The fight against Muslim terrorism will last at least 30 years and it is "highly likely" that Britain will witness terror attacks over Christmas, Home Secretary John Reid told the Daily Telegraph on Monday.
Reid said British security services are handling 30 terror plots being planned in the country, warning that although the MI-5 is doing its best to ensure the public's safety he cannot guarantee 100 percent success.
"We can never guarantee that we will get 100 percent success but we do get 100 percent effort from the security services."
Reid said the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians was fueling "international terrorism," urging its resolution.
"The aim of the terrorists is to divide the community, to pretend that this is a war between Muslims and everyone else, when it isn't. In a funny way they reflect the views of the extreme Right of politics who argue the same thing — that the big division is between Islam and everyone else. It isn't — it's between the terrorists and everyone else and only with that unity can we ultimately defeat them."
MI-5 head, Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller, warned recently that her agency was monitoring 200 terror cells operating on British soil, most of which are affiliated with al-Qaeda.
She said terrorists were recruiting teenagers to carry out terror attacks and could use chemical, biological and nuclear weapons.