Spy chief warns nuclear proliferation poses greatest threat

BRITAIN’S top spy, in the first public speech by a serving espionage chief, yesterday said terrorists might hit the West again “at huge human cost”, but nuclear proliferation by states was a more far-reaching danger.

Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) chief John Sawers, in an address to the Society of Editors media group hosted at Thomson Reuters London offices, said the risks of failure in tackling proliferation by countries like Iran “are grim”.

“Terrorism is difficult enough and, despite our collective efforts, an attack may well get through. The human cost would be huge. But our country, our democratic system, will not be brought down by a typical terrorist attack,” he said.