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Blunkett: desperate? (BBC)
Just wait for the outcry on this one. And it does seem to be a counsel of desperation. But in the absence of any significant anti-terror cooperation from self-proclaimed moderate Muslims, I can see why Blunkett would have decided to try this. From The Guardian, with thanks to Jeffrey Imm:
Sympathisers with extremist Islamic groups will risk jail under controversial plans to make merely associating with a suspected terrorist a crime.The move is aimed at stopping those now floating on the fringes of terrorist cells from being sucked further in. It reflects serious concern - both within government and among the moderate Muslim community - about how to tackle disaffected young men attracted by the teachings of fundamentalists, or by British mosques identified as recruiting grounds for al-Qaeda activists.
But it will be highly controversial among civil liberties campaigners, since it would allow people who have committed no crime to be dragged before the courts in a 'guilt-by-association' culture.
Liberal Democrats also warned last night that it could backfire among British Muslims if it led to young men being arrested for little more than mixing with people at their mosque.
'We are targeting support networks, the things that enable terrorism to be perpetrated by other people,' said a source close to the Home Secretary, David Blunkett. 'It is intended to deter people from hanging around the fringes of undesirables.'
Blunkett's plans are modelled on the French offence of 'associating with a wrongdoer', which was brought in to tackle Algerian terrorism, under which people can be held for up to 92 hours without charge.
The case against them is then compiled by a juge d'instruction - investigative judge - who could be cleared to see intelligence reports, a system Blunkett also favours: it has a high conviction rate.
The French investigative judge Jean-Louis Bruguière, nicknamed 'The Sheriff', not only uncovered an al-Qaeda plot to blow up the United States embassy in Paris shortly before the World Trade Centre attack, but also provided a detailed picture of a European terror network, linked to al-Qaeda, stretching throughout France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Britain. Paradoxically, many of the North Africans he targeted moved on to the UK as a result.
Under Blunkett's plans, 'associates' of terrorists would initially face a civil court order - like the anti-social behaviour orders slapped on unruly teenagers - banning individuals from contact with named terror suspects. This would be intended as a deterrent: disobedience would become an offence punishable by jail.
'Association' could cover not only meeting in person, but communicating via email or telephone, or even fundraising: sources close to the Home Secretary said, however, there would have to be evidence of some suspicious intent, rather than merely socialising.
There has been alarm in security circles that, despite lessons learnt post-9/11 about tracking connections between the loosely affiliated terror cells making up al-Qaeda, neither British nor Spanish intelligence services managed to prevent the Madrid bombing.
Mark Oaten, the Lib Dem home affairs spokesman, said he appreciated Blunkett's difficult 'juggling act' over terrorism, but added: 'This particular measure could backfire by alienating the Muslim community. It could lead to individuals being questioned if they had been to somebody's house or a religious festival or something where there were suspects. It could cause all sorts of tensions.'
Natalia Garcia, solicitor for two terror suspects currently being held in Woodhill prison, Milton Keynes, said the French system had already produced severe miscarriages of justice: 'As judges link one person to another, the process becomes completely circular. It is guilt by association.'
A report by the International Federation for Human Rights into a spate of anti-terrorist cases involving Algerians in the late Nineties concluded that the French system violated the European Convention on Human Rights, adding that it had 'inflicted grave, often irreparable damage on their victims'.
French juges d'instruction also have a reputation for agonisingly slow, bureaucratic investigations.
The debate comes as the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor, warns in an Easter message today that politicians must tackle the root causes of terrorism, including poverty, rather than just confronting it head on.
'If the Western world were to devote itself in a very real and sacrificial way to helping the two thirds of the world and especially those parts of the world that live in gross poverty, and did it in a way that actually denied themselves, then I think we'd have a more peaceful world,' he will tell GMTV's Sunday programme.
'I think that some of the threat of terrorism comes out of countries that feel that they have not been treated justly. But terrorism itself is a terrible evil.'
