---
http://www.observer.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,591394,00.html
Britain is to be placed under a state of 'public emergency' as part of an
unprecedented government move to allow internment without trial of
suspected terrorists. In a historic initiative that will incense civil
liberties groups, David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, will lay the order
before the House of Commons in the next 48 hours, to be followed by
anti-terrorist legislation which will be rushed through in the next four
weeks. [...]
---
http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianpolitics/story/0,3605,591940,00.html
The home secretary, David Blunkett, dismissed "airy fairy" fears about
civil liberties yesterday as he announced plans to detain foreign
terrorists indefinitely without a formal public trial. The plans will
require the government to opt out of Article 5 on the European Convention
on Human Rights, which bans arbitrary detention. [...]
---
From: "Richard Bellew" <quantum_at_luna.co.uk>
To: <declan_at_well.com>
Subject: London Daily Telegraph today
Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2001 09:54:42 -0000
Hi Declan
The article in today's London Daily Telegraph about our government's use of
computers to mismanage the foot and mouth (hoof & mouth in US-ian?) epidemic
might be of interest to your Politech readers. It's at:
http://www.dailytelegraph.co.uk/dt?ac=006527651614093&rtmo=a5d9qChJ&atmo=rrrrrrrq&pg=/01/11/12/do01.html
It's a deplorable tale which illustrates the saying I heard when working in
the US, years ago: There's no problem so serious that Government, acting
with the best of intentions, can't make worse.
Regards
Richard Bellew
---
From: politech_at_privacyexposed.mailshell.com
Subject: Target of McCarthy-era witch-hunt in U.S. decries federal
anti-terror law
Date: Sun, 11 Nov 2001 12:39:38 -0500
To: declan_at_well.com
Hi Declan,
I think you and POLITECH readers might be interested in reading the
following article, which is a Canadian perspective to it.
The article can be found at http://ca.news.yahoo.com/011109/6/dm61.html or
there is a link from my web site.
Robert
~~~~~~
Friday November 9 5:31 PM EST
Target of McCarthy-era witch-hunt in U.S. decries federal anti-terror law
By COLIN PERKEL
TORONTO (CP) - A target of the 1950's anti-communist witch-hunt in the
United States has blasted Canada's proposed anti-terrorist legislation as a
dangerous threat to civil liberties.
Author and broadcaster Lynne Gordon warned Friday that the proposed measures
could lead to the kind of terrible abuse seen in 1950s America, saying the
bill gives the federal government "unbelievable powers." "People, without a
shot being fired, can be ruined," Gordon told a news conference.
"There didn't have to be any trial, they just had to mention their name."
Under Bill C-36, security police could without a warrant could arrest or
jail anyone suspected of planning a terrorist attack.
"You can be arrested just on preventive measures and held for so many hours
or a week," Gordon said.
"You have no recourse unless they decide to let you go."
[...]
---
The text of bill C-36 is here:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/37/1/parlbus/chambus/house/bills/government/C-36/C-36_1/C-36_cover-E.html
---
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list
You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice.
Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/
To subscribe to Politech: http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html
This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Received on Nov 13 2001
Intro
