From The Register:Counter Terror Expo A former Assistant Chief of the UK's shadowy Secret Intelligence Service (SIS, aka MI6) has played down the threat of jihadi terrorism, saying that other dangers are more serious. The ex-spy also said that global counterterrorism database plans were "unlikely ever to succeed".
Nigel Inkster, who was an SIS officer from 1975 to 2006 and rose to be Assistant Chief and Director of Operations and Intelligence, was speaking this morning at a counterterrorism conference in London.
On the subject of international counterterrorist databases, always a hot-button issue among those concerned with privacy and individual rights, Inkster had reassuring words.
"There are limits to what we can sensibly aspire to," he said.
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My Comment: Jihadi terrorism is where most of the terrorism in the world originates from .... and it is important right now because of the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and else where. He asserts that there are more serious threats out there than terrorism .... of course there is, but lets focus on the ones that are actively killing our people now.
His assertion on databases is interesting. It was through the use of databases in Iraq that helped to identify and curtail insurgent and terrorist activity. When people were screened for explosive residue .... and they turned out a positive response .... these suspects were put into a database. Repeat offenders were then watched and questioned.