LONDON — The arrests of 14 people in the last week on suspicion of terrorism in Britain has underscored jitters among police and security officials as the upcoming Olympics fixes the gaze of the world — including potential aggressors — on London. Despite an overall decline in the number of people detained over terrorism since the 2005 bomb attacks which killed 52 commuters and four suicide bombers on London's transit network, experts say police and security officials are growing increasingly wary. Of the 14 arrested last week, seven were detained by police across central England on July 3-5, six have been charged with preparing an alleged terrorist attack and one released without charge. In London, police arrested seven people on July 5-7 — six are still being questioned, while a 30-year-old woman has been freed without charge. In addition to those 14, two persons were arrested in late June — and later released without charge — after they were spotted canoeing on the River Lea, a branch of which runs through the Olympic site. Authorities say none of the alleged plots are linked to London's pending Olympic Games, which begin on July 27. However, many experts believe police and intelligence officials are becoming increasingly cautious as the event approaches. “The government is simply not prepared to take any risks ahead of the Olympics," said Tobias Feakin, a security expert at the Royal United Services Institute think tank. Under usual circumstances, authorities often monitor plots for weeks or months to gather evidence — rather than swoop in immediately to arrest the suspects. Britain currently ranks the threat from international terrorism as substantial — the middle point on a five-point scale, which means intelligence agencies believe an attack is a strong possibility, but not imminent. The level was last raised to critical — the highest level — in June 2007. David Anderson, terrorism laws ombudsman for Britain's government, says the threat has “reduced significantly in recent years." However, he also warns that “recent improvements in the security situation on both sides of the Irish Sea are not irreversible." — AP
