Al-Qaeda 'bid to infiltrate MI5'

Al-Qaeda sympathisers have been trying to infiltrate the British security service MI5, the BBC has learned.
Whitehall officials confirmed what some had long suspected, says BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner.
But those with al-Qaeda sympathies had been weeded out during a six- to eight- month vetting process, officials added.
Meanwhile anti-terrorism police probing the 7 July London bombings say people who knew the attacks were being planned could face prosecution.
Officers at a Scotland Yard briefing also said they continued to be very concerned by the intelligence picture, with 70 investigations continuing.
Some of the intelligence received was described as "very sinister".
The first anniversary of the bombings of London will be marked on Friday by a national two-minute silence.
The silence, at 1200 BST, is part of a day of events to commemorate the attacks and remember the 52 victims.
Thousands of applicants
Our correspondent says that as investigations continue, MI5 is expanding from its current level of 2,600 officers to an eventual 3,500, to cope with the terrorist threat.
The Security Service now publicly advertises for staff as part of a major expansion plan to combat terrorism, ending decades of secrecy.
Tens of thousands apply to join MI5 each year, with 400 making it through to final selection.
Applicants are first assessed by an outside agency, then those shortlisted invited to MI5's London headquarters, where their backgrounds and sympathies are intensively investigated for six to eight months.
The head of the Metropolitan Police's Anti-Terrorist Branch, Peter Clarke, said the level of its counter-terrorist investigations had intensified during the past 12 months.

The defence of the capital often starts many thousands of miles away Peter Clarke Metropolitan Police

Officers were "reconstructing" events leading up to the 7 July attacks to identify anyone who might have known they were going to happen, he added.
"It is an immensely complicated piece of work.
"Did anyone encourage them? Did anyone help them with money, accommodation or expertise in bomb making?"
In the days before the attacks, the bombers' lives had appeared to be a picture of "complete normality", Mr Clarke said.
Their families had been "completely unaware" of what was about to happen, he added.
The investigation remained "enormous", "intensive" and with an "unwavering focus" on finding out the truth, Mr Clarke said.
"We are following many lines of enquiry both here in the UK and overseas."
Officers had taken 13,353 witness statements, there were 29,500 exhibits and more than 6,000 hours of CCTV footage - some of which still needed to be analysed, Mr Clarke added.
"A great deal of progress has been made, but much remains to be done."
At least two of the bombers had visited Pakistan and much of the investigation was focused on trying to find out what they did there, Mr Clarke said.
"The suspicion is they met up with people connected to al-Qaeda and they were attending training camps."
But Mr Clarke added: "The part of the country where these sorts of activities take place is very difficult for the Pakistani authorities and ourselves to get any detailed information about."
'Three attacks thwarted'
Ringleader Mohammad Sidique Khan may well have made his suicide video overseas, Mr Clarke said.
Nail-encased peroxide bombs, similar to hand grenades with nails attached, left by two of the bombers in their car at Luton station, could have been used to escape arrest if they had been stopped on the journey to mount their attack, he added.

We must guard against blame, recrimination, speculation or myths taking the place of solid public information Peter Clarke Metropolitan Police
Officers had disrupted at least three further attacks since 7 July, which would be the subject of criminal trials, Mr Clarke said.
The inevitable secrecy surrounding counter-terrorism and legal restrictions on the reporting of impending trials meant the public remained ignorant of the scale of the terrorist threat, he added.
"With terrorist cases taking anything up to two years or longer to come to court, it means that the public are unaware of many important things that have happened in this country.
"That is a pity and it means we must guard against blame, recrimination, speculation or myths taking the place of solid public information."
He said the Metropolitan Police Anti-Terrorist Branch had about 70 current investigations spanning London, the UK and the globe.
"The defence of the capital often starts many thousands of miles away. Despite the increase in resources, we are running at or near capacity.
"There is a lot of intelligence to be investigated - some of it is very sinister. It is a very, very concerning intelligence picture."
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