Twelve Held After Anti-terrorism Sweep

A teenage boy is among 12 people arrested as part of a major anti-terrorism operation in the UK.

The suspects - five from Cardiff, four from Stoke-on-Trent and three from London - were detained by unarmed officers at around 5am.

A 17-year-old boy and 11 men aged up to 28 are being held on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism in the UK.

Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner John Yates, national lead for counter-terrorism policing, said that with the terrorist threat level in the UK at "severe" the arrests were "absolutely necessary to keep the public safe".

Home Secretary Theresa May said the UK faces "a real and serious threat from terrorism" and thanked the police and security service for keeping the country
safe.

Mr Yates said earlier: "This is a large scale, pre-planned and intelligence-led operation involving several forces.
[...]

The operation is being led by Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Osborne, the senior national co-ordinator of terrorist investigations, and involves police from forces in London, South Wales and Staffordshire.

West Midlands Police said in a statement: "All were arrested at or near their home addresses, with the exception of one suspect from Stoke who was at a domestic property in Birmingham.

"Searches are now being conducted at the home addresses, plus the address in Birmingham and another residence in London.

"The suspects will be held at police stations in central London, the North West and the West Midlands."

The arrests come after intelligence agencies in Europe, Pakistan and the US intercepted a credible Islamic plot to launch raids on European cities, in a similar style to the attacks in Mumbai, India, two years ago.

Sky's security editor Sam Kiley said the arrests are not linked to the Mumbai-style plot but are allegedly part of a separate plot entirely.
Sky News

Is Briana Waters a Terrorist? A Continuing Debate

· The legal system needs reform, not anti-terrorism laws

Brianna Waters was found guilty of arson despite what appear to be gaping holes in the case against her. She was named by witnesses hoping to reduce their own punishments, and there is no other credible evidence against her.

But all that has nothing at all to do with the increasing tendency of prosecutors, law enforcement and legislators to treat eco-terrorism and animal rights terrorism as what they are: terrorism. The article teaser screams that "U.S. attorneys exploited post-9/11 counterterrorism laws to pursue and prosecute an environmental activist." But the FBI and prosecutors did not go after Waters because she was an activist. They went after her because she was named by witnesses as a participant in criminal activity.

Prosecutors may very well have abused their power in this case, as they do in many cases. The problem is not the post-9/11 anti-terrorism laws. It is that there is little accountability for prosecutors who "win" convictions of innocent people. The legal system needs reform, not the law.

-- Saleem

[Read Saleem's other letters]

Permalink Wednesday, March 26, 2008 07:00 PM