UKTA No. 1: Counter-Terrorism in an Olympic Year

The UK will witness the biggest security operation ever mounted, amidst an ever-present and evolving terrorism threat. The Games will also mark a watershed for British security policy, with long-delayed reforms and resource cuts taking place immediately after the Games.

 Key Points

• The authorities have done a good job preparing to keep the Olympics secure; but new counter terrorism problems will persist long after the Games have closed
• Global trends will keep the incidence of international terrorism high and promote new ways for it to take effect
• Arrests and failed plots give clues to how the terrorist threat in the UK is changing
• Despite the deaths of key Al-Qa'ida figures in 2011, the terrorist threat has not diminished and will continue to dominate UK security concerns until and beyond the London 2012 Olympic Games
• The security response to the Olympic Games is unprecedented in scale, interoperability and cost
• As we move closer to the Games, we are likely to see more security activity, especially in arrests and searches
• The Olympic Games are likely to prove a major turning point in the allocation of resources for UK counter-terrorism
• Successes in counter-terrorism where there are no attacks in the UK will paradoxically lead to a streamlining of counter-terrorism capabilities as the public and politicians lose the appetite for high spending