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Anti-terror bill damned for catch-all powers
Government accused of smuggling in draconian laws
Alan Travis, home affairs editor Wednesday November 14, 2001 The Guardian

The government's new anti-terrorist bill was last night attacked as a cover to smuggle into law draconian new police powers that have little direct connection to the war against terrorism.

Publication of the bill yesterday revealed it contains drastic measures such as making it a criminal offence to publish details of the movement of nuclear waste trains, and the power to jail for up to a month an animal rights extremist who refuses to remove a disguise such as a mask or face paint.

Details of the 125-clause bill, which is expected to become law by Christmas, confirm that suspected terrorists who could be interned for up to six months will not hear evidence from intelligence services that led to their detention as they and their lawyers will be excluded from parts of their hearings held in camera. Their interests instead will be represented by an advocate appointed by the attorney general.

Civil liberties groups last night voiced concerns that the anti-terrorism, crime and security bill goes far further than dealing with the specific threats posed by the September 11 attacks on America.

The bill will allow confidential information about an individual held by any government department or local authority to be disclosed to the police and intelligence services for any criminal investigation - not just an investigation into terrorist offences.

Home Office officials yesterday cited the example of an official in the Department of Transport passing confidential information about a train driver if that person was known to be wanted by the police.

During the eight weeks it has taken to draft the bill it has grown from just 40 clauses to 125 as other measures have been added. Some, including clauses relating to internet surveillance and disclosure, are powers that have failed to win parliamentary approval in the past.

John Wadham, director of Liberty, last night said that while the internment proposal was by some way the worst threat to civil rights, "other illiberal measures are being smuggled in under the cover of proposals to deal with the events of September 11. Too many of these proposals risk falling short of the highest British standards of justice".

But the home secretary, David Blunkett, insisted that the legislation contained "proportionate and targeted measures which will ensure and safeguard our way of life against those who would take our freedom away".

Ministers believe that about 16 suspected terrorists would have been caught by the detention powers had they been in force last year. "Because we are talking only about a handful of people, we are not threatening the civil liberties of this country, but we are ensuring those handful don't threaten those civil liberties," Mr Blunkett said. My emphasis. This really is the most flagrant piece of doublespeak, shameful in that he really thinks that the public are as brainless as seaweed, shameful in that he does not think that he is obliged to give a good reason (or even a good SOUNDING reason) for these clearly iNsAnE clauses. Declassifying dope to "C" is not enough of a trade off if you are trying to slip through crap like this ol' buddy!

He denied that the new offence of incitement to religious hatred would prevent reasoned debate, humour or criticism of religions or religious practices, stressing the new crime would protect atheists as much as Muslims.

The Home Office minister, Beverley Hughes, confirmed that plans for a much wider ranging anti-terrorist conspiracy law announced last month had been dropped. Ministers have also torn up plans to backdate to September a new offence of making hoax calls about anthrax and other noxious substances. The number of such calls has dropped sharply.

Although the opposition parties have said they will support the bill when it has its second reading next week, they made clear their unease yesterday. The Liberal Democrat spokesman, Simon Hughes, said the legislation was a "mixture of the welcome, the reasonable, the worrying and the completely unacceptable". He said that while the detention powers would have to be renewed every year there were no similar expiry dates for the majority of emergency powers in the bill.

"Liberal Democrats will only support emergency powers restricting liberties if they have strict time limits and are in place for the shortest possible time," Mr Hughes said.

The ban on publishing details of movements of nuclear waste trains comes in clause 79, which outlaws unauthorised disclosures that may prejudice the security of any nuclear premises or nuclear material. Clause 93 makes it a criminal offence punishable by up to one month in prison to refuse a reasonable police request to remove a disguise such as a mask or face paint in a place where a senior police officer believes serious violence may take place.

The emergency measures

· Detention of suspected terrorists Applies to foreign nationals certified by the home secretary as threats to national security. Detention will be reviewed every six months by a commission which will hear intelligence evidence in camera. Appeal allowed only on points of law. Powers will need annual renewal by parliament.

wont stop terrorism. if you cant completly investigate someone in less than six months, then you need to be in another job. indefinite detention is unnessecary, useless and highly provocative, since its only muslims who are going to be locked up.

· Incitement to religious hatred Penalty of up to seven years for using "threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour intended or likely to stir up hatred against a group of people because of their religious belief (or lack of religious belief)".

killing free speech wont stop terrorism, this is just nonsense.

· Airport security New powers will allow police to stop, detain, question and search aircraft passengers within Britain and to remove and arrest someone who refuses to leave an aircraft.

wont stop terrorism; hijackers appear to be totally normal passengers, and are trained to pass any inspection.

· Hoaxes Creates new offence of threatening to use noxious substances, such as anthrax, smallpox and acid, to make people believe there is a threat to human life or health.

wont stop terrorism, but will save the resources of the police & emergency services.

· Internet data Requires internet service providers to retain data of internet and email traffic, such as itemised billing - but not content - for 12 months for use by police in serious crime investigations. To be renewed every two years.

wont stop terrorism. this is just a sneaky power grab. they cant bring in laws like this openly, because they KNOW that they are immoral unjustifiably and wrong.

· Weapons of mass destruction Makes it an offence to aid the overseas use or development of chemical, nuclear, biological or radiological weapons.

wont stop terrorism, and yes, people other than the british CAN do mathematics, chemistry, biology and physics. this will do nothing.

· Civil nuclear industry Bans publication of details of security of nuclear sites, transport of nuclear materials and sensitive nuclear technology such as uranium enrichment.

wont stop terrorism, but WILL protect the interests of the nuclear industry. hmmmmmm

· Withholding information Makes it a criminal offence to fail to disclose information to the authorities that could help to prevent terrorist attacks.

wont stop terrorism and already covered by other legislation

· Security services Wider powers for MI6 and GCHQ to carry out "intelligence gathering" outside Britain.

will prevent terrorism

· Disguises Makes it a criminal offence to refuse a police request to remove hand and face coverings, such as masks and face paint, in certain public order situations. Could be used against animal rights extremists.

ha ha ha! you fuckin ejeets!

· MPs bypass Anti-terrorist measures agreed by EU ministers to become law in Britain without need for legislation in British parliament.

you cant stand the debate, so "just do it" anyway. shame!

· Terrorist finances Allows immediate freezing of assets of overseas individuals and groups that support terrorists.

wont stop terrorism, but will allow access into everyones private business.

· Bribery and corruption Introduces crimes of corruption committed by British citizens and companies abroad and by foreign nationals in Britain which "help to undermine good governance and contribute to the conditions which engender terrorism".

wont stop terrorism, and will hurt british business abroad where bribery is a key business tool.

These "measures" are nothing more than an admission that they cant do anything at all to stop a few people from bringing everything to a crashing halt. They have to be seen to be doing something, so thats what they are doing, "something", not something sensible, something useful, something intelligent, something smart, something effective, something timely, something wise, something long-term, just "something", which in this case, means taking out thier long and dusty shopping list (that they have been accumulating for 20 years) of all the shitty legislation that they KNOW would never get through the process normally, and pushing it through to the detriment of everbody. To add insult to injury, they dont even have the manners to make up good excuses for this bullshit. What they refuse to accept is that the people who do this stuff are INVISIBLE and 100% compliant with all laws, UNTIL THE MOMENT OF EXECUTION. This makes it IMPOSSIBLE to intercept these individuals. Legislation will not prevent these acts. GET OVER IT.

Seizing Dictatorial Power