January 12, 2009:
British intelligence officials (from MI-5) have noted a decline in terrorist plots in Britain during the last 18 months. They attribute this to greater, and more effective, surveillance, and prosecution. Especially prosecution. In the last two years, there have been 86 successful terrorist prosecutions in Britain. This is believed to have had a demoralizing effect on Islamic terrorists. It's not so much that they fear getting killed, they don't. The terrorists do fear getting caught before they can strike, and sentenced to decades in prison. That is a terrorists worst nightmare, and British counter-terror organizations use it to keep the 2,000 (estimated) active Islamic terrorists in Britain off balance. In the meantime, many of these terror enthusiasts raise money for terrorist organizations, and recruit men for operations in other countries. This sort of thing will also get you sent to jail, but not for as long. What British police fear the most right now, is that Islamic terrorists may be carefully, and very quietly, planning attacks during the Olympics, which Britain will host in 2012.