The attack on French magazine Charlie Hebdo was a result of Europe’s policy of multiculturalism, UK Independence Party (UKIP) leader Nigel Farage said Thursday.
“The real question is this: We in Britain – and I’ve seen some evidence in other European countries of it too – have pursued a really rather gross policy of multiculturalism and by that, what I mean, is that we’ve encouraged people who have come from different cultures to remain within those cultures and not to integrate fully within our communities.” Farage said during the Leaders’ Debate program on LBC radio.
British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg accused Farage of using the incident to make political gains after the UKIP leader started speculating on the reasons behind the deadly attack on the magazine in France.
The head of Britain’s MI5 agency reportedly said that a group of core al-Qaeda terrorists in Syria is planning attacks, adding that intelligence services cannot hope to stop them all.
Militants in Syria were planning “mass casualty attacks” in the West, the head of Britain’s MI5 agency Andrew Parker said, adding that intelligence services may be powerless to stop them, AFP reported.
“We know… that a group of core al-Qaeda terrorists in Syria is planning mass casualty attacks against the West,” agency’s head was quoted as saying to journalists on Thursday.
Earlier the head of the agency spoke about the threat from extremists amid terrorist attack on the headquarters of French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. “It is too early for us to come to judgements about the precise details or origin of the attack but it is a terrible reminder of the intentions of those who wish us harm,” he said in his Thursday speech in London.
He estimated that “600 extremists are among the many Britons who have travelled there (to Syria). A significant proportion has joined ISIL (IS),” and called the threat “ongoing and increasing,” CBS News cited.