The new counter-terrorism measures rushed through after the 11 September attacks must be reviewed in 2006, and Blunkett has already launched a major public debate over what should replace them.
Posted by Robert at April 11, 2004 9:36 AM
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wOW! Good for you, Blunkett! There are so many mosques in Britain that call for jihad, especially the one in Finsbury. It's a real hot bed of fanatical activity. I bet the U.S. Administration will be watching this.
Posted by: Chaya Eitan at April 11, 2004 11:02 AMWow! I can't wait to be turned-in. I wonder whether they built enough prisons or concentration camps for all the Muslims in the UK. Geeee, I never tasted free food, bed etc. Not bad knowing all the money I could claim afterwards like them Japanese.
Posted by: Hood Jihadi at April 11, 2004 12:10 PMWOOHOO!!!!!!!!
Good on you Mr Blunkett!!!
Great idea, Mr. Blunkett! Shame that you are not doing enough to jail a couple of Imams in North London and their sympathizers! They have been calling for Jihad every Friday and the Capital is full of Abu Hamza's followers! You are very right, Chaya!
As for you, Hood, it depends where you are: in the US they should be looking for you already!
In the UK jails, I'm told, that the food is not that great!
Hood Jihadi--you are right. There are not enough prisons or concentration camps in the UK. We should just deport all the subhuman jihadist scum back to their sandboxes. Everytime anti govt invective suggesting overthrow comes out of one of the little Immam chickenshit mouths, we should hold their candy asses accountable,
Posted by: CF at April 11, 2004 1:26 PMIf they don't like the taste of democracy and freedom let 'em eat sand. Send them back to the third world POS nations they came from. Hoodie, maybe you can get a good Jewish lawyer to represent you.
Posted by: Hal at April 11, 2004 1:34 PMI wonder when the Brits are going to get fed up and start recycling the grease from their bacon by throwing it on Mosques. BTW HoodJewHottie: HAPPY PASSOVER
Posted by: Hal at April 11, 2004 2:58 PMgee you folks hold a lot of hatred in your hearts. And to read this hostility on Easter, no less!
Posted by: I say hmmm at April 11, 2004 4:08 PMWow! And we have problems here in the States with the Patriot Act. It is interesting, isn't it?, that the other countries facing their own immigration problems are turning to their own ways to deal with the problem of radical Islamism.
If this were even thought of in the States, it would immediately be decried as intollerable hate speach by the left. I am not sure it isn't a bad idea, but wow(!) what nerve the Brits have. It is admirable in a kind of scary way.
Posted by: paula at April 11, 2004 4:38 PMI'll belive it when I see it. Blunkett has made
a habit of talking tough and doing very little.
You only have to look at his past record.
Posted by: Michael at April 11, 2004 5:04 PM
Latest News:
HJ was contacted by Jihadis from Blunkett's local area in Sheffield. They assured me he will never carry such an internment programme, and BOI have they got him easy. Sources close to me suggest half of Blunkett's kids were diagnosed with dyslexia cos they were so illiterate. I am sure he misread some AmeriZionazi plan for Iraq.
Dyslexic? Have they been reading the Koran? Are they an inbred bunch of sand monkeys too ???? LOL! For some dhimmi who can't spell unless she's copying and pasting you sure are using big words today Hoodie. But like I've said, you are a monkey. You scream and throw epithets, among other things. Your frustration over the failures of islam is evident in yor ravings. No prophet, no prophecy, no cultural advancements. You are a wannabe hood just as Mohammed (Pigs Be Upon Him) was a wannabe prophet.
Posted by: Hal at April 11, 2004 8:03 PMHal: But like I've said, you are a monkey. You scream and throw epithets, among other things.
Hood Jihadi: My moves are also faster than Micheal Jackson.
Posted by: Hood Jihadi at April 11, 2004 8:27 PMThen why masn't your moon god blessed you with wealth? Why are you a dhimmi in a foreign land working for the white men you hate so violently? I guess it's just another failure of islam.
