Putin forcing 'stretched' MI5 to prioritise Russia over terrorists
GB News' Mark White has the details on MI5 foiling more than 20 Iranian terror plots in the UK
GB News
MI5 is being forced to scale back its counter-terrorism efforts due to mounting threats from hostile states, particularly Russia, the security service's chief has revealed.
Ken McCallum, director general of MI5, said the agency must make "uncomfortable choices" with its finite resources to tackle increasingly sophisticated state-level threats.
The shift comes as Britain faces what McCallum described as "much more aggression from nation-states" requiring a significant reallocation of the security service's capabilities.
In comments obtained by The Times, McCallum revealed Britain had experienced a "20 to 30-year holiday" from serious conflicts between sophisticated state actors.
Ken McCallum, director general of MI5, said the agency must make "uncomfortable choices" with its finite resources to tackle increasingly sophisticated state-level threats
PA
"It's back, I'm afraid," the intelligence chief warned during a recorded conversation with outgoing cabinet secretary Simon Case.
The remarks came as MI5 grapples with what McCallum termed "grander and more sophisticated attacks" from hostile states across the globe.
These threats include arson, sabotage and assassination plots on British soil.
McCallum explained the agency must carefully balance its limited capacity between various threats.
He said: "We'll be looking at how much of our finite capacity can we spend on state activity from Russia or Iran or China; how much do we have to spend on various forms of terrorism."
The MI5 chief acknowledged they had been forced to "pare back" counter-terrorism work to address these emerging state-level challenges.
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The remarks came as MI5 grapples with what McCallum termed "grander and more sophisticated attacks" from hostile states across the globe
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"You don't have enough capacity to pursue everything," he added, noting the need to invest in new technology and skills.
State threat investigations have surged by 48 per cent over the past year, highlighting the scale of the challenge.
In October, McCallum warned that Russia was on a "mission to generate mayhem" on British soil, with Kremlin spies operating with "increasing recklessness".
Iran poses an additional threat, with MI5 seeing "plot after plot" at an "unprecedented pace and scale".
Both nations are reportedly using criminal proxies, from international drug traffickers to "low-level crooks", to carry out their "dirty work" in the UK.
The security service is also grappling with a growing terrorism threat from radicalised teenagers, as one in eight terror suspects being monitored by MI5 are now under 18 years old.
In October, McCallum warned that Russia was on a "mission to generate mayhem" on British soil, with Kremlin spies operating with "increasing recklessness"
Reuters
McCallum revealed that criminal prosecution may not always be the best approach for "deeply misguided" young people who have "consumed too much of the wrong things on the internet".
He advocated for alternative interventions at the local level, suggesting that "someone closer" rather than MI5 might provide better long-term risk management in some cases.
The broader security landscape represents "the most complex and interconnected threat environment we've ever seen," according to McCallum's October assessment.
Britain's leading role in supporting Ukraine has made it a particular target of Putin's regime.
Iranian threats are also escalating, with 20 Iranian-backed plots targeting journalists and dissidents in Britain since January 2022.
McCallum issued a stark warning to those collaborating with hostile states: "If you take money from Iran, Russia or any other state to carry out illegal acts in the UK, you will bring the full weight of the national security apparatus down on you."
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