Home Secretary: 'Our response to the terrorist threat'
The Home Secretary, Theresa May, has today delivered a speech at the Royal United Services Institute on 'Our response to the terrorist threat'.
Part of her speech is excerpted below:
"As Home Secretary, I am responsible for work to counter the threat from home-grown terrorism, from international terrorism and, alongside the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, from terrorism from Northern Ireland. I have been working closely with John over the last few days to deal with the latest plot. And John, Jonathan Evans, the Director General of MI5, and I meet on a weekly basis to discuss the terrorist threat to the UK and the actions we are taking to deal with it.
"The intelligence briefings I read on a daily basis still usually start with plots in this country directed by Al Qaeda's senior leadership in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. But Al Qaeda is not the organisation it once was. Action by our counter parts in Pakistan, by our allies in the US, by our own coalition forces in Afghanistan and of course by agencies here and elsewhere have all made Al Qaeda weaker than at any time since 9/11.
"But terrorist groups pose a threat to us in a state of weakness as well as in a state of strength. Al Qaeda continues to dedicate people to the task of attacking the UK, Europe and America; members of Al Qaeda are continuing to attempt to operate in this country; people from here continue to train with Al Qaeda in the border areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
"So we should neither overstate the strength and significance of Al Qaeda, nor underestimate its continuing capability.
"But the threat we face comes not just from the old Al Qaeda organisation. Many other terrorist groups now aspire to attack us.
[...]
"AQAP [Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula] continue to broadcast propaganda to this country and to publish online material which encourages acts of terrorism. We have seen the damage this propoganda can cause in the ongoing case of the attack on the MP Stephen Timms.
"Just across the Red Sea from Yemen, the Al Qaeda linked extremist group Al Shabaab, in Somalia, has developed links to Al Qaeda and, we assess, to AQAP. It thrives in a failed state. It has aspirations beyond Somali borders.
"We know that people from this country have already gone to Somalia to fight. It seems highly likely, given experience elsewhere, that if left to their own devices we would eventually see British extremists, trained and hardened on the streets of Mogadishu, returning to the UK and seeking to commit mass murder on the streets of London.
[…]
"Our response to all of these threats needs to be genuinely strategic: we must be clear about what we are seeking to achieve, how we are seeking to achieve it and the resources we have at our disposal.
"Our starting point is the CONTEST strategy which has been developed over the last few years. Its framework is sound and in many respects – though not all – it has been effective.
"The aim of that strategy – what we seek to achieve - is to 'reduce the risk to the UK and its interests overseas from international terrorism so that people can go about their lives freely'.
"I think it's important to note the phrase 'reduce the risk'. The events of last week again showed that we can never entirely eliminate the threat of terrorist attack but we can reduce the risk – that is what all of our programmes and our efforts are intended to do.
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"I want to say three key things about how our counterterrorism response will operate.
"The first is that our response to terrorism across the police, the agencies and across all government Departments must be based on the rule of law – and not only on the rule of law but on the rule of the right law.
"I took immediate steps on entering government to make sure this was the case.
"Last week statistics for the use of section 44 – the power enabling stop and search without any suspicion - showed that of the more than one hundred thousand people stopped last year, not one was arrested for a terrorism-related offence. That makes no sense. And following a court case in the summer I ordered that the widespread use of this power should stop.
"We are undertaking a review of this and other intrusive and high profile counter-terrorism and security powers.
"That includes control orders; pre charge detention; stop and search; the deportation of people engaged in terrorism in this country; measures to deal with organisations that promote hatred or violence; and the use of surveillance powers by local authorities. The review is being conducted by the Home Office, and there will be independent oversight of the review process to ensure it is properly conducted.
"The freedom to exercise our rights depends fundamentally on our security. But likewise there is no value in security without liberty. So we need to strike the right balance between the right we have to live our lives in safety and security and the other rights which we enjoy in our society. I want to ensure that where powers are intrusive they are proportionate to the threat, necessary to reduce it to a level which we judge acceptable, and effective. These criteria – proportionality, necessity and impact – are vital.
