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Blair unveils anti-terror measures

Hasan Suroor

LONDON: Prime Minister Tony Blair on Friday announced a range of tough anti-terror measures including plans to deport foreigners suspected of terror links or preaching extremism, and to ban two Muslim groups, Hizb ut Tahrir and Al-Muhajiroun which have been accused of inciting terrorism and are already banned in some European countries.

For the first time, naturalised British citizens would run the risk of being stripped of their citizenship and deported to their countries of origin if they are found to be involved in extremist activity.

In his toughest warning to immigrant communities yet, an angry Mr. Blair said that the proposed measures were intended to send out a clear signal that "rules of the game'' had changed after the recent attacks on London and only those who were prepared to abide by them would be allowed to stay in the country.

"No group targeted"

"Let no one be in any doubt that the rules of the game are changing,'' he said at a press conference in what was seen as a message essentially directed at the Muslim community though he repeatedly stressed that no single group was being targeted.

The measures, which would form part of a wider anti-terror legislation to be introduced in Parliament in the autumn, include screening "imams'' and monitoring Web sites, bookshops and centres suspected of inciting extremism in any form.

Many of these proposals were announced soon after the July 7 bomb attacks and Mr. Blair was simply reinforcing them to make clear that the Government meant business.

He said the Government would not hesitate to amend the Human Rights Act in order to bring in measures it believed were necessary to tackle extremism.

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