relish. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
We need to ban the IRGC
It takes some doing to be aware of a serious national security threat but to decide that it would be better not to properly address it. For years, there have been widespread demands for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps – a shadowy organisation that manages to combine Islamic fanaticism and terrorist ambitions with all the training, equipment and support of a modern nation-state – to be booted out of Britain. Yet the Government has turned a deaf ear. Last week, Iran came as close as it has ever been to carrying out a mass atrocity on British soil, with its agents only thwarted within hours of the attack in a major counter-terror operation. Still there are no serious moves to ban the organisation on our shores. What are we waiting for? It's not like the mechanisms aren't there. In 2023, we proscribed the Wagner Group, the Russian mercenary outfit, and the following year, the terror group Hizb ut-Tahrir was added to the list. Neither of these come anywhere close to the threat posed by Iran. The danger has been mounting for years. In 2022, the director general of MI5 revealed that Iranian spooks – 'a sophisticated adversary' – had attempted ten assassinations in our country within the preceding 12 months. 'Iran projects threat to the UK directly, through its aggressive intelligence services,' Ken McCallum said in his annual speech on national security. 'At its sharpest, this includes ambitions to kidnap or even kill British or UK-based individuals perceived as enemies of the regime.' Iran, McCallum said, was the 'state actor which most frequently crosses into terrorism.' That same year, two British-Iranian broadcasters were notified of an assassination plot and armed police were deployed to the channel's studios. Here was another Skripal incident waiting to happen. Decisive action came there none. The following year, Matt Jukes, head of counter-terrorism policing at the Met, revealed that the security services had foiled 15 abduction and murder plots by the IRGC. The dissident Iranian broadcaster in question was forced to move to the United States, where the IRGC is indeed banned, after further warnings about the safety of its staff. It is hard not to gain the impression of the despairing security services playing Whac-A-Mole while the Government ponders other things. Last March, a dissident Iranian journalist, Pouria Zeraati, was stabbed outside his home in London by Eastern European mercenaries on the payroll of Tehran, a common technique to cover their tracks. Once again, a chorus of voices pleaded with the Government to ban the IRGC. Before rising to power, David Lammy even pledged to do so. Yet once he had entered office, such ambitions evaporated. The threat from Tehran is not only faced by dissidents, who have been threatened with guns – with guns – in our cities. In 2023, the then-security minister, Tom Tugendhat, confirmed that Iran had been 'mapping' prominent Jews in Britain as 'a preparation for future lethal operations' to be carried out as a strategic means of exerting pressure on Israel when the time came. Were Jewish institutions the targets of last week's plot? So far we do not know. Still the complacency held. A few months later, the Jewish Chronicle revealed that British universities had been helping Iran to develop cutting-edge drone technology with a military application. During Prime Minister's Questions, Rishi Sunak announced a probe. Whatever his intentions, this immediately entered the long grass and has now been completely forgotten. The question of banning the IRGC has always involved a tussle between the Home Office and the Foreign Office, with the latter blocking attempts to take the matter seriously. The arguments made by the diplomats are as sophisticated as they are flimsy, and speak volumes about the condition of the establishment today. Firstly, they say, Tehran may retaliate by closing Britain's embassy in the city, which is necessary not just for diplomacy but also for espionage. To this, we need only respond: come on. Secondly, they have traditionally worried that banning the group would set us at odds with our European allies, allowing Iran to exploit this disunity. During the nuclear negotiations, when Joe Biden was doggedly pursuing a policy of appeasement, Britain was – believe it or not – the most hawkish voice in the room. With the Donald in the Oval Office, however, such hesitations seem rather passé. Lastly, they fear that setting a new precedent of banning an organ of a nation-state would allow campaigners to demand similar treatment for allies like Israel. To which we must say: for God's sake, toughen up, please. What all of this boils down to is a mealy-mouthed range of excuses that seek to place Rolls Royce diplomacy and bureaucratic hand-wringing above the urgent requirements of national security. True, the Government has recently listed the IRGC in the highest category of a new foreign influence register, while Jonathan Hall, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, is considering further steps. But all of this amounts to unnecessary convolution when all we need to do is grow a spine. Otherwise, we may be heading for the mother of all 'I told you so' moments, and that is one that nobody will relish.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
SAS joins Greater Manchester raids to foil 'Iran-backed terror plot'
Special Air Service troops joined police in raids at three sites across Greater Manchester as part of a serious investigation into a suspected Iran-backed terror plot. The armed soldiers joined counter terror police in swoops in Rochdale, Stockport and in Manchester, while linked raids also took place in Swindon and London on Saturday, May 3. Searches continued across Greater Manchester tonight, May 5, as cops were give permission to hold four of five suspects for a further five days. The Manchester Evening News reports the unnamed 'specific premises' that was allegedly being targeted is highly likely to be a venue outside of the Greater Manchester area. Sources said the heavily armed 'special forces', thought to be the SAS, joined counter terror police at the three raids in Greater Manchester on Saturday evening. READ MORE: Pub forced to pay family £75k after false 'dine-and-dash' claims READ MORE: Exact time Eta Aquariid meteor shower is set to dazzle UK sky tonight One of the raids took place at a house in Rochdale where neighbours reported hearing a 'bang' before a shirtless man was led out by officers. The Metropolitan Police confirmed a 40-year-old man was arrested in Rochdale, and police remain at the scene in East Street. At about the same time a 29-year-old man was arrested in Stockport. Searches were also carried out in London and Swindon in connection to the alleged plot, with a 29-year-old man arrested in the Swindon area, and a 46-year-old man arrested in west London. All four suspects were held on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act and remain in police custody for questioning, with the magistrates today granting detectives warrants of further detention allowing all four to be held until May 10. A man, aged 24, who was held under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act in the 'Manchester area' was released on bail, said the Met Police. The Met said all five suspects are Iranian nationals. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has described the arrests as part of 'some of the biggest counter state threat and counter terrorism operations that we have seen in recent years'. The head of MI5, Ken McCallum, said in October that that 'state threat' investigations had 'shot up' by 48%. He also said the security services had stopped 20 state-backed plots hatched by Iran in the UK since June 2022. He warned of an 'unprecedented pace and scale' of plots posing 'potentially lethal threats' from Iran, who he said had adopted an 'extensive use of criminal proxies' from drug traffickers to low-level criminals. Iran was the first foreign power to be listed on the enhanced tier of the foreign influence registration scheme (Firs), aimed at protecting the UK from malign foreign influence. It means anyone who is directed by Iran to carry out activities in the UK must declare it or face five years in prison. The scheme is due to come into force in July. One security services source told the MEN that the SAS were probably brought for the op as they were 'light years' ahead of regular armed police in terms of their training and kit. They had high-tech 'counter measures' in the event of an improvised explosive device being detonated, they said. The raid in Rochdale was 'higher risk' as it took place during daylight hours when typically such operations take place under cover of darkness, they added, going on that the time of the op suggested a 'collapsing time frame forced their hand'. The Met Police said the arrests were part of a 'pre-planned operation' and that counter terrorism officers 'remain in close contact with the affected premises'. Several sources also told the MEN that the 'specific premises' is unlikely to be in Greater Manchester. Other sources confirmed that the venue in question is not Old Trafford football ground, the Trafford Centre nor Co-op Live. Operational activity is currently being supported by Greater Manchester Police and Wiltshire Police, as well as colleagues from Counter Terrorism Policing across the country, the Met Police said.
