Osama bin Laden

The al Qaeda threat to the UK may have become more difficult to tackle over recent years, a select committee has warned.

A report from MPs on the foreign affairs committee confirmed that the terrorist organisation poses a continuing threat to the UK.

"Indeed, this threat may have grown more difficult to tackle in the years since September 11, 2001 owing to the fragmentation of groups and individuals associated with al Qaeda," they said.

There was also a warning that the war in Iraq may have prompted further terrorist activity.

"We further conclude that Iraq is providing a dangerous training ground for terrorists similar to that previously provided by Afghanistan," the report said.

The MPs also criticised Iran and Syria for not taking "sufficient steps to prevent terrorism either in neighbouring Iraq or in Israel and the Palestinian territories".

"We recommend that the government continue to make it clear to these states that they must end all support and assistance for terrorist groups and take meaningful steps to stop their territory from being used by terrorists," said the report.