New anti-terror strategy launched
Published: Sunday, 22 March 2009, 10:11AM
Plans to introduce the most comprehensive approach to tackling the UK terror threat are set to be unveiled by the Home Secretary.
A new counter-terrorist strategy which is designed to be tougest in the world will be launched by Jacqui Smith this week.
In the interests of openness, Ms Smith wants the paper to go into more detail than ever before about how the authorities are seeking to prevent atrocities from happening and respond to attacks which take place, said a spokesman.
It will reflect security services' judgment that the most serious terror threat to the UK continues to come from international groups linked to or influenced by Osama bin Laden's al Qaida network.
Experts have spent a year preparing the document, known as Contest Two, to take into account lessons learnt from recent terror outrages such as the attacks on hotels in Mumbai last year.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that Britons "should be under no illusion" that "the biggest security threat to our country and other countries is the murderous agents of hat that work under the banner of al Qaida".
Mr Brown said: "Today, not only the police and security and intelligence officers and our armed forces, but also the emergency services, local councils, businesses and community groups are involved in state-of-the-art civil contingency planning.
"Tens of thousands of men and women throughout Britain - from security guards to store managers - have now been trained and equipped to deal with an incident and know what to watch for as people go about their daily business in crowded places such as stations, airports, shopping centres and sports grounds."
He said there was a "duty on all of us" to stand up to people who advocate violence and preach hate.
"Terrorism threatens the rights that all in this country should hold dear, including the most fundamental human right of all - the right to life," he said.
"We know that terrorists will keep on trying to strike and that protecting Britain against this threat remains our most important job."
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