How to react to terror?

Written by Vincent Cable MP and published in The Informer on Fri 5th Aug 2005

National newspapers are calling for the return of parliament to discuss Islamic terrorism.

The Prime Minister is itching to legislate for new powers and clearly wants to be seen to 'do something'.

In fact, what is required does not require him or us to make speeches or pass new laws. The priority is patient police work to identify and charge those involved in the bombings; for the courts to punish the guilty; and for long term surveillance and penetration of radical groups to gather intelligence on future attacks. Much of this is already happening.

There is a danger of reacting through the red mist of anger. My emotional reactions, I suspect, mirror most peoples': wanting the supporters of the terrorists to be shut up, locked up or thrown out. Unfortunately these are not necessarily sensible things to do.

The danger of shortcuts was illustrated during the IRA bombings: locking up the wrong people for the Guildford and Birmingham bombs; banning Gerry Adams from television - but not actors impersonating him - so allowing him to make the law look an ass.

The Prime Minister's is talking about banning organisations which 'support terrorism' anywhere in the world. We already outlaw a number of extreme organisations abusing British hospitality. But a blanket ban would cover people opposed to tyrannies in Zimbabwe, central Asia, Burma and elsewhere whose governments treat all opponents as 'terrorists'.

Also legislation against religious extremism and incitement is a very dangerous area. I have already voted against badly thought out laws which could criminalise religious jokes or the activities of evangelical Christians. Stirring hymns like 'Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to way' could be construed as aggressive. Do we ban them too?

There are some who regard 'civil liberties, like freedom of speech, as weakness. But our freedoms are our strength and what makes us different from countries like Iran and Zimbabwe.