Prime Minister Brown yesterday announced to MPs that ‘the security service is to double in size to 4,000 personnel’.
In a statement to the House of Commons, Brown said the ‘primary duty of government’ is ‘the protection of the British national interest’.
He said that ‘following approval by the National Security Committee’ which includes military, police and intelligence chiefs as well as businessmen, ‘and the Cabinet, the government is today publishing the first national security strategy’.
He claimed this was because ‘the nature of the threats and the risks we face have, in recent decades, changed beyond recognition’.
He added ‘the potential threats we face’ come from ‘loosely affiliated global networks that threaten us and other nations across continents’.
He stressed: ‘The foundation of our approach is to maintain strong, balanced, flexible and deployable armed forces.’
He pledged ‘new retention incentives’ for the armed forces including ‘increased commitment bonuses of up to £15,000 for longer serving personnel’, and a £20m home purchase fund.
From war preparations, Brown moved on to counter-revolutionary measures that will be directed against the working class.
He announced a ten per cent increase in ‘resources for the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, which brings together 16 departments including the police and intelligence agencies.’
He added that also ‘we have set aside funds to modernise our interception capability’ at GCHQ and in MI6.
He added: ‘To harness a much wider range of expertise and experience from outside government and help us plan for the future, we are inviting business, academics, community organisations and military and security experts from outside government to join a new National Security Forum that will advise the recently constituted National Security Committee.’
Referring to nuclear weapons, he spoke of ‘tougher action not just against potential proliferators such as Iran but also new action against suppliers’.
Warning of ‘the threat from failing and unstable states’, Brown said he proposed ‘to create a standby international civilian capability’ to assist reconstruction.
He said: ‘Britain will start by making available a 1,000-strong UK civilian standby capacity – that will include police, emergency service professionals, judges and trainers – for this work.’
He announced that ‘an integrated civilian-military headquarters, headed by a civilian, will now be constituted in Helmand’ southern Afghanistan.
Brown also announced plans to boost TA reserve forces and a 30 per cent increase in Foreign Office staff in the Middle East and South Asia.
He claimed MI5 had identified 30 known terror plots in the UK, and is monitoring 200 networks and around 2,000 individuals.
He added: ‘There have been 58 convictions for terrorism in just over a year. And the Home Secretary is announcing today that we will now have four regional counter terrorism units and four regional intelligence units, significantly increasing anti-terrorism police capability in the regions.’
He said that alongside tougher border controls and compulsory ID cards for foreign nationals ‘the government will match stronger action against those we suspect of stirring up tensions’.
