Cameron’s terror tactics hold no fears for the fanatics
So “British jihadists who travel abroad to fight could be prevented from returning under new powers” outlined by David Cameron, could they?
Whose stupid idea was that?
Not everybody who goes to the ‘danger’ countries is going to be a threat; they could have perfectly legitimate reasons for going. In fact, the vast majority have been proven to have no interest in violence at all.
But anyone who goes out could have their passports taken away for two years, unless they agree to be escorted back here and then undergo an extensive “de-radicalisation” programme – brainwashing, it seems.
The move puts the government on extremely dodgy ground because, legally, it can’t take away anybody’s passport while they’re abroad because that could leave them – effectively – stateless, or at least lead to them acting as if they are, and this is illegal under international agreements. Or is Cameron reneging on international – and indeed common – law?
It assumes guilt before trial. People who are suspected – take note of that: suspected – of being jihadists will be told they cannot return to their home country, despite having been found guilty of nothing, unless they submit to measures that some may describe as extreme. There appears to be no appeal mechanism.
And what are people going to do, if they’re being prevented from coming home? The proto-terrorists are more likely to spend their time seeking out the professional terrorists and learn all they can in order to become actual terrorists on their return – pro-Brit brainwashing or no. The innocents could fall into the hands of the terrorists and become radicalised.
Fundamental to all this is the fact that the new measures are attacking the symptoms of radicalisation, rather than the cause. They assume that people flying out to ‘danger’ countries are up to no good, and they facilitate action by the British state that is more likely to make that the case than achieve the opposite.
Is anything being done to stop the radicalisation of British citizens here in the UK – to prevent them from wanting to join some deranged terrorist cause, out in the desert? No.
It is as if our government – which some might describe as deranged itself – wanted to create an army of anti-British terrorists, composed of British citizens.
Cameron can’t even get Parliamentary procedure right these days. He has run foul of the Speaker, John Bercow, for announcing the new rules from Australia. The comedy prime minister’s claim that there was an urgent need is one that can’t be confirmed – who knows what secret plots are being hatched an foiled at any time? – leading to the obvious rejoinder that he could say that any time he liked, bypassing protocol whenever he feels like it.
Is he deliberately destroying British justice and the rule of law?
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I think the old boy has lost it – he’ll be losing it anyway come May. He truly believes, like IDS, that he is some kind of messiah and that is dangerous.
The only thing that this dipstick is going to make happen is terrorism becoming a regular occurrence in this country! Way to go Dave!
The Tories only want one LAW in our country & that is theirs to twist manipulate to self serve themselves & the rich. They have proved time & time again they have no respect for the law of our land they have no respect for decency they have no respect for human life the only respect they ever show is towards the self serving wealthy.
Cameron needs to understand that he himself and only himself is as much to blame for any unrest as his type of politics fuels the fires in the world’s ills
These problems we see today were all set in stone with the wars with the Middle East and will continue all the time he remains in power
If ed miliband becomes leader next year he will have his work cut out in building bridges with the middle east
His success will very much depend on toeing a straight line and not like Cameron moving on to a right wing platform where all this nonsense starts in the first place
Tony Blair handled things very badly in the past, which we have all witnessed, and Cameron has just made things worse.
It’s a pity John Major failed as a prime minister as he was overall a person who did naturally put others first but his failure to understand Black Wednesday because of his lack of education and the inability to reach out to those that could have helped him left him found wanting and subsequently high and dry hence his failure in the 1997 general election
Today’s world stage needs a prime minster of balance and a good understanding of many types of ethnic groups in which you have grown up, with many nationalities, and have visited many countries on your holidays so you know first-hand not only their culture but an insight into their beliefs and learning their language as a sign of respect
Sadly Cameron falls well short of all of the above and would never be employed as a diplomat but for some odd reason ends up as a prime minister
I know you couldn’t make it up but that’s the uk today – be unqualified and get the top job, which is far from setting a good example to the younger generation
John Major was the second-longest serving prime minister of the 20th century; not much of a failure if you ask me. I don’t agree with your summation of the issues he faced either.
One wonders why Lord Halsbury bothered collating the British statutes of law; they are ignored by this nazi shower who make their own laws as they see fit. One wonders if the word “Democracy” will be deleted from the dictionaries within the short term.
The idea that taking a passport, or citizenship, away from someone already willing to commit suicide as a bomber or fight to the death in a Jihad, will make them think twice about leaving the country is ridiculous. As is the idea that Muslim terrorism in the UK will be stopped by such a measure. It’s just as daft as thinking you can force drug addicts or alcoholics back to normality by threatening to sanction their benefits unless they play ball and give up their poison of choice (even though being an addict completely robs them of choice).
What a fool.
After reading Hilary’s comments it would be superfluous to add others. She has summed up the position completely and accurately.
Further comment might be in order. It was reported this week that “a suspected jihadist” – who had been arrested and was on bail – was able to leave Britain with his wife and family for the continent via Victoria Coach Station. He travelled on his own passport. David Davis MP was reported to be ‘astonished’. (Off topic – PS Mike have you read the blog ‘dwpvendetta’. Might interest you).
I’ll give it a look.