Extremism

UK must beef up its jihadi cyber defences, says ex-CIA chief: Former director warns extremists are acquiring 'virtual weapons of mass destruction'

Former CIA director General David Petraeus yesterday warned Britain must beef up its cyber defences to stop extremists acquiring virtual weapons of mass destruction.

The ex-intelligence chief, one of the most senior post-9/11 US military commanders, said one day soon there would be a ‘stake through the heart’ of Islamic State’s leader.

But he warned the West could not just play ‘whack a mole’ when it came to defeating the group online, as he slapped down web giants for not doing enough to stop terror.

He urged the UK to step up its cyber capabilities, as well as increase its Special Forces troops and maintain its ability to send a division to war.

Gen Petreaus said in a major speech in London: ‘We will defeat the (IS) army. At some point we will put through a stake through the heart of Baghdadi, the leader of Islamic State.

‘We are not going to be able to put a stake through the heart of the virtual caliphate, this is ideology that is being propagated on the internet.’