In early February Home Secretary David Blunkett proposed a "debate" on the need for a range of new draconian measures as part of the "war on terror". These included a lowering of the standard of proof for convictions in trials from "beyond reasonable doubt" to "on the balance of probabilities" and trial without jury in secret.
These ideas weren't included in an "options" paper he presented at the end of the month. But that is no guarantee that they won't return - there is no bottom line for this government, which prides itself on "thinking the unthinkable",
Draconian measures are still being proposed: state control of defence advocates, making communications intercepts admissible in court and reforms to allow for the prosecution of offences not yet committed, supposedly designed to thwart suicide bombing.
Most dramatic was the proposal for a massive 50 per cent increase in MI5; 1,000 agents, the biggest peacetime expansion in its 90 years, specifically to target the alleged threat of "Islamist extremism" in Britain. This is despite the fact that there have been no terrorist incidents in this country and nearly all informed commentators suggest that there are a tiny number of "suspect" individuals in relatively isolated groups, some of whom are either already incarcerated or under continuous survellance. Mass survelliance This can only mean the mass surveillance of the muslim community - in much the same way as counter-insurgency surveillance was conducted against the entire nationalist community in the North of Ireland from the 1970s onwards. On the same day, whistle-blowing GCHQ employee Katharine Gun had her prosecution under the Official Secrets Act at the Old Bailey dropped. She had blown the cover on US government surveillance of UN Security Council states that would not vote for the invasion of Iraq. The case collapsed because the government's secret advice on the legality of the war was to be exposed and, as the Attorney General openly admitted, the prosecution had no evidence to refute her defence - that she had to act to save lives that were imperilled by an illegal war - and so a jury would acquit.
Now, it seems, Tony Blair wants a thousand more such surveillance operations. One such was revealed by excabinet minister Clare Short - Britain joining with the US in bugging UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
This all coincided with parliament rubber-stamping the power to intern without trial under the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001.
One of the few rebels to declare himself, anti-war Labour MP Bob MarshallAndrews, predicted that few others would be joining him, stating:
*I'm afraid that the Parliamentary Labour Party and civil liberties long ago parted company". Katharine Gun has more guts than a hundred Labour MPs. She stated as she left court that she had no regrets and she would do it again, she remembered her husband telling her "do nothing and die or fight and die". to show serious intent in the so-called "war on terrorism", but to intimidate all those thinking of sticking their heads above the parapets - in particular Muslims. ] donit have to be a terrorist, you he message was unmistakable: you
simply have to do less than offer your full and unconditional co-operation. The Guantanamo prisoners are thus political hostages - whose detention is designed to terrorise opposition. In this scenario proving guilt or winning the backing of liberal intellectuals are of marginal relevance.
But the strategy has not worked. British government sources have indicated that Guantanamo has been an obstacle to obtaining the information from the Muslim community that is necessary to prosecute the "war on terror"
So desperate are the intelligence services that MI5 has apparently resorted to advertising for informants in the Muslim community on the internet. Far from being cowed and marginalised the global opposition has been mass and international and the Muslim community has been united in its mobilisation, not silenced.
Labour has been complicit from the outset. For a year and a half the government made no comment on the legality of the detentions - despite the involvement of British citizens. It even sent out interrogaLOTS release of prisoners or trying to persuade them to plead guilty.
To top it all it has suggested that those released should be questioned under the Terrorism Act. On what possible basis? If there was the slightest scrap of evidence the US government would be trying them. Any new "confession" would be completely unreliable given that they have been totally denied human rights for 2 years.
We must step up the campaign to get all the remaining prisoners released. It has been suggested that Mozzem Begg will face a "military commission". Even while top Blairites admit this cannot deliver justice they give credibility to the claim that in some way he is a "terrorist".
This is based on an absurd "confession" -entirely unconnected to 9/11 or Afghanistan - that was extracted after he was kidnapped in Pakistan, isolated, brutalised, and kept incommunicado in a cage in the blazing heat.
The remaining 650 or so held at Guantanamo are just the tip of the iceberg Over 15,000 have been held worldwide during the so called "war on terror" - including thousands in Iraq and Afghanistan. There is also the growing scandal of deaths in US and British military custody
There can never be fair trials for the remaining Guantanamo prisoners. The camp must be closed along with Britain's cheap imitation copy. We need a campaign for the release of all POWs in Iraq and Afghanistan
page 5 of the scan
sistance March 2004
RESPE( ....