Intelligence

Blair's 12-point plan to tackle terror fails to get full marks

London bombs terror attack The Times and Sunday Times Times Online

By Richard Ford and Daniel McGrory
OPPOSITION parties have claimed that Tony Blair has climbed down on many of the pledges in the 12-point plan to tackle terrorism that he announced after the 7/7 bombings in London.

The Prime Minister promised that “the rules were changing” to expel preachers of hate. But none has been thrown out of the country. In comparison Germany has expelled more than 20 imams, Italy has deported four, as have France and Spain, and Holland three. Only one prominent figure has been banned from Britain: sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed, the leader of the radical group al-Muhajiroun, who went to Beirut to visit his mother and was prevented from returning as “a threat to national security”.

The Government also lost its fight to detain terror suspects for up to 90 days after MPs voted to allow police a maximum of 28 days.

Ministers have dropped plans to close mosques after opposition from Muslim community leaders and police, and a “British test” for foreign imams in the UK has been scrapped. Diplomats have also failed to secure deals with ten countries over taking militants thrown out of the UK.

However, Charles Clarke, the Home Secretary, told MPs this month that very significant progress had been made.

THE PLEDGES

1 New grounds for deporting undesirables, closing bookshops; negotiating a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with countries to take deportees from the UK, and the introduction of non-suspensive appeals.

ACTION: work is still under way on putting together a list of extremists in the UK. Police and immigration officials have compiled a list of more than 120 undesirables, including half a dozen prominent militants and up to 20 foreign born clerics.

So far none has been expelled. Several planned raids were cancelled at the last minute because of legal disputes in Whitehall over the named suspects.

Only three countries — Lebanon, Jordan and Libya — have signed MOUs. Talks continue with seven other countries, including Algeria. The majority of those being held pending deportation are Algerian.

A change in appeals is included in the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Bill, which has received its second reading but has still to be approved.

2 To create offence of condoning or glorifying terrorism, here and abroad.

ACTION: ministers accept Parliament will not approve this.

3 To refuse asylum automatically to anyone who has participated in terrorism anywhere.

ACTION: a provision has been included in the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Bill.

4 To consult on powers to strip citizenship, applying them to UK citizens and making procedures simpler and more effective.

ACTION: again, included in provisions for Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Bill.

5 Maximum time limit of future extradition cases involving terror suspects.

ACTION: ministers appear to have abandoned plans to set a time limit in favour of speeding up the process short of “compromising fairness”.

6 New court procedures to allow sensitive intelligence to be presented.

ACTION: still being examined.

7 To extend the use of control orders for those who are British nationals and cannot be deported.

ACTION: up to now 17 control orders issued, of which nine have been revoked because the individuals are now detained under immigration powers pending deportation. Eight orders are now in force, one of which is in respect of a British national.

8 To expand the court capacity necessary to deal with control orders and other related issues. The Lord Chancellor will increase the number of special judges hearing such cases.

ACTION: the Department for Constitutional Affairs is reviewing the capacity of courts, specialist tribunals and the judiciary to deal with existing and anticipated caseload relating to terrorism, to meet the demands of counter-terrorism.

9 To proscribe Hizb-ut-Tahrir and the successor organisation of al-Mujahiroun, and to examine the grounds for proscription to widen them and put forward proposals in new legislation.

ACTION: Hizb-ut Tahrir is still operating. Criteria for banning groups in the Terrorism Bill.

10 Set new threshold for British citizenship.

ACTION: provisions included in the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Bill.

11 New powers to close mosques.

ACTION: dropped after objections from religious leaders and police.

12 Securing borders, new visa controls, and biometric visas.

ACTION: embarkation controls imposed after 7/7. New technology for immigration controls to be introduced over next five years.

December 28, 2005 at 01:58 AM in UK | Permalink | Top of page | Blog Home