An attack on Britain involving chemical or nuclear weapons is now "more realistic", the Government has warned.Home Secretary Jacqui Smith highlighted the danger posed by new technologies and failed states around the world as she published an updated counter-terror strategy. The report - known as Contest Two - is the first public document to contain a detailed assessment of the underlying causes of the terrorist threat and its likely future direction.

It contains a stark warning about the likelihood of an attack involving a "dirty bomb".
The report says: "Contemporary terrorist organisations aspire to use chemical, biological, radiological and even nuclear weapons.

"Changing technology and the theft and smuggling of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) materials make this aspiration more realistic than it may have been in the recent past."

It also notes that terrorists have created new explosives and new ways of using them, and that technology developed in conflict zones is quickly shared around the world.

Ms Smith was asked whether there was a greater threat of a CBRNE attack than five years ago.

She replied: "There is the potential, given the international situation, what we believe to be the aspirations of some international terrorists, that it could be."

The report said the threat to the UK came primarily from four sources: the al Qaeda leadership, terrorist groups affiliated to al Qaeda, "self-starting" terror networks or lone individuals motivated by an al Qaeda-style ideology, and terrorist groups with a similar ideology to al Qaeda.

The document said al Qaeda itself was "likely to fragment" under international pressure, and might not survive in its current form.

But its ideology will outlive changes to its structure, possibly leading to greater threat to the UK from smaller "self-starting" organisations.

The Contest strategy is divided into four strands - Prevent, Pursue, Protect and Prepare.

These cover preventing radicalisation of potential terror recruits, disrupting terror operations, reducing the vulnerability of the UK and ensuring the country is ready for the consequences of any attack.

Ms Smith called for the use of "civil challenge" to those who hold extremist viewpoints.

She cited the example of the Muslim activists who recently protested at a homecoming parade in Luton for British forces returning from Iraq.

She said: "The civil challenge means that, if people feel it appropriate to demonstrate against our troops coming home from defending this country abroad, we - as Government and others - will say in turn that we think that that's wrong.

"Not that they've broken the law - one of the things we're defending in this country is the right to free speech, but that isn't free speech that will go unhindered or unchallenged by either Government or, I think, the broader community."
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