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| kō-ŏp'ə-rā'shən can Defeat Terrorism |
| 2006-08-17 |
| Last week, British police and security services thwarted what looks to have been an attempt to cause mass murder by terrorists. Thousands of European holidaymakers both in Britain and across the Continent shared the frustration of disrupted holiday plans. Millions more expressed their shock and worry as details of the alleged plot emerged. While loss of life was prevented, the events served as a stark reminder that the threat of terrorism affects us all in our everyday lives and that we are all part of the fight against it. That is why on Wednesday we met with the Finnish presidency of the European Union and other European partners to discuss how we can build on the progress we have made since the attacks in Madrid in 2004 and in London last year. In the wake of the failed terrorist attacks in London on July 21 last year (two weeks after the deadly July 7 bombings), one of the key suspects was swiftly returned to Britain from Italy to face trial, thanks to the European arrest warrant. And the European evidence warrant will improve and speed up the process by which European countries can help one another obtain evidence. This cooperation demonstrates what we can achieve when we help our European neighbors tackle domestic terrorist incidents. We all know that the threat from international terrorism is undiminished and that next time terrorists may target another European country. Together we need to deliver a comprehensive response to the challenge facing us all: How do we, as democratic and open societies, best fight terrorism without compromising our values? How do we balance the individual rights that we all enjoy with the collective right to safety and security that as a society we demand? We need to protect ourselves by responding to new terrorist techniques with appropriate security measures. The European Commission has already emphasized the need for new standards of security that should be adopted at European airports. We must now also target research into liquid explosives. We have to deliver all of this while staying true to our shared European values of respect for fundamental rights and freedoms. Why? Because they are tools themselves which will enable us to fight terrorism. By defending our citizens from terrorism without destroying the freedoms upon which our societies are built; by seeking to defeat terrorists without making Muslims feel we are trying to attack Islam; by addressing the legitimate grievances of the Muslim world without validating the terrorists' narrative, we will build an environment where tolerance and freedom reigns, and where terrorism does not thrive. We are only too aware of the scale of these challenges, but we share the belief that the best way to defeat international terrorism is through international cooperation and the vigilance of our citizens - something we can all work together to achieve. We are threatened as individuals, as communities, as societies, as nations and as a Union; we must rise to the challenge at all levels, together. (John Reid is Britain's home secretary. Nicolas Sarkozy is the French interior minister.) |
| Posted by:Nimble Spemble |
| #1 We have to deliver all of this while staying true to our shared European values of respect for fundamental rights and freedoms A lovely sentiment, but how does it jibe with reports that the plot was blown due to info from a suspect that was tortured in Pak? I think Sarkozy is making a laudable (for a French politician) attempt at broaching the dangers non-Muslim states face from Islamicists. The bromides may be necessary, but in making the wakeup call more palatable, does it also undermine the effectiveness of the point he's trying to make? Our own politicos have had the same problem with their "Religion of Peace" meme. |
| Posted by: charger 2006-08-17 15:12 |