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| Britain |
| UK has tightened up on radical Islam: Blair |
| 2004-09-10 |
| Three years after the September 11 attacks in the United States, Britain has tightened its anti-terrorism laws in view of radical Islam and has taken a tough stand against leading figures. "We have tightened the law very considerably, and we've also tightened our ability to deport people," British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Tuesday during his monthly press conference. "It is important the whole time we are seeing how the framework of law can be tightened still further," Blair said in respect to legislation to counter terrorism. Jason Burke, a journalist specialising on Islam and the Middle East for the weekly Observer newspaper, said: "Since 9/11, there has been a major rethink and hardening of the policy" of Britain towards radical Islamists on its own soil." "That shift has been a gradual one over four to five years, and it has accelerated since 9/11 and the threats in Britain," said Burke, now posted in Baghdad. Accused of being a soft touch on terrorists in the past by Arab countries such as Algeria and Egypt, engaged in struggles against armed Islamic groups, Britain can no longer be seen as a peaceful haven for extremists. In fact, it has adopted draconian anti-terrorism legislation allowing it to detain foreign nationals suspected of terrorist involvement indefinitely without trial if they refuse to return to their country of origin. These laws give police the right to interrogate any terrorist suspect, British or foreign, for 15 days without a lawyer before charging or releasing them. |
| Posted by:Fred |