Pressure on MI5 intensified as it was claimed that the security service did not reveal the full extent of its surveillance of the ringleader of the July 7 bombers to the official body investigating the outrage.
The BBC reported that MI5 had six clear photographs of Mohammed Sidique Khan – as well as his name, address and videos of him meeting terror suspects – a year before the 2005 bombings in London, but informed the Intelligence and Security Committee about only one grainy shot.
The report came as Prime Minister Tony Blair asked the ISC to carry out a new review of MI5′s handling of intelligence after it emerged that links were missed between the London bombers and the so-called fertiliser plotters, who were jailed for life on Monday.
And demands for a public inquiry ratcheted up a gear, with survivors and relatives of those killed in the attacks descending on the Home Office to call for a probe.
Shadow home secretary David Davis said that the emergence of the new photos suggested that “someone is being economical with the evidence”, as he renewed calls for an independent inquiry.
And ISC chairman Paul Murphy said that his committee would be willing to consider the BBC allegations in the course of its new inquiry.
Mr Murphy told the Press Association: “Obviously, we will look at this during the course of our investigation.
“I have no reason to believe that MI5 told us anything but the truth, but obviously we will keep an open mind and look at anything that arises as a result of the trial. That’s what Tony Blair has asked us to do.”
The former Northern Ireland Secretary stressed that he did not see the report on BBC1′s 10 O’Clock News and was not aware of its contents.
In a statement issued on its website in the wake of Monday’s guilty verdicts in the so-called Operation Crevice cases, MI5 said that it had not identified Khan and his right-hand man Shehzad Tanweer until after the July 7 attacks. And it insisted: “The Security Service did not withhold any evidence from the ISC.”
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