'Britain is at the centre of global struggle against violent Islamism'

Two days before the fifth anniversary of the 7/7 bombings, a new report from the Centre for Social Cohesion, Islamist Terrorism: The British Connections, states that the majority of terrorist-related activity in the UK over the last ten years has been home-grown. Sky News reports:

"The Centre for Social Cohesion found that 69% of such incidents between 1999 and 2009 were carried out by British citizens. The research also suggests that seven of the UK's eight major bomb plot cells contained individuals with direct links to al Qaeda... A number of British Muslims have been convicted in foreign courts or have fought for, or trained with, terrorist or extremist Islamist groups abroad, the report outlines."

Douglas Murray, Director of the CSC, told The Telegraph: “The report proves how great a threat violent Islamism poses to the world – and the fact that Britain is at the centre of this global struggle.”

Last week Met Assistant Commissioner John Yates warned that Britain could not afford to cut its anti-terrorist policing. Yates said that the al Qaida threat remained "severe", was constantly mutating and vigilance was needed now as part of protecting the 2012 Olympics. Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude accused Mr Yates of "shroud-waving" and "alarmism".