David Cameron claims the UK has foiled 7 terror attacks

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Britain foils 7 terror attacks as Jihadists planned Paris-style massacres here
Macer Hall and Alison Little



David Cameron claims the UK has foiled 7 terror attacks

The most recent attempt to cause carnage similar to last Friday’s slaughter in Paris came in the past few weeks, the Prime Minister indicated.

He vowed to recruit nearly 2,000 additional security and intelligence agents to combat growing Muslim extremism that is threatening more bloodshed.

Mr Cameron used a major foreign policy speech in the City of London to promise “a major additional investment” in security. It came as the death toll from the terror attacks in Paris reached 132, with hundreds more injured.

Mr Cameron said: “Our security services have foiled no fewer than seven different terrorist plots right here in Britain over the past year alone.

“We should all be extraordinarily grateful for the work they have done in thwarting these attacks and keeping us safe. But we need to do more to ensure our agencies have the resources and the information they need to prevent and disrupt plots against this country at every stage.”

The Prime Minister vowed to step up efforts to confront the fanaticism that lies at the root of terrorism.

“We have to stop this seed of hatred even being planted in people’s minds, let alone allowing it to grow,” he said.

“It is not good enough to say Islam is a religion of peace and then deny any connection between the religion of Islam and the extremists. These extremists are self-identifying as Muslims. From Tunisia to the streets of Paris, these murderers all spout the same twisted narrative that claims to be based on a particular faith.”

He added: “We can’t stand neutral in this battle of ideas.”

More needed to be done, Mr Cameron went on, to tackle elements in Muslim communities who were allowing extremism to spread by tolerating or ignoring it.

Cameron vowed to recruit nearly 2,000 additional security and intelligence agents

Our security services have foiled no fewer than seven different terrorist plots right here in Britain over the past year alone

David Cameron

He said: “Unwittingly or not, those who promote extremist views – even if non-violent themselves – provide succour to those who want to commit, or get others to commit, violence."

He called for a greater effort to promote integration of Muslims in the wider community “by moving away from segregation in our schools and communities and inspecting and shutting down educational institutions that are teaching intolerance”.

The Prime Minister also said the Government had to “actively encourage reforming and moderate Muslim voices to speak up and challenge the extremists”.

Turning to counter-terrorism, he revealed that a Government Strategic Defence and Security Review will unveil “a major additional investment in our world-class intelligence agencies” next week.

He added: “This will include over 1,900 additional security and intelligence staff and more money to increase our network of counterterrorism experts in the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and SubSaharan Africa.”

Meanwhile in a Commons statement yesterday, Home Secretary Theresa May said she will press for the European Union to do more to stop assault weapons of the type used in Paris getting into Europe.

Theresa May will press the need for action on improving information sharing between countries

She told MPs: “The UK has some of the toughest firearms laws in the world. The weaponry used in the attacks in Paris are not readily available in the UK.

“We must therefore focus on tackling firearms entering and moving through the EU and ensuring we have the capabilities at the UK border to detect firearms being smuggled in.

“In the UK we’ve seen tough legislation work so we want to see action taken to make a difference to the availability of firearms in Europe.”

At an emergency meeting of EU home affairs ministers on Friday, Mrs May will also press the need for action on improving information sharing between countries.

She repeated previous commitments to increase spending on intelligence agencies and airport security, and sought to reassure MPs that Syrian refugees being brought to Britain from camps in the region were being rigorously security checked.

* Two men, aged 20 and 22, have been held at Dover on suspicion of terror offences as they tried to board a ferry to Calais. Kent Police stressed that the arrests early on Sunday morning were not linked to the Paris attacks.

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