What is the UK terror threat level, how is it set and why was it raised after Golders Green attacks?

The official terror threat level for the UK has been raised from “severe” to “severe” following attacks on Jewish neighborhoods in recent weeks.

An increase in the threat level means that a terrorist attack is “highly likely.”

The Joint Terrorism Analysis Center announced the decision Thursday.

It follows the stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green on Wednesday, the latest in a series of attacks in Jewish neighborhoods in recent weeks.

The suspect has been identified as Essa Suleiman, a 45-year-old Somali-born British citizen who came to the UK legally as a child in the 1990s.

The threat level system works like this:

What does severe rating mean?

Authorities believe an attack in England is “highly likely”.

How many levels are there?

Severe is the second highest level after the critical level at five; This means that an attack is expected soon. The other three levels are significant (attack is a strong possibility), moderate (attack is possible but unlikely), and low (attack is unlikely).

Who decides the threat level?

A body called the Joint Terrorism Analysis Center (JTAC) was established in June 2003 and is based at MI5’s headquarters in London.

JTAC consists of representatives from 16 Government departments and agencies.

How to decide on the threat level?

A number of factors may be taken into account, including available intelligence, terrorist capacity and terrorist intentions.

How has the threat changed over the years?

The level was first revealed to the public in 2006. Since then it has been mostly severe and has not fallen below the significant level.

The critical level was applied four times over a 20-year period: in August 2006, following a plot to detonate explosives on transatlantic flights; Following the attempt to attack Glasgow Airport with a car bomb in June 2007; and following the Manchester Arena bombing and Parsons Green District line attack in May and September 2017 respectively.

The UK’s rating was downgraded to serious a few days after the Parsons Green incident and remained at this level until it was downgraded to serious in November 2019.

The level was last leveled in November 2021, after two attacks within a month, with a car explosion outside a hospital in Liverpool on Remembrance Sunday and the murder of Sir David Amess, the Conservative MP for Southend West, in October.

It was downgraded to a significant level in February 2022 and has remained at that level since then.

How long does the threat level remain in effect?

It depends on how high you go. The threat level remained critical for only a few days at a time and was usually lowered when authorities arrested suspects or were satisfied that the risk of another attack was not immediate.

JTAC reviews the terrorism level every six months but does not always raise it following attacks. It considered raising the level to severe just a few weeks after its downgrade in November 2019 following the London Bridge Fishermen’s Hall attack, but kept it at the significant level.