Intelligence

Database to bar hate preachers from Britain

London bombs terror attack The Times and Sunday Times Times Online

By Philippe Naughton, Times Online
The Government is to create a global database of hate preachers accused of fomenting or promoting terrorism so they can be more easily kept out of Britain or deported.

The move was announced today by Charles Clarke, the Home Secretary, as part of a raft of anti-terror measures including three new criminal offences that will be rushed through Parliament with cross-party support after the July 7 suicide bombings in London.

Mr Clarke said the database could prompt the deportation of well-known radical Muslim preachers like the Syrian-born Omar Bakri Mohammed.

In a separate developement, Tony Blair announced that the UK might host an international conference on how best to tackle the terrorist threat.

The Prime Minister also said that the Government would consult with police and security forces on whether a long-standing ban on using evidence from phone-tapping in courts could be lifted - something that the Government had previously ruled out.

Mr Clarke told the Commons that the database of those who have demonstrated "unacceptable behaviours" would include those who preached intolerance, or ran websites or wrote articles that encouraged extremism.

Anybody on the database seeking to enter the UK would have their case referred to ministers with a view to possible exclusion from the country.

Mr Clarke said he had concluded his powers to exclude people from Britain needed to be used "more widely and systematically", both for foreign visitors and people already living here. He also made clear the powers to remove people would apply to visitors, asylum applicants and those who had already won asylum.

He told MPs: "In the circumstances we now face, I’ve decided that it’s right to broaden the use of these powers to deal with those who foment terrorism or seek to provoke others to terrorist acts.

"To this end, I intend to draw up a list of unacceptable behaviours which would fall within this. For example, preaching, running a website or writing articles which are intended to foment or provoke terrorism. The list will be indicative rather than exhaustive."

There is growing anger over the comments of Omar Bakri Mohammed, who uses a website to propagate his anti-Western views and who said yesterday that the British Government and public shared some of the blame for the July 7 attacks on the capital.

In his statement to MPs, the Home Secretary said: "I will follow the approach I have set out today in the case of Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed and other individuals whose names are in the public domain."

Mr Clarke also said that anti-terror legislation, which was formulated before the London bombings, would be brought forward as soon as is practicable after Parliament returns in October. He said he hoped to proceed "by means of consensus".

At the heart of the forthcoming Counter-Terrorism Bill will be three new criminal offences: acts preparatory to terrorism; indirect incitement to terrorism - which will cover those who glorify and condone terrorist acts; and giving and receiving terrorist training.

"There is unity of purpose. The Government wants to work with other parties to make sure we have the most effective anti-terrorism legislation on our statute book," he said. "Similarly we want to work with the Muslim community to isolate and weaken dangerous extremists.

"We are all determined to take whatever steps are needed to identify, track down and bring to justice all those involved in instigating, planning, supporting these terrible crimes."

The Government is also concluding a series of agreements allowing it to deport terror suspects to their home countries, where previously they might have been expected to face cruel or inhuman treatment, or even the death penalty.

It emerged today that the first agreement in principle has now been struck with Jordan, and could see the deportation there of Abu Qatada, one of the group of foreign terror suspects held for more than two years at Belmarsh prison.

Abu Qatada is now under a control order limiting his movements and activities. He is a Jordanian-Palestinian preacher, sometimes described as Osama bin Laden's "ambassador in Europe", who has been convicted in absentia in Jordan for bomb plots there. Other agreements are being negotiated, especially with North African nations.

Announcing the possible international conference on terrorism, Mr Blair said around 26 countries had suffered from al-Qaeda and its associated networks since 1993.

He said: "There is obviously a huge well of support and understanding for the problems we have faced in this country recently. But we have to be very clear about this: though the terrorists will use all sorts of issues to justify what they do, the roots of it do go deep; they are often not to be found in this country alone. Therefore, international action is also necessary."

Mr Clarke said that 56 people are known to have died in the London bombings, all of whom have now been formally identified.

He said that the death toll could yet rise as the police investigation of the crime scenes continues - especially from the bomb blast on the Piccadilly Line between King's Cross and Russell Square. Twenty-seven people are still being treated in hospital.

Mr Clarke said that, following the removal of the bombed train, Aldgate Station should reopen by Monday and it was hoped to restore full services on the Circle Line, interrupted by the Edgware Road blast, within a couple of weeks.

July 20, 2005 at 06:49 PM in Terror groups | Permalink | Top of page | Blog Home