I think it is worthwhile to take some snippets out of this speech and quote them:
"It is fairly unusual for the head of MI5 to speak at a media-focused
event. But the issue of trust is highly relevant to the world of intelligence.
All the more so as we tackle the most immediate and acute peacetime threat in
the 98-year history of my service.
"But before we look at the violent manifestation of that threat in the
UK, we need to remember where this comes from. The violence directed against us
is the product of a much wider extremist ideology, whose basic tenets are
inimical to the tolerance and liberty which form the basis of our democracy. So
although the most visible manifestations of this problem are the attacks and
attempted attacks we have suffered in recent years, the root of the problem is
ideological.
"Why? Because the ideology underlying al Qaida and other violent
groups is extreme. It does not accept the legitimacy of other viewpoints. It is
intolerant, and it believes in a form of government which is explicitly
anti-democratic. And the more that this ideology spreads in our communities, the
harder it will be to maintain the kind of society that the vast majority of us
wish to live in.
And it is important that we recognise an uncomfortable truth: terrorist
attacks we have seen against the UK are not simply random plots by disparate and
fragmented groups. The majority of these attacks, successful or otherwise, have
taken place because al Qaida has a clear determination to mount terrorist
attacks against the United Kingdom.
"As a country, we are rightly concerned to protect children from
exploitation in other areas. We need to do the same in relation to violent
extremism. As I speak, terrorists are methodically and intentionally targeting
young people and children in this country. They are radicalising, indoctrinating
and grooming young, vulnerable people to carry out acts of terrorism. This year,
we have seen individuals as young as 15 and 16 implicated in terrorist-related
activity.
"Long-term resolution requires identifying and addressing the root
causes of the problem. This is not a job only for the intelligence agencies and
police. It requires a collective effort in which Government, faith communities
and wider civil society have an important part to play. And it starts with
rejection of the violent extremist ideology across society - although issues of
identity, relative deprivation and social integration also form important parts
of the backdrop.
"This will not, however, happen overnight. I have been
directly engaged in work against this violent extremist threat for most of the
last decade, and I believe that terrorism inspired by it is likely to dominate
the work of my service well into the future.
"And here is an important point.
We know that the strategic thinking of our enemies is long term. But public
discourse in the UK works to a much shorter timescale, whether the electoral
cycle or the media deadline. We cannot view this challenge in such timescales.
If we only react tactically while our enemies plan strategically, we shall be
hard put to win this. A key part of our strategy must be
perseverance.
'The most important change in counter terrorism in the UK in recent
years has been the development of the relationship between the police and the
Security Service... it is no exaggeration to say that joint working between the
police and M15 has become recognised as a beacon of good practice.'
"So, our service will continue to put all its efforts into protecting
this country. And though our work is an essential part of the struggle against
violent extremism, on its own it is not enough. This struggle relies not only on
good intelligence and law enforcement, but also on the determination and
perseverance of us all to resist extremism and to protect a decent, tolerant and
open society."
AMEN!, and best of luck, mate, you will need it!
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