Britain needs 30 years to crush terrorism: Lord West

It will take Britain 30 years from now to crush terrorists intent on mass slaughter in the country, according to former head of the British Navy Admiral Lord Alan West.

London, Oct 31 : It will take Britain 30 years from now to crush terrorists intent on mass slaughter in the country, according to former head of the British Navy Admiral Lord Alan West.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown's security supremo had earlier estimated a period of 15 years to make the UK safe from terror attacks. But in an interview to The Sun, he said, "I now realise that we are talking about a generation - and by that I would say 30 years."

"That doesn't mean necessarily that we are going to stay at a severe level of threat for all those years.

"But to be able to say one has absolutely changed the mind-set and thought of people is going to take a generation," he added.

In June, when he was appointed by incoming Premier Brown to co-ordinate security, Lord West had predicted that 15 years would be required to deal with the al-Qaeda menace.

Responding to a query on the battle against Osama bin Laden's thugs, he said, "It will be in phases. After some years it will become much better - and then (the threat) will hopefully go.

"Perhaps, I am being optimistic in thinking that we can get rid of it entirely. But I think we can.

"I think 15 years is still a good time for reducing it dramatically... But look at the Cold War. That lasted from 1949 to 1989, which was 40 years," he said.

Pointing out that several terror plots had already been foiled, Lord West said the British people were resilient in the face of dangers.

He went on to say that it was essential to stay alert, and "we should not allow the threat of attacks to change our way of life."

ANI