Capt. James Roberts and Bill Davis Discuss Terrorist Threat in London, U.K.

The risk for terrorist attacks in London and throughout the U.K. continues to be problematic for national security, despite efforts made by national and local law enforcement, as well as the international efforts of the British Armed Forces and allies. A failure to protect the United Kingdom border and disregard for the enforcement of immigration law in the U.K. has fueled a major demographic shift. Once a predominantly Christian and Anglo-saxon population with a strong patriotic heritage, the U.K. today is a boiling pot of cultures and immigrants that come from all over the world, including the Middle East and India and other nations. Many of the immigrants (legal and illegal) in the U.K. are Muslims with different allegiances and world views.

Capt. James Roberts, a former member of the Special Air Service (SAS), says that radical ideology and threats from the Islamic population within the U.K. are a constant concern for police agencies as well as the military. The SAS is the elite division of the British Army and many of its members are experts at fighting terrorism. It is the goal of British government to have all legal immigrants become patriotic and contributors to the U.K. society. However, such integration has not gone as planned.

Mr. Roberts offers consulting services for agencies within the U.K. on how to implement programs that can protect the citizens of the U.K. from Islamic terrorists, without interfering on the rights of working class Muslim immigrants who do choose to assimilate and embrace the British culture. “It’s perhaps the most difficult security challenge facing the U.K. and its interests at this time,” said Roberts. Law enforcement agencies and security analysts agree.

Bill Davis, a London-based counter terrorism expert, emphasizes that law enforcement agencies in the U.K. are often under budget and lack the resources to investigate all threats and possible terrorist groups. The Metropolitan Police in London is a highly effective agency, but the nature of the Muslim terrorist threat is small cells who are operating covertly and also individuals who are sympathetic to the jihad terrorist campaign. Identifying terrorist is not an easy task. Davis now offers consulting and risk assessment services for U.K. companies who operate in the Middle East, and says that British and American citizens are actively targeted at home and abroad.



In a recent protest, Muslims held signs saying “Islam will dominate the world” and “Freedom can go to hell,” yet the protestors fail to see that it is precisely the Western culture that grants them the freedom to protest and express their beliefs.

Counter terrorism experts say the problem is primarily rooted in ignorance. Poverty and a lack of education and opportunity leads many to believe in the violent cause, as youths are easily influenced by other radicals. After all, wearing a bomb on a suicide mission to murder hundreds of innocent people is not a sane proposition. Such extremist ideas would be better left in the Middle East, if they cannot be eradicated altogether. Patriotic citizens are hoping for a change before it’s too late.

All the best,

S. Birch
© 2011 S. Birch