Tony Blair has warned that the UK should prepare for deadly bio-weapon attacks from Islamic terrorists in the wake of the Covid pandemic.
In a speech to mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11 attacks, the Labour former Prime Minister said the idea was no longer in the "realm of science fiction".
"Covid 19 has taught us about deadly pathogens. Bio-terror possibilities may seem like the realm of science fiction; but we would be wise now to prepare for their potential use by non-state actors," he told the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank.
Mr Blair, who was Prime Minister at the time of the deadly attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001, argued that terrorism remains a significant threat.
“Islamism, both the ideology and the violence, is a first order security threat; and, unchecked, it will come to us, even if centred far from us, as 9/11 demonstrated," he said.
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"This ideology – whether Shia, promulgated by the Islamic Republic of Iran or Sunni promoted by groups on a spectrum from the Muslim Brotherhood through to AQ, ISIS Boko Haram and many others – has been the principal cause of de-stabilisation across the Middle East, and beyond and today in Africa."
Mr Blair admitted that the "nearly everything about 9/11 and its aftermath, particularly now, is mired in controversy" but he said it was indisputable that radical Islam had not declined in force.
He said it was vital for countries to find ways to battle extremism, particularly in the wake of the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan.
Mr Blair said "boots on the ground" would be needed to continue to battle terror but he admitted there were serious political constraints on committing troops to foreign conflicts.
His remarks come after the chaotic evacuation of Western forces from Afghanistan last month, which saw the Taliban sweep to power.
Mr Blair, who took the UK to war in Iraq and Afghanistan, said his generation of leaders may have been "naive in thinking countries could be 'remade'.
But he added: "But we should never forget as we see the women of Afghanistan in the media, culture and civic society now flee in fear of their lives, that our values are still those which free people choose.
"Recovering confidence in our values and in their universal application is a necessary part of ensuring we stand up for them and are prepared to defend them. "
