MI5 Chief Warns of al Qaeda Plot on U.K.

Britain’s top security chief said Thursday that al Qaeda militants in Syria are plotting attacks on Western “iconic targets,” following a deadly attack on the Paris offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. Andrew Parker, head of British intelligence agency MI5, warned that a “mass-casualty attack” on the United Kingdom is highly likely during a rare public speech at MI5 headquarters in London. Parker noted that three terrorist plots had been thwarted recently, but even with the best efforts, one is likely to succeed. “Although we and our partners try our utmost, we know we cannot hope to stop everything,” he said.