The British government is considering
setting up a "big brother" database of all phone and e-mail traffic in the
country, its senior law enforcement official said Wednesday. The database, just
one of several ideas being considered would form part of a high-tech strategy
to fight terrorism and crime. The suggestion comes after the
police and security services warned that criminals were becoming increasingly
sophisticated in their use of technology.Keep up to date with the latest
developments and sharpest perspectives in a world of strife and struggle.
Sign up to receive toD's daily security briefings via email by clicking
here
The toD verdict: British Home Secretary
Jacqui Smith argued
yesterday that technological change has created a complex,
fragmented online world: "The communications revolution
has been rapid..." she told a conference at the Institute of Public Policy
Research, "and the way in which we intercept and
collect communications data needs to change too."
But the question of which measures the police and security services require to
prevent future terrorist attacks raises a central theme in the domestic war on
terror: how can the expansion of state power be balanced against the civil
liberties people are accustomed to? It is a question facing all democratic
societies and, according to the British parliament, one that the government is
not always answering correctly. Earlier
this week the House of Lords defeated
plans to increase from 28 to 42 days the length of time terrorist suspects may
be held without charge.
The government should expect stiff opposition from the proposals. Emboldened by their recent 42-day success, politicians, civil liberties groups, and Labour MPs have already condemned the new idea. Chris Huhne, the domestic affairs spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, accused the government of devising "Orwellian plans for a vast database of our private communications."
British
soldier dies in Helmand
A British soldier from D Squadron
Household Cavalry Regiment has been killed
in an explosion in Helmand province, Afghanistan. The soldier's
death which occurred on Wednesday during a routine patrol brings the number of British
soldiers killed on operations in Afghanistan since 2001 to 121.
In separate news, the German parliament is expected to extend the
Bundeswehr's mandate in Afghanistan
on Thursday. Roughly 4,500 German troops, concentrated in the former safe area of
northern Afghanistan,
face a deteriorating security situation. Germany's
parliament is likely to extend the mandate for the German mission by 14 months
instead of the usual 12, bridging a gap caused by German and Afghanistan
elections in autumn 2009.
Senior Al Qaeda in Iraq commander killed
Al Qaeda in Iraq's second in command has been killed in Mosul, according to the US military. Moroccan-born Abu Qaswarah or Abu Sara was known to have ties to senior Al Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan and Pakistan. US forces have launched many attacks against suspects in Mosul this year. The city remains an island of Al Qaeda strength. Abu Qaswarah's death, if confirmed, would provide a further boost for the US military this week. Two days ago another senior Al Qaeda in Iraq commander was killed. Mahir al-Zubaydi was said to have played a key role in planning some of the worst atrocities in Iraq over the past few years.
Meanwhile, Iraqi leaders are examining a new draft security pact. The latest draft requires foreign troops to pull out by June 2011 unless invited to stay by Iraqi leaders. It would also allow Iraqi courts to try US soldiers accused of serious crimes committed while off-duty in Iraq. The draft, which must be ratified by the Iraqi parliament to take effect, could succeed or fail at the hands of Iran. The commander of US military forces in Iraq has accused Iraq's neighbour of trying to influence the vote, bribing Iraqi legislators into rejecting the security deal. Gen. Ray Odierno told the Washington Post that although he lacked definitive proof, many intelligence reports suggested "pay offs" were being made.
Terrorist
Youtube offline
Aqsatube,
a youtube clone focusing on Palestinian militant videos, has been taken offline by
French hosting firm OVH. The website mimicked the mainstream video site in
almost every way, allowing users to watch clips, upload their own videos, and
see what others were watching. Content included masked men firing rockets to the sounds of martial Arabic music, and
videos recorded by suicide bombers before they carried out their attacks. Aqsatube is
just one of many similar sites, some of which appear to be produced by Hamas, a
claim the Palestinian political group denies. The proliferation of these websites
underlines the growing importance
of the internet to jihadist militant groups; recruiting, training and propaganda
are all handled online. According to Naval Postgraduate
School professor John Arquilla, "They don't
exist without the web".
Pakistani Taliban wants to talk
Taliban
militants in Pakistan's
tribal areas say
they are willing to hold unconditional talks with the government. "We are also willing to lay down our arms,
once the military ceases operations against us" said Maulvi Omar, a
spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban. The army recently launched
major military offensives against insurgents in the Federally Administered
Tribal Regions. On Wednesday, Pakistani
forces reportedly pounded
hideouts in a tribal region near the Afghan border, killing 16 Taliban linked
rebels.
Previous
FATA operations have been prematurely halted by truces, allowing militants to
regroup. Although the army has orders to fight until they control the entire
area, Pakistan's government has said that it is willing to talk
to the militants once they lay down their arms.
Bomb blast in Nepal's south
A woman and two infants, all members of the same family, have been killed by a bomb explosion in Nepal. The blast occurred in the south-east of the country, a region which has witnessed constant ethnic unrest despite the end of Nepal's civil war nearly two years ago. Two separate militant groups claimed responsibility. Both say they are fighting for the rights of the traditionally marginalised Madhesi ethnic group. Many extreme Madhesi factions have emerged in recent years. The new Maoist government has invited the groups for talks, however the bomb blast shattered a ceasefire which most of the groups had declared throughout a recent two week feast.
