Author: Editorial
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: November 12, 2005
The British Parliament has dealt a severe blow to its country's fight against terrorism by throwing out the most important element in the Government's new anti-terror legislation-increasing the period of detention without trial from 14 days to three months - on Wednesday.
Under the mangled law that has emerged from Parliament, police can now hold suspects for 28 days without charging them. The result, made possible by 49 labour MPs who voted against their party's Bill, will demoralise Britain's police force which is battling heavy odds to prevent the occurrence of something similar to what happened on 7/7 when blasts killed 52.
Fighting terrorism has never been easy anywhere. It has become more difficult than ever before because terrorism is now a global phenomenon and its perpetrators are using state-of-the-art technology in both communication and weaponry, including explosive devices. At a time when encrypted computers are in use and terrorist speak many languages, it takes an enormous amount of time to analyse the implications of information provided by those detained. Release prior to the process being completed may well mean a person, found guilty later, walking away and organising more terrorist strikes.
It is remarkable that this did not occur to the members of the "mother of all parliaments" when they voted. Nor did they seem to remember that terrorism has never been crushed without harsh laws and strong measures. Fundamentalist Islamist terrorism has been spreading its tentacles in Britain for more than a decade now.
As early as August 1994, a body called the Hizbul Tahrir held a Muslim Unity Conference in London which called for the establishment in Britain of a Caliphate based on the principles of Islam amidst vicious outbursts against the "enemies of Islam" which included the British Government... Yet Britain virtually did nothing until 2000 by which time the Al Qaeda had emerged as the principal promoter of Islamist terrorism worldwide. Part II of the Terrorism Act passed that year enabled the proscription of any organisation "concerned with terrorism". Twenty-one outfits, including Al Qaeda have been banned under the Act. In addition, in October 2001, Britain revived a 650-year-old Treason Law to prevent British Muslims from fighting abroad.
That even such tough laws were not enough became clear after 7/7. Since then Britain has been living in the shadow of another dastardly terrorist strike. It is a pity that even the July outrage has not awakened a significant section of British political establishment to the fact that terrorism cannot be defeated without tough anti-terrorist laws providing for prolonged detention without trial and firm action against violence.
It is remarkable how they failed to note the fact that the riots that seemed poised to sweep France, if not some other countries of Europe as well, subsided after the French Government imposed a State of Emergency. It is possible that their antipathy towards Prime Minister Tony Blair, who was the main force behind the mangled law, got the better of the good sense of the rebel Labour MPs. More than Mr Blair, Britain may have to pay a terrible price for their action.