On 10 September 2005 , she spoke to an audience in the Netherlands about the 7 July 2005 London bombings and her disappointment that MI5 failed to stop attacks , even when in possession of intelligence , because of bureaucratic inertia . She added that " the world has changed and there needs to be a debate on whether some erosion of the civil liberties we all value may be necessary to improve the chances of our citizens not being blown apart as they go about their daily lives . " On 21 October 2005 , BBC News reported Manningham-Buller 's leaked court statement to the Law Lords regarding methods for collecting intelligence from overseas . This was part of an investigation by the Law Lords on whether Her Majesty 's Government should have to be made aware whether the intelligence it is using was obtained through torture . " Experience proves that detainee reporting can be accurate and may enable lives to be saved " , she stated , also maintaining that obtaining information from foreign intelligence agencies , which initially enters the British intelligence system via MI6 , was vital in fighting terrorism . Regarding the ethics of how and where this intelligence is gathered she stated that " agencies will not often know the location or details of detention " . Her example to support the need for intelligence gathering from overseas was the case of Mohammed Megeurba , an Algerian man who was questioned by agencies in his country . Evidence collected by this questioning led to a raid in London which led to the Wood Green ricin plot being uncovered . Press have speculated that Megeurba was tortured to obtain this information , although Manningham-Buller has maintained neither she nor MI5 were aware of the " precise circumstances that attended their Algerian agencies ' questioning of Megeurba " . She emphasised that , had MI5 requested information regarding how the intelligence had been gathered , its request would have been ignored and the relationship between Britain and Algeria could have been damaged . She concluded by exemplifying the " importance of co-operation between states in countering the threat from international terrorism " . Shami Chakrabarti , director of human rights organisation Liberty , commended Manningham-Buller for being " brutally honest " about the activities of intelligence agencies . She also stated that Britain should not " legitimise " torture as a means of intelligence gathering by accepting evidence gained in such a manner as evidence in court . Manningham-Buller stated that the British intelligence services do not ask how intelligence is obtained " because that would make things difficult "
7 July 2005 London bombings
7 July 2005 London bombings
Eliza Manningham-Buller