Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Online intelligence may have prevented soldier's murder

INTRO: A report has found the murder of British soldier Lee Rigby in a street in London could not have been prevented by security agencies given the intelligence at the time...

However the 18-month inquiry found that had agencies such as MI5 been aware of an online exchange made by one of the killers, Mr Rigby's death may have been prevented. 

Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale were given a whole life term and a minimum of 45 years in jail respectively for the brutal attack on the 25-year-old in May last year.

Our UK correspondent Dan Whitehead has more...

IN: Just to recap...
OUT: ...SOC, London. 
DUR: 2'53"

SCRIPT: 

VO 1: Soldier Lee Rigby was attacked in broad daylight by Adebolajo and Adebowale outside army barracks in the south of London...

They ran Mr Rigby over before stabbing him and attempting to decapitate him in front of members of the public. 

This long-awaited report has uncovered that both men had appeared in seven intelligence investigations  as low level suspects - and that although there were errors in the operations, they were not "significant enough to have made a difference".

MI5, MI6 and GCHQ were all under scrutiny in this highly details investigation. 

The chair of the Intelligence and security Committee Malcolm Rifkind did highlight a major piece of evidence which may have prevented the attack..."

CLIP 1: Sir Malcolm Rifkind, Chair Intelligence and Security Committee

VO 2: Sir Malcolm Rifkind went on to say that this was highly significant - had MI5 had access to this exchange at the time, Adebowale would have become a top priority.

Adding that there is then a significant possibility that MI5 would have been able to prevent the attack.

He did not lay blame on the agencies for missing this information, rather the internet provider for not passing on the information. 

Sir Rifkind saying that however unintentionally they are provding a safe haven for terrorists. 

This of course all ties in to a new raft of anti-terrorism measures being implemented in the UK on Wednesday aimed at increasing intelligence and police powers, preventing radicalisation and stopping terrorist suspects leaving or entering the UK

The Prime Minister David Cameron told MPs that more is being done to ensure the British public is being kept safe. 

CLIP 2: David Cameron, Prime Minister

VO 3: Dan Whitehead, SOC, London.