Wednesday, June 08, 2005

Guardian (UK) : Report Attacks Labour Anti-Terror Laws

Guardian Unlimited The Guardian Report to attack Labour anti-terror laws:

As an Irishman, I can't say I'm terribly surprised at this. As an American in the age of Bush, I'm even less surprised.
The report is also likely to be highly critical of Britain's anti-terror legislation, which allowed the detention of foreign nationals without charge or trial in the wake of the September 11 attacks on America.

In the 1970's and 1980's, the British government in Northern Ireland instituted internment (the power to arrest and imprison suspected terrorists indefinitely, without due process), had non-jury tribunals (Diplock trials) for suspects who were actually charged with a crime, and instituted a shoot-on-sight policy, again, for suspected members of the IRA. Imagine this, if you can: the police officer or soldier becomes judge, jury, and executioner at once.

Americans of Irish descent: you knew this was wrong back then. It's still wrong today.

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