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July 12, 2005
State of mind
I resisted the temptation to comment on the London bombings of last week, partly because others such as manic had already covered some of the issues in a most eloquent manner, and partly because I was trying to work out where we go from here.It seemed tragically ironic that on the same morning as our security forces were praised for their skill in preventing terrorist attacks, such an atrocity should take place. Perhaps it was inevitable. As the IRA stated in their message after the bombing of the Grand Hotel in Brighton 20 years ago:
[Today we were unlucky, but remember] we only have to be lucky once. You will have to be lucky always.
Now, less than a week later we have news of the Police searching houses in Leeds and making arrests. Of itself this appears to be good news, though it raises an interesting question of just how the police were able to make such a quick breakthrough. As I see it, there are possibilities:
1. The security forces have got lucky.
2. The terrorists didn't cover their tracks very well.
3. The security forces were already aware of the plot (to a greater or lesser degree), but were caught out by the timing.
More disturbing is how the Government will react. Charles Clarke has already managed to give out a mixed message on ID cards:
BBC - ID Cards wouldn't stop attack
Asked by BBC Radio 4's Today programme if ID cards could have prevented Thursday's atrocity, Mr Clarke said: "I doubt it would have made a difference.
But in almost the next breath he comes out with the statement that ID cards had helped officials identify the perpetrators of last year's bomb attacks on packed commuter trains in Madrid.
In which case today's searches and arrests have shown that ID cards aren't that necessary as an aid to detection.
And in a further move that impinges on our civil liberties, Jack Straw is pushing for a Europe-wide rule for retaining emails and telephone records.
BBC - Straw presses MEPs on e-mail data The costs of forcing firms across Europe to keep phone and e-mail records is worth paying to stop terror attacks, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has said.
Mr Straw told the MEPs: "I believe that provided there are proper safeguards that no one's civil liberties are threatened by retention and access to data, but the protection of everybody is more greatly enhanced."
And there's that key phrase again, provided there are proper safeguards.
To be honest, I don't trust any government to behave in a responsible manner on such matters. If there is an opportunity to abuse or misuse such powers, a government will eventually do so. Maybe not tomorrow, next week or even next year, but a some point the temptation will become irresistible.
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Posted by Clive on July 12, 2005 5:39 PM in the category Old Stuff