| Subject |
7/7
Evidence withheld from Parliamentary Intelligence and Security
Committee
|
| Ref |
PR/06-131 |
| Date |
Monday
15th May 2006 |
Tobias Ellwood
is calling for improved scrutiny of MI5 following reports that information
was withheld from the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee
(ISC) when it took evidence following the 7/7 London bombings.
New evidence
suggests that Sidique Khan, one of the 7/7 bombers, was under MI5
surveillance in connection with a separate attack and was recorded
talking about his plans to wage jihad, a holy war, and visit Al-Qaeda
terrorist camps abroad. None of this information was made available
to the ISC.
ISC's report
on Bali Bombings ignored
In December
2002, the ISC blamed MI5 for failing act on an intelligence warning
of an imminent attack in Indonesia. The ISC stated, "This was
a serious misjudgement and meant that the Security Service did not
assess the threat correctly and, therefore, raise the level of the
threat to HIGH" (Para 44 page 13). Consequently FCO travel
advice was not updated and 24 Britons died on 12th October 2002
in Bali. The Government acknowledged the report but disagreed with
its findings.
Tobias Ellwood
said:
"It is
now clear that the ISC lacks that authority to hold MI5 to account.
In the case of Bali mistakes that lead to British deaths were identified
but ignored. In the case of London information was held back which
affected the conclusions drawn.
In the short
term only a full independent inquiry would provide the level of
scrutiny and authority that an investigation into an attack on this
scale deserves. In the long term an analysis of how our Security
Services are held to account, whilst still preserving the levels
of confidentiality, needs to be conducted.
The ISC lacks
the authority and expertise to hold the Security Agencies to account
in relation to specific incidents, consequently official ISC recommendations
are ignored by the Government or their conclusions are questioned
by the public"
Notes
1. The Intelligence Services Act 1994 established the ISC with a
function to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of
the UK's three main intelligence services rather than make assessments
on individual incidents.
2. Tobias lost
his brother, Jonathan in the Bali bomb. Jonathan was attending an
official teaching conference. The event would have been cancelled
had the threat level been increased.
|
