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'Society must help' tackle terror 'Society must help' tackle terror
(about 1 hour later)
The UK cannot just rely on police and intelligence agencies to tackle terrorism, the home secretary has said.The UK cannot just rely on police and intelligence agencies to tackle terrorism, the home secretary has said.
Jacqui Smith said Whitehall needed "to enlist the widest possible range of support" as she unveiled a new UK terror strategy.Jacqui Smith said Whitehall needed "to enlist the widest possible range of support" as she unveiled a new UK terror strategy.
The plans include training 60,000 workers in how to stay vigilant for terrorist activity and what to do in the event of an attack. The plans include training 60,000 workers in vigilance for terrorist activity and what to do in an attack.
The strategy also warns nuclear weapons could fall into terrorist hands. Ms Smith said the threat is "severe" - meaning an attack is "highly likely" and "could happen without warning".
Continued threat
The strategy also warns that biological, chemical, radiological and nuclear weapons could fall into terrorist hands.
It says the al-Qaeda leadership is likely to fragment, but the threat from those it inspires will remain.It says the al-Qaeda leadership is likely to fragment, but the threat from those it inspires will remain.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: "Terrorists will try to stay one step ahead of us. The home secretary said that "terrorists will try to stay one step ahead of us" and that counter-terrorism was "no longer something you can do behind closed doors and in secret".
TERROR THREAT LEVELS Low - an attack is unlikelyModerate - an attack is possible but not likelySubstantial - strong possibility of an attackSevere - an attack is highly likelyCritical - an attack is expected imminently
"But we've made sure that we've invested the resources, built the people - both in the police and in the agencies - and built the widest partnership necessary to give us the best chance of being able to deal with that threat.""But we've made sure that we've invested the resources, built the people - both in the police and in the agencies - and built the widest partnership necessary to give us the best chance of being able to deal with that threat."
'Broad-ranging' She told the BBC: "We can't tackle terrorism simply from Whitehall. I don't think tackling terrorism is simply something we can rely on our police and intelligence agencies to do, brilliant though they are - we need to enlist the widest possible range of support."
Ms Smith said the "extremely broad-ranging" strategy would include ways of tackling radicalisation, supporting mainstream Muslim voices, preparing for the event of an attack and reaching out for support to the wider community.
She told the BBC: "We can't tackle terrorism simply from Whitehall. I don't think tackling terrorism is simply something we can rely on our police and intelligence agencies to do, brilliant though they are - we need to enlist the widest possible range of support." The approach we are taking tackles the immediate threat through the relentless pursuit of terrorists Gordon Brown
The new counter-terrorism document talks about the need to "challenge those who reject the rights to which we are committed, scorn the institutions and values of our parliamentary democracy, dismiss the rule of law and promote intolerance".The new counter-terrorism document talks about the need to "challenge those who reject the rights to which we are committed, scorn the institutions and values of our parliamentary democracy, dismiss the rule of law and promote intolerance".
There will be more focus on preventing the radicalisation of Muslims. Ms Smith said the "extremely broad-ranging" strategy would include:
  • Training workers in counter-terrorism vigilance and response
  • Tackling anti-democratic extremist voices in the community
  • Supporting mainstream pro-democratic Muslim voices
  • Preventing access to internet information on setting up attacks
  • More funding for anti-terror police and intelligence resources
Last month, sources told the BBC's Panorama programme that conservative Muslims who teach that Islam is incompatible with Western democracy will be challenged as part of a new approach.Last month, sources told the BBC's Panorama programme that conservative Muslims who teach that Islam is incompatible with Western democracy will be challenged as part of a new approach.
A senior Whitehall source said that Muslim leaders who urged separation would be isolated and publicly rejected, even if their comments fell within the law.A senior Whitehall source said that Muslim leaders who urged separation would be isolated and publicly rejected, even if their comments fell within the law.
Stopping the process Writing in the Observer newspaper on Sunday, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the government's strategy was not just about training and equipping professionals, but also better informing the public so everyone would become more vigilant. [Tackling terrorism is] no longer something you can do behind closed doors and in secret Jacqui Smith
Writing in the Observer newspaper on Sunday, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the government's strategy was not just about training and equipping professionals, but also better informing the public so everyone would become more vigilant. The home secretary said shop and hotel workers would be among the 60,000 people trained to deal with an incident.
"The approach we are taking tackles the immediate threat through the relentless pursuit of terrorists and disruption of their plots, builds up our defences against attacks and our resilience to deal with them," he said.
He added that it also "addresses the longer term causes - understanding what leads people to become radicalised, so we can stop the process".
The strategy also puts a renewed emphasis on the extreme risks from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons if they get into the hands of terrorists. [Tackling terrorism is] no longer something you can do behind closed doors and in secret Jacqui Smith
On Sunday, the home secretary said shop and hotel workers would be among the 60,000 people trained to deal with an incident.
The updated approach, aimed at tackling immediate terrorist threats and the causes of extremism, would be the most comprehensive in the world, she added.
But the Tories have said not enough action is being taken against extremists.But the Tories have said not enough action is being taken against extremists.
Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling said: "The horrific recent events in Mumbai have highlighted the need for fresh thinking in counter-terrorism - and the whole community needs to be involved in tackling the danger.Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling said: "The horrific recent events in Mumbai have highlighted the need for fresh thinking in counter-terrorism - and the whole community needs to be involved in tackling the danger.
"No part of the UK is free from threat - and we know that terrorists want soft targets. But we have argued strongly that the Government is not doing enough to tackle the problem of individuals and groups in the UK who are fostering the hatred and extremism that lies behind the terrorist threat. That really does have to change"."No part of the UK is free from threat - and we know that terrorists want soft targets. But we have argued strongly that the Government is not doing enough to tackle the problem of individuals and groups in the UK who are fostering the hatred and extremism that lies behind the terrorist threat. That really does have to change".
The counter-terrorism document, being published by the Home Office, will go into more detail than ever before, with Ms Smith saying counter-terrorism was "no longer something you can do behind closed doors and in secret".
It will reflect intelligence opinion that the biggest threat to the UK comes from al-Qaeda-linked groups and will also take into account recent attacks on hotels in the Indian city of Mumbai.It will reflect intelligence opinion that the biggest threat to the UK comes from al-Qaeda-linked groups and will also take into account recent attacks on hotels in the Indian city of Mumbai.
The paper - called Contest Two - will update the Contest strategy developed by the Home Office in 2003, which was later detailed in the Countering International Terrorism document released in 2006.The paper - called Contest Two - will update the Contest strategy developed by the Home Office in 2003, which was later detailed in the Countering International Terrorism document released in 2006.
By 2011, Britain will be spending £3.5bn a year on counter-terrorism, the Home Office has said.By 2011, Britain will be spending £3.5bn a year on counter-terrorism, the Home Office has said.
The number of police working on counter-terrorism has risen to 3,000 from 1,700 in 2003.The number of police working on counter-terrorism has risen to 3,000 from 1,700 in 2003.