From the BBC news page...
"A number of foreign terror suspects have been detained under new anti-terrorism legislation.
The measures, which became law last week, were brought in to fight Osama bin Laden's terrorist network and other groups.
Police and immigration officers raided addresses in London, Bedfordshire and the West Midlands in an operation targeting people suspected of plotting terror acts.
Two people were held in Luton and up to 10 more are being held at secure units around the country.
Their identities have not been revealed but it is thought London-based Muslim cleric Abu Qatada may be among those held.
Controversial
Under the new measures - part of the government's anti-terror legislation passed last week - foreign-born terror suspects can be detained without trial.
It is one of the most controversial aspects of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act and has been attacked by civil liberties campaigners.
It requires part of the Human Rights Act to be set aside and for the home secretary to deem the UK to be in a state of emergency.
It is thought that all those held on Wednesday are of North African origin.
They are suspected of having links to the al-Qaeda network but cannot be arrested under normal UK law because the police do not have enough evidence that they are involved in terrorist activity.
'Unjust'
MI5 is believed to have drawn up a list of about a dozen names several weeks ago and submitted them to the home secretary for approval.
The suspects can be held for six months, after which their cases will be reviewed by an immigration appeals tribunal.
The new laws, which were passed on Friday, enable police to hold non-UK citizens without trial where deportation is not possible.
Director of the campaign group Liberty, John Wadham, said the detentions were "utterly unjust" and again pledged to challenge the legislation in the courts.
"Arrests under these powers stamp all over basic principles of British justice and the European Convention of Human Rights - even the government admits that," he said." -BBC
"The measures, which became law last week, were brought in to fight Osama bin Laden's terrorist network and other groups." ...and OTHER groups!?
Also here in Canada, the gov't has drawn up its own 'anti-terror' legislation (which was passed on the Dec 18th)...
"The legislation allows preventive arrest of terrorist suspects, sometimes without warrant, before they have actually committed any crime."
"It will be easier for police to obtain wiretap warrants, and the top-secret Communications Security Establishment -- a branch of the Defence Department that doesn't need judicial warrants -- can conduct electronic surveillance for the first time on Canadian residents as well as the foreign targets on which it has long concentrated." CBC NEW CANADA
So, as of the 18th of this month, I, and most of the people I know now qualify as 'suspected terrorists'. I've been to violent protests before, for instance. And I'm vocal enough about my dissent from the mainstream opinion to be labeled a radical. It would be a matter of semantics to jail me without a trial.
You know, I used to joke around about 'the man' coming to my house at 3am and taking me away, never to been seen again. I never dreamed it would be legally possible.
Welcome to 1984, have a nice day, and don't forget to smile.
"A number of foreign terror suspects have been detained under new anti-terrorism legislation.
The measures, which became law last week, were brought in to fight Osama bin Laden's terrorist network and other groups.
Police and immigration officers raided addresses in London, Bedfordshire and the West Midlands in an operation targeting people suspected of plotting terror acts.
Two people were held in Luton and up to 10 more are being held at secure units around the country.
Their identities have not been revealed but it is thought London-based Muslim cleric Abu Qatada may be among those held.
Controversial
Under the new measures - part of the government's anti-terror legislation passed last week - foreign-born terror suspects can be detained without trial.
It is one of the most controversial aspects of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act and has been attacked by civil liberties campaigners.
It requires part of the Human Rights Act to be set aside and for the home secretary to deem the UK to be in a state of emergency.
It is thought that all those held on Wednesday are of North African origin.
They are suspected of having links to the al-Qaeda network but cannot be arrested under normal UK law because the police do not have enough evidence that they are involved in terrorist activity.
'Unjust'
MI5 is believed to have drawn up a list of about a dozen names several weeks ago and submitted them to the home secretary for approval.
The suspects can be held for six months, after which their cases will be reviewed by an immigration appeals tribunal.
The new laws, which were passed on Friday, enable police to hold non-UK citizens without trial where deportation is not possible.
Director of the campaign group Liberty, John Wadham, said the detentions were "utterly unjust" and again pledged to challenge the legislation in the courts.
"Arrests under these powers stamp all over basic principles of British justice and the European Convention of Human Rights - even the government admits that," he said." -BBC
"The measures, which became law last week, were brought in to fight Osama bin Laden's terrorist network and other groups." ...and OTHER groups!?
Also here in Canada, the gov't has drawn up its own 'anti-terror' legislation (which was passed on the Dec 18th)...
"The legislation allows preventive arrest of terrorist suspects, sometimes without warrant, before they have actually committed any crime."
"It will be easier for police to obtain wiretap warrants, and the top-secret Communications Security Establishment -- a branch of the Defence Department that doesn't need judicial warrants -- can conduct electronic surveillance for the first time on Canadian residents as well as the foreign targets on which it has long concentrated." CBC NEW CANADA
So, as of the 18th of this month, I, and most of the people I know now qualify as 'suspected terrorists'. I've been to violent protests before, for instance. And I'm vocal enough about my dissent from the mainstream opinion to be labeled a radical. It would be a matter of semantics to jail me without a trial.
You know, I used to joke around about 'the man' coming to my house at 3am and taking me away, never to been seen again. I never dreamed it would be legally possible.
Welcome to 1984, have a nice day, and don't forget to smile.
