And "special sentences" too, like the death penalty. Bruce
Britain May Create Special Courts for Terror Suspects By <http://query.nytimes.com/search/query?ppds=bylL&v1=ALAN%20COWELL&fdq=199601 01&td=sysdate&sort=newest&ac=ALAN%20COWELL&inline=nyt-per> ALAN COWELL New York Times August 09, 2005 LONDON, Aug. 9 - As Britain promises more restrictive counterterrorism laws in the aftermath of the July bombings, a senior official raised the possibility today of "special courts" able to approve longer periods of detention without charge for terrorism suspects. The suggestion by Lord Falconer, who, as lord chancellor, heads the judiciary, was part of a more stringent counterterrorism approach promised by Prime Minister Tony Blair and denounced by critics as a major departure from Britain's traditional sense of tolerance. But some critics took the latest announcement as a sign of confusion in government ranks about how the promised new policies were being unveiled and implemented. Simon Hughes, a spokesman for the Liberal Democrat opposition, called it "government by press release." And, for some, the planned measures deepened a sense of unease that civil liberties were being sacrificed to the dictates of national security. "The thought of secret hearings where once again the accused will never hear the case against them fills me with dread," said Shami Chakrabarti, director of the Liberty civil rights group. The uncertainty about the government's intentions deepened with news that, one day after Mr. Blair promised to move against militant Muslim clerics, Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed, one of the most contentious Islamic figures, had left the country on Saturday for what he termed a vacation in Lebanon. Mr. Blair had promised to restrain militant clerics. British newspapers have portrayed Mr. Mohammed as an incarnation of malice, suggesting he fled the country in haste as the new restrictions closed in on him. But the Syrian-born Mr. Mohammed said he left Britain through Heathrow Airport on Saturday without incident and planned to return after a visit with his mother in Lebanon for up to six weeks. "I am going to return back unless the government say we are not welcome, because my family is in the U.K.," Mr. Bakri told the BBC in a radio interview from Lebanon. He repeated earlier statements that he would not inform the police if he became aware of a Muslim planning an attack "because Islam forbids me." Mr. Blair said he planned legislation to ensure that foreign clerics fomenting violence or hatred would be barred from Britain or deported. But the deputy prime minister, John Prescott, said: "At the moment he has the right to come in and out. That is the circumstance at present and we have to change the situation in this country by law." Referring to Mr. Mohammed's vacation plans, he said: "I say enjoy your holiday. I hope it's a long one." David Davies, the opposition spokesman on home affairs, said: "We all agree that the government should take the necessary action to protect us all but I am concerned that instead of a clear strategy, there is too much confusion." Earlier, the Home Office confirmed a newspaper report that the authorities were considering "a new court procedure which might allow for a pre-trial process." But Lord Falconer denied that the authorities planned secret trials. "There is no question of secret trials; there is no question of jury-less trials; there is no question of any kind of internment," he said. Rather, he said, the government was considering introducing pre-trial hearing at which judges with special security clearance would consider evidence - including phone-tap evidence currently inadmissible in normal courts - to determine, in part, whether suspects could be held without charge for longer than the 14 days permitted under anti-terrorism laws. Up until last December, British anti-terrorism laws permitted the indefinite detention of foreign nationals without trial or charge. But the country's highest court ended the practice, saying it violated European human rights conventions. Police officers are now seeking ways of holding suspects for up to three months for interrogation. "We need to debate the three months and we need to try to build a consensus around what the right period of time is. But what is being suggested is not any form of internment, just a sensible period to detain suspects while sensible investigation is going on," Lord Falconer said in a radio interview. Britain used its existing counterterrorism laws to detain the main suspects accused of carrying out the failed July 21 attacks on three subway trains and a bus, which copied the July 7 bombing that claimed 56 lives including those of four bombers. Three suspects have been charged in court here with attempted murder and one more with conspiracy to murder. A fifth suspect, Hussain Osman, who is also known as Hamdi Issac, was detained in Rome on July 29. British detectives flew to Rome and questioned him for the first time today. Britain is seeking his extradition. Mr. Osman has said the July 21 attackers did not intend to harm anyone, but the British police say they could have wrought carnage on the same scale as the July 7 bombers. The attackers on July 21 seem to have been mainly of African background while three of the suspected bombers who died on July 7 were British citizens of Pakistani descent. The police in Paris said today that they had arrested a Pakistani man at an airport where he was found with five forged British passports and driver's licenses. The man, said to be resident in Italy, was arrested at Charles de Gaulle airport on Sunday as he arrived from Lahore on his way to Britain. Apart from bombings, British officials are also concerned whether British citizens could be attending training camps. An Arabic television station, Al Arabiya, today broadcast what was called an Al Qaeda video purporting to show an English-speaking militant in camouflage fatigues filmed in Afghanistan. The authenticity of the video could not immediately be verified. "As you bomb us, you will be bombed us," the man said. He was shown wearing a ski- mask and carrying an AK-47 assault rifle. "Oh, people of the west, don't be fooled by the lies of Blair and Bush that you are free nations, for the only freedom you have is the freedom to be slaves of your whims and desires," he said, speaking in English. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> <font face=arial size=-1><a href="http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=12hopjtfc/M=362329.6886306.7839369.3040540/D=groups/S=1705323667:TM/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1123634501/A=2894321/R=0/SIG=11dvsfulr/*http://youthnoise.com/page.php?page_id=1992 ">Fair play? Video games influencing politics. 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