Free Republic

Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Mick Keelty says the situation in the United Kingdom justifies the introduction of tough counter-terrorism laws by countries around the world. On Thursday, British police arrested 24 people suspected of planning to cause mass murder by smuggling liquids that could be used to make explosives onto planes. One man was released without charge on Friday, while the others remain in custody. Yesterday, British Home Secretary John Reid told BBC television that "at least four major plots" had been prevented since the July 7 bombings on London transport last year. He indicated that up to a...

THE nation's new anti-terror laws should be torn up and 13 men facing terrorism related charges in a Melbourne court should be dealt with under previous laws, civil rights protesters said today. About 30 members of protest group Civil Rights Defence today gathered at Melbourne's court precinct, where the 13 men accused of being part of a terrorist group will return to a specially convened magistrates court pre-trial hearing. The prosecution case against them was expected to be outlined at their committal hearing this morning. The men, including alleged spiritual leader Abdul Nacer Benbrika, are each charged with being members...

THE LONDON terrorist attacks on July 7 and July 21 changed British Prime Minister Tony Blair. He had long been reluctant to make the fight against Islamo-fascist terror a domestic issue. Last week he outlined security measures to deal with radical clerics who incite violence. Many of Blair's proposals would be unconstitutional under U.S. law. For example, the British could deport a person for "fostering hatred, advocating violence to further a person's beliefs or justifying or validating such violence"; "condoning or glorying terrorism" would be illegal under proposed anti-terrorism legislation; and organizations suspected of fomenting hatred would be controlled. Of...

The House of Lords has defied Tony Blair's personal intervention in trying to get the terror Bill rushed through, repeating the crushing defeats it inflicted on the Government earlier in the week. The Prime Minister had said there was "no reason now not to support" the Prevention of Terror Bill after the Government had made concessions. "It is messing around," Mr Blair added. He accused Michael Howard of trying to "exploit difficulties for the Government" and showing "poor judgement". But the House of Lords have voted for three amendments including the sunset clause which would require the Bill to return...