Posted by: Hal at April 11, 2004 8:31 PMHal: Why are you a dhimmi in a foreign land working for the white men you hate so violently?
Hood Jihadi: No no no nooo Hal. Its you who should be asking what the hell you doing in a country built with African sweat and blood? Don't worry; we aren’t claiming reparations because we are still your slaves. But we are coming for you. Spending millions on Zionazi wars while there is enough poverty here. 10/10 welfare cases are Jew Suspect worshippers. Now, where is their God?
Did I say "millions"? Billions of our hard earned money. Money don't come easy for us black folks you know.
Posted by: Hood Jihadi at April 11, 2004 8:50 PMHal: Then why masn't your moon god blessed you with wealth?
Hood Jihadi: I am sorry, but my God rewards me for hard work only. I am not from the chosen tribe, or have believed in them.
Posted by: Hood Jihadi at April 11, 2004 8:53 PMIt is indeed sad to show so much hate on easter, but then again we did not start this the islam muslim did. It is also sad that this issue in all our lives would be turned into a race issue by the hood jihad. Am i wrong to say you are a black muslim? if not, then stick to the issue of your religion, hateing and killing everyone that is not a muslim;believing in islam the religion of hate.
Posted by: christian at April 11, 2004 9:43 PMAs for the issue in the article, the attempt is worth it, to stop the killing of christians, jews, and others not of islam faith. If it is possible to hold these thugs for 92 hours or so, then so be it. For the sake of humanity and the world, it seems like such a small inconvience to the would be killer and his/hers accomplices.
Posted by: christian at April 11, 2004 9:48 PMHappy holiday to everyone.
I was just wondering Hoodjob, about this: Hood Jihadi: My moves are also faster than Micheal Jackson.
Posted by Hood Jihadi at April 11, 2004 08:27 PM
Does this mean all children are in danger when around you? I hope that you're not saying that you're not only a backwards ass Jihadi Princess, but a child molester as well?
Please say that you just typed it all out wrong and it just isn't so.....
Mr Hood I am a colored person & have been treated with love & respect. I have not been discriminated because of my color.
I have travelled widely & have not been treated with the same respect that I have been treated here.
Do u know that in practical life u are looked down on if u are not fair in the Middle East.Mr Hood u have to travel & live in other countries with other people.U will then appreciate the blessings God has given u .
The Americans respect knowledge & talent whatever color u may be.U have been brain washed by evil spirits which makes u so miserable.The problem is with u & not the white people.Look into the mirror of ur head & u will understand where the problem is.
Hoodjob's just upset that he lacks insight and fortitude. So, he blames his skin for all of his shortcomings..
Don't you Hoodjob?
Hood Jewhottie, you're a paranoid little bugger with a persecution complex and delusions of grandeur. Look at the accomplishments of blacks in this country like Michael Jordan, whose accomplishments BTW, you can't touch with a 10 foot pole, even now that he's retired. You have admitted in that article you copied and pasted that Sudan still has slavery. We fought a war in this country to end slavery. Guess you should have read it before you posted it, as it just proved what we were saying. Black Americans like George Washington Carver, Thurgood Marshall, Colin Powell, Condi Rice, all have made it big here. Is that why you're so jealous? Because they have succeeded and you have failed? Or are you really angry because Islam has failed you? Where are the famous blacks in Muslim nations? Oh that's right, you have Idi Amin. I work with a black man who was in Saudi for awhile. He said he experienced more discrimination because of his skin color there than here in America. You have failed as a Muslim. Your Koran commands you to contend for the faith and you refuse to do it. You refuse to answer questions and accusations about Islam, the Koran, and Mohammed and try to turn it into a racial thing instead. That is an invalid argument since no religion is based solely on race. You are incapable of rational, logical thought which is the basis of any debate. Instead you try to turn it into an emotional display.
Posted by: Hal at April 12, 2004 4:56 PM
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