‘Britain told Iraq conflict would fuel terror attack’

LEAKED intelligence documents appear to show the British government was warned just weeks before the July 7 bombings that events in Iraq would fuel the threat of an attack.

The New York Times reported that the documents said the continued occupation of Iraq would stimulate “terrorist related activity in the UK”.

The Joint Terrorist Analysis Centre paper added, however, that “at present there is not a group with both the current intent and the capability to attack the UK”, according to sections of the dossier published in the New York Times.

The newspaper reported that it was the document’s conclusion that led to the lowering of the level of terrorist threat alert in London shortly before the bombings.

Home Secretary Charles Clarke and the Metropolitan Police insisted in the immediate aftermath of the atrocities that the lowering of the threat level had no practical effect on security precautions taken in the capital.

The leaks are bound to embarrass British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who on Monday flatly rejected claims in a think tank report that the conflict in Iraq had increased the terror threat.

Yesterday neither No 10 nor the Foreign Office would comment on the New York Times report, which was said to have come from a third country which had received a copy of the document.

Instead, Downing Street preferred to concentrate on a meeting with British Muslim leaders, saying what was important was to tackle the root cause of al-Qaida-linked terrorism.

The announcement came after a summit of 25 community leaders at 10 Downing Street, which was also attended by Tory leader Michael Howard and Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy.

Mr Blair won agreement for a Muslim taskforce to take on extremist clerics preaching hate.

The Muslim majority are determined to confront “head on” extremists in their community, he added.

Many of those present were Labour Party members or supporters.

MP Shahid Malik, whose Dewsbury constituency was home to one of the bombers, said: “The feeling was that there is a profound challenge. I think everyone here is up for the challenge. We have to work better at confronting these evil voices, minute as they are in our community.”

Mr Blair again insisted Iraq had nothing to do with the bombings but Imam Ibrahim Mogra said he believed the war played a part.

“As Muslims, we feel the pain and suffering of our brothers and sisters around the globe every single day,” he said. “It has been a successful recruitment sergeant for people who wish to preach hatred for our country and our Government.”

Mr Iqbal Sacranie, the secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said the meeting had been “an important listening exercise” for all involved.