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| MI5 chief 'did not quit over 7/7' | MI5 chief 'did not quit over 7/7' |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The former head of MI5, Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller, has denied that she quit her job as a result of criticism over the 7 July London bombings. | The former head of MI5, Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller, has denied that she quit her job as a result of criticism over the 7 July London bombings. |
| She was speaking on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, to be aired later. | She was speaking on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, to be aired later. |
| Dame Eliza, who stepped down as head of the service earlier this year, said she set her retirement date soon after first being appointed in October 2002. | Dame Eliza, who stepped down as head of the service earlier this year, said she set her retirement date soon after first being appointed in October 2002. |
| Revelations that MI5 had once tracked one of the bombers prompted speculation the attack could have been halted. | Revelations that MI5 had once tracked one of the bombers prompted speculation the attack could have been halted. |
| Mohammad Sidique Khan, one of the four men who would go on to attack London in a series of suicide attacks, was being followed by MI5 some time before the bombings but a decision was made not to investigate him further. | Mohammad Sidique Khan, one of the four men who would go on to attack London in a series of suicide attacks, was being followed by MI5 some time before the bombings but a decision was made not to investigate him further. |
| Dame Eliza told the programme she wished the criticism both she and MI5 had faced over the attacks which killed 52 people, "had happened while I was still there, so I could have defended the service, so when I left, it could have gone with me". | Dame Eliza told the programme she wished the criticism both she and MI5 had faced over the attacks which killed 52 people, "had happened while I was still there, so I could have defended the service, so when I left, it could have gone with me". |
| She was giving her first interview since stepping down as MI5 director general in April. | She was giving her first interview since stepping down as MI5 director general in April. |
| 'Unproductive' memoirs | |
| Dame Eliza said there may have been mistakes made in decision-making processes with the service, but that it was unreasonable to expect intelligence to anticipate the movements of every person MI5 has ever looked at. | Dame Eliza said there may have been mistakes made in decision-making processes with the service, but that it was unreasonable to expect intelligence to anticipate the movements of every person MI5 has ever looked at. |
| She added: "There are too many people with this sort of intention in the UK for us to be confident, as no service could be confident, of stopping 100%. We have stopped very, very many." | |
| Dame Eliza also said she would not write her memoirs - when asked whether a book was on the horizon, she said: "Most certainly not. | |
| "I think it would be not only wrong but unproductive and unsellable." | |
| Her record choices for Desert Island Discs include the Rolling Stones singing Street Fighting Man, and I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself by the White Stripes. | Her record choices for Desert Island Discs include the Rolling Stones singing Street Fighting Man, and I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself by the White Stripes. |
| Desert Island Discs is on BBC Radio 4 at 11.15 GMT | Desert Island Discs is on BBC Radio 4 at 11.15 GMT |