Wicker Praises British Leader's Action Against Terrorism

WICKER PRAISES BRITISH LEADER'S ACTIONS AGAINST TERRORISM
By Congressman Roger F. Wicker

August 29, 2005

British Prime Minister Tony Blair recently announced dramatic new policies that would toughen his government's approach to fighting terrorism in their homeland. The actions of America's strongest ally represent another sign of solidarity that binds our two countries in this struggle against the forces of evil.

Just as President Bush and Congress reacted with legislation to help safeguard America after September 11, 2001, the British now confront the same harsh realities. I believe Mr. Blair's initiatives are a sound, common-sense approach to homeland security. His government moved quickly to put those policies into action by detaining 10 Islamic radicals on August 12 and making plans to deport them to their home countries.

PATRIOT ACT FACED CRITICISMS TOO

The Prime Minister faces some of the same criticisms that arose in the U.S. when the Patriot Act was considered first in 2001. The fears raised by some civil libertarians about Constitutional rights abuses under the Patriot Act have not materialized. The House and Senate have passed legislation this year, with bipartisan support, to reauthorize this law, which has helped authorities track suspected terrorist activity in the U.S.

The London Spectator called the new British rules "half-baked" and "frivolous" and said Mr. Blair was fooling around "in a reprehensibly juvenile fashion." Civil rights advocates there said the plan risked inflaming tensions and alienating Muslims. But the proposal is backed by mainstream Muslim groups who denounced the activities of foreign extremists preaching hatred on British soil.

An editorial in New York's Newsday noted Mr. Blair was justified in seeking to enhance power to deport individuals who incite violence. "It is wrong to argue, as some civil libertarian lawyers have done, that Blair's plan erodes Britain's commitment to human rights. Promoting terror, by word or deed, is not a universal human right, even by the most tortured stretch of that concept," the newspaper said. I agree.

The Prime Minister can impose some of the restrictions administratively while others must be enacted by Parliament. The measures include:

· Expedited power to deport individuals who "foster hatred and advocate or justify violence" and extended powers to strip citizenship from naturalized citizens who engage in extremist activities.

· Automatically refusing asylum to anyone with terrorist ties.

· Making it an offense to justify or glorify terrorism.

· Closing mosques that foment extremism and barring militant Muslim clerics from entering the country.

· Enhanced powers for police to hold suspected terrorists for extended periods without pressing charges.

These plans are far-reaching for a country that has been liberal in tolerating dissent and permissive in allowing Muslim clerics to preach hatred toward the Western world and praise acts of terror. "Coming to Britain is not a right," Mr. Blair said. "Those who try to include hatred and engage in violence have no place here."

While it may be a struggle to enact the proposals, I think Mr. Blair is right on target. This a new era, and the rules have indeed changed. The measures enacted in our country to adapt to those changes have worked. The Prime Minister deserves praise for taking bold steps to protect the British people and sending another signal of our collective resolve to persevere in this long-term war against terror.

http://www.house.gov/wicker/Blair.htm