Blair & Britain Set To Prosecute Those Who "Incite and Instigate" Terrorism
Ace of Spades blog
It's about time.
And I'm tired of the "clear and present danger" gloss on the American Constitution, too. Advocating violence should not be a protected right. Perhaps in other times we could allow such latitude in absolute free speech. No more.
If you advocate violence, you should be punished. What does it matter if there are morons ready, willing, and able to follow your incitements presently? Should you escape punishment merely because you don't have suitable charisma to actually persuade people to put your instigations of violence into rapid practice?
Fascist? Fuck you, buddy. You can make all the political points you like except for encouraging, inciting, and advocating that which the law expressly forbids -- illegal violence in the service of some twisted political goal.
If you can't edit yourself, well, pardner, I'm a-guessin' your shit out of luck.
Were it not for the clear and present danger "rule," half of the vicious terrorist-preachers in this country would've been in the slammer a long time ago."
ace.mu.nu
Blair acts on radical Muslims
By James Blitz, Cathy Newman and Jimmy Burns
Financial Times - Published: July 13 2005 19:11 | Last updated: July 13 2005 21:17
Tony Blair on Wednesday promised urgent action to exclude or deport radical Muslim clerics who "incite and instigate" acts of terrorism in response to last week's London bomb attacks.
As police hunted for a "fifth man" and possible mastermind behind western Europe's first suicide bomb attacks, the prime minister also took fresh steps to increase dialogue with the British Muslim community and called for an international effort to mobilise the "moderate and true voice of Islam".
He encouraged Britain's religious leaders to stand up to "the poisonous and perverted interpetration of the religion of Islam" shown by the terrorists.
Building on the strong cross-party consensus since the attacks, Mr Blair said the government would shortly meet with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats to get prompt backing for legislation aimed at preventing another terrorist strike.
Mr Blair has already said he wants to enact legislation to allow the prosecution of people caught preparing an act of terrorism. The prime minister on Wednesday said legislation would also be aimed at allowing prosecution of those involved in "incitement and instigation" of such acts.
David Davis, shadow home secretary, said details of the laws should be made public before MPs leave Westminster for the summer next week.
A week after the bombings, the investigation has shifted to the suspected network of people who provided support for the rush-hour attacks on three Tube trains and a bus that killed at least 52.
Anti-terrorist police on Wednesday night raided a private address in Aylesbury, Bucks. There were no arrests. Police said the raid followed intelligence that the property might have contained explosives for further attacks. Forensic examination was continuing.
Police believe there may have been a fifth man who was caught on security cameras with the four who travelled to London from Leeds. Uncertainty about his whereabouts has prompted alarm among the police and security services.
Officials and security experts said the four bombers were almost certainly not acting alone and would probably have received training and direction from a more senior Islamist militant.
Charles Clarke, home secretary, said "a central hypothesis that has to be tested and investigated is that the individuals we know about were working in a bigger community." He did not rule out further attacks.
Evidence that at least two of the men had travelled to Pakistan raised the possibility that they originally received instructions and may have been trained by al-Qaeda there.
The uncle of one of the bombers, Shehzad Tanweer, 22, blamed "forces behind" his nephew for the attacks. Bashir Ahmed said his nephew, who came from Leeds, was "proud to be British". He said it was hard for the family to accept their son had caused such loss of life. "It wasn't him. It must have been forces behind him."
The other bombers were named as Hasib Mir Hussain, 18, also from Leeds, and Mohammed Sadique Kahn, 30, a father-of-one who lived in nearby Dewsbury. The fourth man has not been named, but is believed to match the profile of the other three. Security camera footage and other intelligence suggest the four knew each other well.
The formal inquest into the deaths of eight of the victims opened on Wednesday. Police have identified 11 of the bodies.
A two-minute silence will be observed across the European Union at noon on Thursday, London-time.
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