"I don't believe the previous government got the balance right but let me make clear: I will do absolutely nothing which will put at risk Britain's national security.
"The second principle is that we have to deal with the causes of terrorism as well as its symptoms. We have to deal with the social and economic factors which enable terrorist groups to survive, and the ideology that sustains them, as well as with the attacks that they are planning to conduct.
"So we will have what has come to be called a 'Prevent' strategy – programmes to deter people from engaging with terrorism. But we must avoid the mistakes made by the last Government.
"A successful strategy for stopping radicalisation depends on an integrated society, marked by high levels of participation, of interaction and of equality of opportunity. Well integrated societies are more likely to challenge extremist ideologies and extremist activity, as well as having greater social mobility, better access to education, and greater cooperation across communities.
"But we will not securitise our integration strategy. The kind of society which we wish to encourage will not emerge through counter terrorism work. Under the last government Prevent muddled up work on counterterrorism with the normal work that needs to be done to promote community cohesion and participation.
"Counter-terrorism became the dominant way in which Government and some communities came to interact. That was wrong and no wonder it alienated so many.
"We need a new approach to our engagement with Britain's Muslim communities. One that helps to create the integrated society that we need.
"So we will stop talking to Muslim communities only about counter-terrorism, and start treating them like the mature and integral parts of society that they are. Cross-government work to increase integration, participation and equality are absolutely essential and, as the Minister for Women and Equalities as well as the Home Secretary, I am passionate about them.
"This government wants everyone to participate in, and have an equal opportunity to participate in, our national and community life. There is no place in Britain for segregation or self-segregation of different communities or of individuals within communities.
"We want to increase the participation of everyone in our society. And participating in society also means standing up against the extremists who would seek to divide us.
"The last government did not do enough to stand up to extremists. Indeed sometimes they seemed too willing to engage with them.
"All of us – Government, faith groups, everyone in society has a role in challenging extremism. We should all stand up for our shared British values; we should all stand up against extremists and their bigoted, racist and false ideology.
"On our specific work to prevent radicalisation, I want to change the current approach. I want the new Prevent programme to follow the same principles of our changes to counter terrorist legislation. It must be proportionate to the specific challenge we face; it must only do what is necessary to achieve its specific aims; and it must be effective.
"Our third principle is simply that the success of our domestic counter terrorism work here depends on international cooperation and collaboration overseas.
"That applies to all aspects of counter terrorism. Intelligence from our international partners can be crucial. The investigation of terrorist plots in this country will almost always lead overseas. We can better prevent people being drawn into terrorism if the international community challenges terrorist propaganda. And as we saw last week, our protective security depends on security measures taken by other states. Where their security fails so may our own.
"The role of DfiD in addressing the broader cause of terrorism and instability will be vital. This is not just about giving aid for aid's sake - important though that is. This is about strengthening Britain's own national security and reducing the threat Britain faces from
terrorism.
"We know we will continue to face a threat from international terrorism for the foreseeable future, last week's events proved that beyond doubt. That threat is now more diverse and more fragmented than ever before. Public policy must respond to this changing threat and I and my colleagues will not be afraid to take the tough decisions necessary to protect the British public from further terrorist attacks.
"So where necessary we will enhance our protective security measures; we will invest in conflict prevention and stopping terrorist plots overseas; we will refocus the strategy for preventing radicalisation in the UK; and we will strike a better balance between our liberties and our security.
"There is much good work underway to tackle the terrorist threat. But where there needs to be change I will not be afraid to make it.
"I want an approach which is more targeted against extremist individuals, but that impacts much less on the good people of our communities. I want an approach which allows people to enjoy their liberty in safety and security. And I want an approach that is effective in dealing with an evolving threat. That is what we will deliver."
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