According to The Guardian, counterterrorism officials believe that Britain has become the main target for al-Qaeda. Intelligence chiefs with access to the most comprehensive and up to date information have said al-Qaeda has substantially recovered in Pakistan despite a four-year military campaign to seek out and kill its leaders. In that time, the organization has become much more coherent, with a strong core and a regular supply of volunteers.
"They viewed 7/7 as just the beginning," said one senior source. "Al-Qaeda sees the UK as a massive opportunity to cause loss of life and embarrassment to the authorities." A second source agreed: "Britain is sitting at the receiving end of an al-Qaeda campaign."
Even though the police and M15 have disrupted terror plots and groups influenced by al-Qaeda, they describe the networks as very resilient. They report a frightening number of young men willing to step up and replace those who have been arrested or gone to ground. "It's like the old game of Space Invaders," said one senior counterterrorism source. "When you clear one screen of potential attackers, another simply appears to take its place."
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