156 OPERATIONAL RISK MANAGEMENT
While the July 7, 2005, attacks were rooted in the long-standing Islamist war against western society, the potential for such attacks within the United Kingdom was heightened by the British role in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Following the September 11, 2001, attacks the United Kingdom became part of a U.S.-led coalition of forces that toppled the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and ousted Saddam Hussein in Iraq. These military actions in predominantly Muslim lands served as source of motivation and propaganda for Islamist terrorist organizations. As a result, these organizations increased their efforts against the United Kingdom because of its alliance with the United States and its leading role in global counterterrorism. Months before the July 7 bombings, the JTAC prepared a confidential report noting an increase in terrorist activity within the United Kingdom as a result of the country' involvement in Iraq. This assessment was later supported by statements from groups claiming responsibility for the bombings and issuing warnings to those governments involved in Iraq and Afghanistan.