Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Terrorism: Lone actors make stopping attacks harder, say FBI and MI5 chiefs

Terrorism: Lone actors make stopping attacks harder, say FBI and MI5 chiefs

Finding intelligence to stop terrorism is getting harder because attackers are increasingly lone actors, the head of the FBI has told a meeting in London.

Christopher Wray said the US security services and MI5 are seeing more attacks carried out with crude weapons and little planning or training.

At the end of joint meetings with MI5, Mr Wray said it was vital for security services to share intelligence quickly.

MI5 head Ken McCallum said they faced a "very difficult cocktail of risks".

The FBI director said there are "very few dots out there", referring to intelligence on planned attacks, adding there was less time to connect those dots.

Working with MI5 in some cases was vital, he explained..

"If we're not super lashed-up, we're going to miss the only picture that's out there - and it's got to happen really fast," he said.

He said travel and technology had "blurred the lines between foreign and domestic threats" and that the encryption provided by technology companies was providing "an entirely unfettered space" for criminals and terrorists to operate.

Mr McCallum said around one in five terrorism investigations in Great Britain were linked to neo-Nazi, racist ideology or other related extremism - a rate that had remained roughly steady.

He said MI5 continued to see a growing role for juveniles and an obsessive interest in weaponry.

The two men said that co-operation allowed their agencies to cover a broader range of threats.

The FBI director said he had met British intelligence and security officials during his visit this week, which came as he marked 80 years of formal co-operation between the FBI and the UK.

On Friday afternoon his visit included looking at case studies of Russian and Chinese intelligence operatives moving around the globe.

FBI director Christopher Wray (right) visited his MI5 counterpart Ken McCallum as the agencies marked 80 years of co-operation


Mr McCallum said the expulsion of Russian diplomats after the Salisbury poisonings in 2018 and continued refusal of visas had prevented Moscow rebuilding its presence and had constrained the threat in the UK.

Cyber threats had also been high on the agenda for discussions, Mr Wray said.

On Wednesday, the two security chiefs made an unprecedented joint public appearance to warn of an "immense" threat from China.

They spoke to business and academic leaders inside MI5 headquarters at Thames House in central London.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
×