Emergency.Blog

Britons Need to Know About the Fanaticism that Threatens Them//Editorial on Terrorism Reporting

Excerpted from: ERRI DAILY INTELLIGENCE REPORT, EmergencyNet News Service, Tuesday, Nov 21, 2006, Vol. 12, No. 324

"We'll Help You Better Understand Your World..."

The Face of Terror; Britons Need to Know About the Fanaticism that Threatens Them

Times of London

LONDON, ENGLAND: The 40-year sentence imposed yesterday on Dhiren Barot, the Muslim convert who masterminded plans for mass murder on a horrendous scale, is one of the longest terms handed down for non-capital offences. It reflects not only the gravity of the appalling acts that this senior al-Qaeda operative was planning, his callous glee at the scale of death and injury and his cunning in elaborating plans to maim and terrify thousands of people in Britain and America; it is also a clear message to other fanatics abusing the name of Islam that a democracy will take whatever measures are needed to protect itself from such evil.

The threat posed by Barot is hard to envisage. The middle-class Hindu, who went to school in London and worked briefly as an airline ticket clerk, sought out the most radical and violent form of Islam after his conversion and spent the next nine years as a full-time terrorist planner. His expertise and professionalism in surveying the nine London hotels, three stations, synagogues, banks and Underground lines targeted for destruction is matched only by his sadism in contemplating how he could increase the panic and human suffering caused by exploding gas cylinders, napalm, nails and a radiation bomb.

It is vital, however, that the threat posed by such men is understood. Had it not been for a determined effort by this newspaper, together with the BBC and the Associated Press, no detail of what Barot was planning or of his sentence could have been made public. Confronted with overwhelming evidence, he pleaded guilty. But seven co-accused are currently on trial, and the courts had refused to lift any reporting restrictions for fear of prejudicing trials that may not end for two years.

Such gagging would have been utterly unacceptable. Ruthless, religiously inspired terrorism is the greatest danger this country faces. Britons were shaken from earlier complacency by the London suicide bombings in July last year. Many, though, still do not comprehend the aims or methods of those who would slaughter thousands to create "a black day for the enemies of Islam".

Simple vigilance is not enough. The security services mounted one of the largest operations undertaken to monitor and unravel his plot, but were up against a level of sophistication and terrorist training rarely seen until now. Their success in cracking encrypted messages, penetrating hidden computer data and identifying electronic keys and terrorist paraphernalia is remarkable.

None of this would have been known had the reporting restrictions not been lifted. This case has already led directly to the change in law allowing police to hold suspects for 28 days (but not the 90 days that the Prime Minister wanted) rather than 14 days, before charging them. It must surely now provoke a full debate on how terrorist cases are prepared, tried and reported. Dozens of suspects face trial on terrorism charges, and the virus has a long way to run before it is eradicated. British justice had yet to find ways of accommodating old and fair procedures to this challenge.

The Barot case underlines the character of terrorism, its international tentacles, chameleon adaptability and ability to exploit Western fads and weaknesses. It should, and will, make more urgent the need to penetrate and disarm the mindset that kills in the name of a deity. It is a threat that no democratic society can ignore.

-- Source: Times of London, Nov. 08, 2006 Source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,542-2442556,00.html

Commentary/Opinion/Editorial on Terrorism Reporting
by C. L. Staten, ERRI CEO and Senior National Security Analyst

21 Nov 2006

CHICAGO, IL: Though disguised as "a rant" against the dangers of terrorism, this article is largely about more freedom for the press to report on terrorism matters. We, at ERRI, do believe that much of what the Times says about Dhiren Barot is true, and we consistently come down on the side of educating the public more about our enemies and their deadly tactics. We should also preface our remarks by saying that we are strong advocates of freedom of the press and open expression.

But, the point that must NOT be forgotten in this opinion piece is that the PRESS can NOT report details, sources, or methods that will compromise other investigations or court cases. Otherwise, we are giving other terrorists a legal "free ride" and may compromise agents or informants who will assist the free world in future battles against the "bad guys." Reporters should realize that in the long run, certain official secrets must remain secret...if we are to hope to win the struggle against the extremists.

Additionally, it should also be noted that a number of media sources in the U.K. have often taken an "anti-British government" and "pro-jihadist" stance in their coverage....particularly in regard to the Israeli/Palestinian issue, and more recently...concerning the war in Iraq. The public might be better served if some parts of the British press would "just report the news" without bias and put their opinions for the editorial page...not used as "coloring" of the facts on the front page, or in the lead story in the nightly TV coverage.

Finally, we are most encouraged that the media elite in England are belatedly becoming more cognizant of the menace that the jihadists pose to their very civilization. For the longest time, it appeared that many were in a state of denial about what was happening in their own country. The events of 7/7 in London, and recent MI5/6 revelations about "home-grown terrorism" appear to have finally awakened the "slumbering aristocracy" in the government and press of the United States' greatest ally (the U.K.). We, at ERRI/EmergencyNet News, at the risk of sounding terribly self-serving, hate to say it...but, we have been warning you about this peril for the past several years.