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Posts Tagged ‘Terror Laws’

There was a most extraordinary article in the Press the other day which was headlined as follows:

“Killing babies no different from abortion, experts say. Parents should be allowed to have their newborn babies killed because they are “morally irrelevant” and ending their lives is no different to abortion, a group of medical ethicists linked to Oxford University has argued.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9113394/Killing-babies-no-different-from-abortion-experts-say.html

The article, entitled “After-birth abortion: Why should the baby live?”, was written by two Professors who have apparently since decamped to live in Australia, Alberto Giubilini and Francesca Minerva.

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I have written about my memories and personal ties to this particular date before and will later summarize them again because they are all rather odd in the sense that I can not recall any other day in my life which has ever been connected in the same way to such a significant “news event” via so many different ‘threads’.

However, 10 years is a significant anniversary and as good a time as any to reflect on the impact of those days one of which I experienced, as so many others do on my recent holiday in the USA. Having to check in for your flight very early, US Customs/Immigration, never a barrel of laughs, as surly as ever. But also there are the political dimensions not all of which have led to bad outcomes, some indeed may well be very beneficial in the medium term.

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There was an interesting article by Patrick Cockburn in today’s Independent on the situation in Afghanistan and particularly a desire by some in the US Military to conduct “Hot Pursuit” operations over the Pakistani border with Afghanistan which he likened to US operations in Cambodia during the Vietnam war.

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/patrick-cockburn-nixon-adopted-this-tactic-in-vietnam-it-wont-work-any-better-now-than-it-did-then-2166495.html

In a sense, the whole concept of “Hot Pursuit” is a Red Herring because if you can’t capture or kill your ‘enemy’ on your side of the border, you are hardly likely to do any better by crossing it. Also and let us be honest, if the enemy is within your gun sights, that they have crossed an imaginary line, won’t stop you pulling the trigger either.

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We are still in the “Silly Season” as the Media eagerly anticipates the Party Conference Season so some stories still border on the distinctly odd and none more so than that concerning Andy Coulson a former Editor of the News of the World and now David Cameron’s chief spin doctor.

To me, the ‘story’ seems rather less interesting than the motives behind reviving it at this time because the question “In who’s interest” is always fascinating when there seems no particularly strong public interest in the topic and it is unrelated to any current story going the rounds so Why ?

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Howard Jacobson wrote an interesting article in the Independent: “Civil liberties or civil protection – which is the more important?”

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/howard-jacobson/howard-jacobson-civil-liberties-or-civil-protection-ndash-which-is-the-more-important-1869544.html

The majority of people who mailed in were hostile to his stance but my own feeling was that neither ‘side’ was approaching the problems sensibly either.

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Although I might find what happens in other Countries objectionable, it has often occurred to me that the constant bitching about what happens in China, Burma, Iran and many others is little short of hypocritical In the sense that coming from the Western countries, it assumes that there is only “one way” that things should be done, “Our Way” which is total nonsense.

Today the 53 year old Akmal Shaikh, a British citizen was executed by the Chinese for trying to smuggle 4 Kilos of Heroin into China 2 years ago which is fair enough 50g is enough in most Far Eastern Countries to face the Death Penalty. Drugs are a problem there and the penalties are commiserate, just because you are a Westerner does not excuse you for breaking their Laws, you get the same sentence as a Chinese person would, it is their Country. When in Rome…

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There was an article in today’s Independent about photographers being harassed by Police when taking pictures in a public place under something called Section 44. For a more detailed explanation, please read the article:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/warning-do-not-take-this-picture-1833127.html

However in simple terms, a “Section 44” is in fact an area deemed to be a potential terrorist target so all Main Line Railway Stations, Airports and so on could reasonably be expected to be “Section 44 Zones” however, the Government will not admit where these zones are “because it might help terrorists”. In such a zone, the Police have the right to “Stop and Search” anyone they deem to be acting suspiciously, from this some “Plods” have decided that taking pictures is “suspicious” – wrong !

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There is absolutely no case for extending detention without charge beyond 28 days and even that (28 days), is questionable in itself. I would suggest that Parliament generally and the Labour Government specifically, have completely failed to grasp the core issues here. Everybody needs to stand back and reassess the whole issue from a different perspective, a perspective of protecting society as best as possible without destroying what you are trying to protect, namely freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

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