MI5 G Branch
G Branch is the division of MI5 dealing with international counter-terrorism. Domestic and Irish terrorism is the responsibility of T Branch.[1]
Contents
History
G Branch was the name of the investigations branch in Vernon Kell's original organisation of MI6 in 1916.[2]
The modern G Branch was created in 1988, when the former FX branch was renamed.[3]
In 1990 G Branch's responsibility for Irish terrorism was hived off to the new T Branch.[4]
In 1995, G Branch appointed a desk officer to study the problem of radicalization in the British Muslim community.[5]
Afghanistan and Pakistan
In January 2002, the Sunday Times reported that G Branch officers had been sent to Pakistan and Afghanistan to question four Britons being held in detention:
- The detainees include three men from the West Midlands, captured by the Northern Alliance, and James McLintock, a Scotsman who converted to Islam. All are being held on suspicion of having links with Taliban or Al-Qaeda fighters.
- The squad of about five officers from MI5's G branch, specialising in counterterrorism, wants to question the men to find out whether they know of Al-Qaeda sympathisers who may have escaped to Britain.[6]
Liaison Guidance
According to the Gibson Inquiry:
- The Security Service issued specific guidance, on 13 April 2004, to all officers in its International Counter Terrorism branch and others on passing intelligence to US liaison services. It explained that any intelligence had to be cleared with team leaders where there was a risk that the information could result in the US authorities deciding to rendite the subject to Guantanamo in order to get access to him.[7]
Forest Gate Raid
The head of G Branch ordered the surveillance operation that led to the Forest Gate Raid in June 2006, on the basis of intelligence from a G6 agent, according to the Sunday Telegraph.[8]
Directors
- Stella Rimington 1988-1990[9]
- Jonathan Evans 2001-2005[10]
- Andrew Parker 2005-2007[11]
Organisation
G2
- G2P: Counter-proliferation
G3
- Annie Machon worked in G3 from August 1995 to October 1996.
- G3A: C-ordination of threat assessments.
- G3C: Countering threats from South Asia, e.g. Sikh militants.
- G3W: International terrorist threats not covered by other sections.
G5
- G5 Stephen Lander, C.1990.[12] Lander was subsequently head of T5, so the whole section may have moved to the new T Branch.
G6
G Branch agent runners. According to the Sunday Telegraph, "G6-section is MI5's most secret and sensitive department and is solely responsible for agent-running for G-Branch. Its officers are responsible for recruiting agents from a variety of backgrounds."[13]
It was a tip-off from a G6 agent that led to the Forest Gate Raid on 2 June 2006:
- It was an MI5 officer working within the organisation's highly secretive G6 section - which runs agents for the branch that deals with international terrorism - who revealed that one of his sources had claimed to him that two brothers living in Lansdown Road, Forest Gate, were attempting to build a chemical bomb.[14]
G6 was also reported to gave been involved in running an agent in Al-Qaeda's affiliate in the Yemen, who was exposed after infiltrating an alleged bomb plot in 2012.[15]
G9
- G9 Jonathan Evans, c.appointed autumn 1998.[16]
- G9A: Libya, Iraq, Palestinian and Kurdish groups
- G9B: Iranian state and Iranian dissident groups.
- G9C: Islamic extremists.[17]
Notes
- ↑ Christopher Andrew, Defence of the Realm, The Authorized History of MI5, Allen Lane, 2009, p.864.
- ↑ Christopher Andrew, Defence of the Realm, The Authorized History of MI5, Allen Lane, 2009, p.84.
- ↑ Christopher Andrew, Defence of the Realm, The Authorized History of MI5, Allen Lane, 2009, p.745.
- ↑ Christopher Andrew, Defence of the Realm, The Authorized History of MI5, Allen Lane, 2009, p.772.
- ↑ Christopher Andrew, Defence of the Realm, The Authorized History of MI5, Allen Lane, 2009, p.805.
- ↑ Nicholas Rufford, MI5 MOVES TO HEAD OFF TERROR DRIVE BY AL-QAEDA BRITONS;BRITISH FIGHTERS;WAR ON TERROR, Sunday Times, 6 January 2002.
- ↑ The Report of the Detainee Inquiry,December 2013, p.64.
- ↑ Sean Rayment, MI5 fears silent army of 1,200 biding its time in the suburbs In the wake of terror raid, injured man's solicitor claims police gave no warning before opening fire, Sunday Telegraph, 4 June 2006.
- ↑ Christopher Andrew, Defence of the Realm, The Authorized History of MI5, Allen Lane, 2009, p.772.
- ↑ MI5 deputy due to start top post, BBC News, 20 April 2007.
- ↑ New Director General appointed, Security Service, 28 March 2013.
- ↑ Christopher Andrew, Defence of the Realm, The Authorized History of MI5, Allen Lane, 2009, p.748.
- ↑ Sean Rayment, MI5 fears silent army of 1,200 biding its time in the suburbs In the wake of terror raid, injured man's solicitor claims police gave no warning before opening fire, Sunday Telegraph, 4 June 2006.
- ↑ Sean Rayment, MI5 fears silent army of 1,200 biding its time in the suburbs In the wake of terror raid, injured man's solicitor claims police gave no warning before opening fire, Sunday Telegraph, 4 June 2006.
- ↑ Sean Rayment, Philip Sherwell and Jason Lewis, Al-Qaeda will expose double agent's identity, security chiefs fear, The Telegraph, 12 May 2012.
- ↑ Christopher Andrew, Defence of the Realm, The Authorized History of MI5, Allen Lane, 2009, p.806.
- ↑ Mark Hollingsworth and Nick Fielding, Defending the Realm: Inside MI5 and The War on Terrorism, André Deutsch, 2003, pp.320-321.
