The worrying aspect of all this is the government spin - we loose more people to drunk drivers each year than to any form of terrorism - but they just extended opening hours???

An on MI5/6 - one expects that the bods in GCHQ will eventually get a copy of this posting because of the ‘key words’ that it contains - it will undoubtedly be added to my file which is probably marked "awkward old bugger - no immediate threat"

The word ‘judgement’ indicates a careful balancing of arguments - when was the last time that any Police statement exhibited this? Judgement no, Opinion, yes.

Does anyone seriously believe the Prime Minister’s assertion that he is not involved in ‘browbeating’ the judiciary? Or is this the usual routine of getting his minions to do the dirty. McCavity!

The PMOS seems to believe that there is a profound difference between IRA terrorists and suicide bombers. Apparently we can thwart the IRA but not others. Why is this? In both cases lengthy planning and preparation takes place, and the ’security services’ should be on top of the job.

Maybe the PMOS believes that anyone can wake up in the morning, decide to blow themselves up on the Underground, and walk into Boots and buy plastic explosives, detonators etc over the counter.

The reality is that these ’services’ failed to recognise the in-built threats and are now trying to excuse that failure. What do MI5 and 6 actually think they are paid to do?

Obviously no democratic society wants to resort to some of the measures proposed in the Anti- Terrorism Bill at the drop of a hat, and Brits are right to feel leery about handing Blair an co the go ahead in all cases.

I found it rather disturbing to read recently that police in England, I believe at some equine event, took a young girl into custody for wearing a "bollocks to Blair" t’shirt. Let’s hope this type of thing isn’t a sign of what’s coming down the pipe because curtailing people’s freedom in this type of gratuitous fashion is clearly unacceptable.

In N.America I am continually confronted with signs of Bush bashing. Everything from chimp T’shirts to crude slogans. I don’t like it, but I stand by their right to say it.

Britain is indeed the land that gave the world Habeas Corpus … let’s not forget it!

But we have a bill that locks terror suspects up for 90 days without charge.

The charges at the end of that period will be for something other than ‘terrorism’ - probably possession of xxxxx with intent etc..

So if terrorism is not defined then the period of imprisonment without charge is clearly a problem.

If there is no definition of terrorism then anyone can be locked away for anything for 90 days and released at the end of it without charge - does that make it illegal imprisonment?

or is it going to become the norm?

If someone is locked up for 90 days and then charged with a firearms offence does that make the imprisonment legal?

Without a definition of ‘terrorism’ I really can’t see how you can justify the internment.

He is systematically dismantling OUR democracy in front of our eyes and imposing what’s looking more and more like a police state. The hypocrisy is staggering: he’s (illegally) imposing Western governance in Iraq in the name of democratic ideology, and at the same time he’s sacrificing the basic principles of justice and freedom that are the bedrock of our constitution. Walter Wolfgang got a taste of what’s to come.

How long before we see Blair in a military uniform, posturing with an AK47 in front of the adoring masses? Perhaps The Democratic Republic of Iraq will liberate us from an evil dictator in the future….

pretty soon the people will realise what you are playing at and we will not stand for it.
you would not have to resort to a police state if you dealt with this countries real problems that cause you to think you have the right to change what you see fit,
start dealing with the poverty and rights of the people as a whole, equality , thats the root of your problems an unjust system, greed and you always blame the workers and the little people well the little people of this world have had enough, you will not dictate to me or mine I was born a free woman and will remain one, I opt out of your so called social system and I reckomend we all do the same. I will if I have to fight to the death and this is from me, who has worked
all my adult life my family work hard we have payed into your system and it stinks of big brother and lillte hitlers like yourself. the pensioners are the only ones with any grit at least they are not affraid of you and neither am I not amy more. you are a disgrace to this country ,who do you think you are ,trying to frightening innocent people , threatening us with guilty until proved otherwise, how dare you.
I hope your impeachment comes quickly you are really showing your true colours arnt you.
Stand up Briton the time is now.

This is a power grab by a fascistic paramount war criminal. If this passes, we can kiss our rights and freedom goodbye. Welcome to Nazi Britain.

First they came for the muslims….

Surely they’re exactly the same principle, the key difference being that MI5 had some relatively reliable sources in the IRA (and the IRA used to phone warnings in), whereas MI5 are at a loss with Islamic fundamentalist terrorism.

Of course, it’s only the amount of time that people can be held WITHOUT CHARGE. If there is enough evidence to charge someone (not necessarily enough to uphold a conviction), then you can charge them and hold them until trial.

A prolonged ability to hold suspects without charge can only lead to increased miscarriages of justice, as we saw in the 1970s and 1980s with cases like the Birmingham Six and the Guildford Four. And we all know how well internment worked to disincentivise IRA bombers, don’t we?