British Seek New Laws to Confront Terror

NYT reeports After the shock of the London bombings, British authorities are readying new laws that would give the police stronger powers to try to pre-empt terror attacks and to silence clerics regarded as what the police call "preachers of hate." At the same time, the police and government officials say they are urging Muslim leaders to "take on the extremists," in the words of Prime Minister Tony Blair, in an effort to draw Muslims into the policing of their own communities. Lord Charles Falconer, the government minister in charge of the judiciary, said Sunday that the proposed legislation would have three aims -

1. to outlaw "indirect incitement" to commit terrorist acts,
2. to prevent "acts preparatory" to terrorism and
3. to prevent "providing or receiving training" in terrorism.

Lord Falconer told the BBC that the proposed laws would permit the imprisonment or deportation of people "attacking the values of the West" or "glorifying the acts of suicide bombers." It would also make it illegal for Britons to go to camps known for training in terrorism techniques or to help other people go to such places for such training.

I agree with the need for those laws, not just in Britain, but in all countries in Europe, and here in the US.

Marc W. Schneider blogged I have no great love for the way that our politicians spew forth with purple rhetoric everytime there is an attack, especially invoking evil and the threat to western civilization. We don't need politicians moralizing about evil. It seems counterproductive to rational thinking. But at the same time, we don't need people relativizing murder and equating blowing up subways with political activity. IMO, as long as the left cannot distinguish between murder and legitimate political activity, it has no call to govern civilized nations. Whatever the west has done or not done, it does not justify bombing subways or flying planes into buildings and our leftist politicians need to learn that.