November 12, 2003	Wednesday	Ramazan 16, 1424

LONDON, Nov 11: London is more at risk from a terrorist attack by extremists than either New York or Washington, according to a study published here on Tuesday.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s support for the United States during the invasion of Iraq has helped increase the likelihood of a suicide attack in London, the Control Risk Group consultancy said.

Another factor making an attack on London a “serious possibility” is Britain’s large Muslim population, it alleged in a report.

“London has become the pre-eminent terrorist target in Western Europe,” said Jake Stratton, research director of the Control Risk Group’s RiskMap report.

Previously the extremist threat had been a “vague, undefined war against the West”, he said.

“But in the last year Britain has reinforced its position in the eyes of the Islamic world as the major ally of the US,” he added.

The risk of an attack on London has now risen from “weak” to “average” since last year, while for the rest of Western Europe and the United States the risk remains low.

London, where Britain’s political and economic power is concentrated, is a “very attractive target for Islamic extremists”, Mr Stratton said.

A terrorist attack on the city would probably be in the form of a suicide attack either by an individual or a car bomb, the report said.

Burundi, Somalia and Liberia are among the most dangerous countries in the world, the report said.

Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Colombia are also considered high risk countries.

Kosovo, Albania and Bosnia top the table of the most dangerous countries in Europe.—AFP