Inside al-Qaeda
- 16 Nov 06, 01:23 PM
It's rare to speak to someone who's been a member of al-Qaeda, and rare too to interview a spy. On tonight's Newsnight - events permitting - we'll do both in a special programme entitled Inside al-Qaeda: A Spy's Story.
The 大象传媒's security correspondent Gordon Corera has - over a period of many months - obtained exclusive access to Omar Nasiri - not his real name - who worked for European security agencies during the 1990s and infiltrated al-Qaeda both in the camps of Afghanistan and in terror cells in London.
His story is extraordinary, revealing the extent of al-Qaeda's preparations - years before 9/11 - to target the west, but also the British authorities' lack of awareness of the growing threat of Islamic terrorism. It'll be an unusual edition of Newsnight - more documentary than daily news - but I think it's one not to miss. You can watch a preview clip by clicking here.
Peter Barron is editor of Newsnight
