60,000 civilian force trained to spy on UK population

[loki]

UK plans comprehensive terror law

Britain's alert level is set at severe, meaning an attack is likely

The UK is planning an updated anti-terror strategy aimed at tackling the immediate threat of terrorism and the longer-term causes of extremism.

The Home Office says the proposal would give the UK the most comprehensive counter-terror strategy in the world.

A paper will reflect intelligence opinion that the biggest threat to the UK comes from al-Qaeda-linked groups.

Gordon Brown says tens of thousands of Britons such as retailers had now been trained to deal with a terror incident.

'Closed doors'

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith wants the paper - to be published on Tuesday - to go into more detail than ever before in the interests of public accountability.

It takes into account recent attacks on hotels in the Indian city of Mumbai.

Ms Smith told BBC One's Politics Show: "What we're completely clear about is that if we're going to address the threat from terrorism, we need to do that alongside the 60,000 people that we're now training up to respond to a terrorist threat, in everywhere from our shopping centres to our hotels.

"Tens of thousands of men and women throughout Britain... have now been trained and equipped to deal with an incident"
Gordon Brown

"We need to do it alongside the 3,000 police officers now working on counter-terror, and we need to do it with international partners.

"This is no longer something you can do behind closed doors and in secret."

The paper - called Contest Two - will update the Contest strategy developed by the Home Office in 2003, which was later detailed in the Countering International Terrorism document released in 2006.

Over the last six years the strategy has been split into four strands - Prevent, Pursue, Protect and Prepare - to try to hamper all aspects of the terror threat.

These include preventing radicalisation of potential terror recruits to disrupting terrorist operations, reducing the UK's vulnerability and ensuring Britain is ready for the consequences of any terror attack.

'Daily business'

Prime Minister Mr Brown told the Observer: "Today, not only the police and security and intelligence officers and our armed forces, but also the emergency services, local councils, businesses and community groups are involved in state-of-the-art contingency planning.

"Tens of thousands of men and women throughout Britain - from security guards to store managers - have now been trained and equipped to deal with an incident and know what to watch for as people go about their daily business in crowded places such as stations, airports, shopping centres and sports grounds."

A Home Office spokesman said the new paper would take account of the way the terror threat has evolved and how the authorities are learning lessons from events.

While the paper would look into the lessons learned from the November attacks in Mumbai, it is not thought attacks are likely on hotels in the UK.

The terrorism threat level, set by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, has since July 2007 been "severe". This means a future terrorist attack is thought to be highly likely - but not thought to be imminent.

By 2011, Britain will be spending £3.5bn a year on counter-terrorism, the Home Office has said.

The number of police working on counter-terrorism has risen to 3,000 from 1,700 in 2003.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7957431.stm

To protect ourselves from the Terrorists.

This is truely sad news for the fellow Europeans living in the United Kingdom, I'm very concerned about the current developement in Britain.

In my personal knowledge there's already strict border control in the U.K, and now this. Why should one give up his freedom for facism? It really starts to remind me of 30s and 40s Germany under the rule of the NSDAP. Where people were on constant alert of their sayings, and behavior. Basically anybody could be a member of the Gestapo (Secret State Police) or an informator, and put you in a puppet court - Or just straight into the concentration camp, or a bullet in the head. Where we in the olden days were set into court, to determine our innocence or guilt people in Britain, and the U.S.A seem to be held for whatever reason. Suspicion of acts or connections of terrorism seem to be reasons enough; to by pass the legal systems which are established in the respective nations. The law and rights ought to be the same for everyone person, and the legal system and human rights should be respected.

I hope the populus in Britain wakes up from their sleeping beauty, and say enough is enough!

~ Concerned European.