It was announced today that the United Kingdom has lowered its terrorist threat level from "severe" to "significant." According to officials within the UK, terrorist threats have decreased as well as the likelihood of another Mumbai-style attack, primarily because of al Qaeda’s struggling leadership. Al Qaeda’s leadership, they say, has dwindled immensely in the recent months following the death of Osama bin Laden as well as the death of al Qaeda leader Fazul Abdullah Mohammed.
In January 2010, the terrorist threat level increased to “severe” after the attempted underwear bombing by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, in which he tried to bring down a Detroit-bound passenger aircraft. Officials now believe that last year’s persistent leads of potential Mumbai-style attacks in the UK have since depleted.
Although the threat level has been decreased in the UK to “substantial,” officials reported that there still remains a serious threat that is far from obsolete. The threat assessment used in the UK is based on the most recent intelligence covering various different aspects ranging from intent to timescale. The threat level has not been at “critical” since June 2007 after the failed bombings in central London at Glasgow airport.