Terrorism: UK Legislation and Strategies - Assignment Example

Terrorism UK legislation and Strategies Name Course Professor Date UK National Security Risk Assessment groups terrorism as a Tier One risk. In addition, UK is not only concerned about its national security but highly outline strategies and analysis trends to attend to strategic global security contexts in relation to its place in the world. The objective is to ensure secure and resilient UK by protecting its people, economy, territory, infrastructure and way of life from terrorism that can affect the nation in direct ways. The most significant terrorist threat to UK as well as to its overseas interests comes from Al Qaeda with its senior leadership based on borders of Pakistan and Afghanistan. UK has noted that there are other affiliates and supporters that may be living in many other countries to direct operations and targets to its people and its areas of interests. In turn, this discussion critically, engages with these strategies to see how they are set to ensure safety for UK citizens in UK and abroad. Actions Strategic actions that UK uses to counter terrorism are based on four areas or course of actions. Counter terrorism is based on what can be simply called four Ps1. First, Pursue is one of the four elements and government’s counter terrorism strategy. It serves the purpose of stopping terrorist attacks in the country as well as overseas. The major roles conducted under pursue are to detect and investigate threats even at earliest stages. In turn, the forces can be able to disrupt the activities of terrorist before they come into effect. Any activity that can endanger people are thus targeted and mostly through arresting those responsible and prosecuting them where possible. One of the most preferred approaches that have been taken for foreigners suspected as terrorist has been prosecution and deportation.2 Pursues is effected through a thorough police and security agency that is conducted by UK intelligence. The team has power and resources that help to deal with spying and reporting cases on time. That way, UK ensures that every bit of information is made accessible through skillful professional security agency. The effective of UK intelligence has been known even before the onset of the First World War and currently working as a fundamental team to suppress and undermine terrorist assaults.3 In 2011, UK reviewed its sensitive and controversial security powers and counter-terrorism to include recommendation including; to replace control orders with investigation measures and terrorism prevention. The first strategy that has been adopted by UK can be seen as corrective but the second one is preventive. That means UK no longer seeks to halt the terrorist ideas that are about to be implemented but to extend its role to counter terrorist ideas from thriving.4 The approach is highly affective in an age of uncertainty where the government need to act quickly and effectively in order to address the new and evolving security threats that affect UK. Ultimately, by ensuring access to best possible advice from profession, and crucially the right people in the world, it is possible to make the right decisions and consider areas of paramount consideration and recognize effective ways to deal with national, domestic and foreign issues. The policy that governs such implementation will effectively change the way the governments takes decisions. In the process, this will bring together the Ministers, intelligence and military chiefs to drive weekly and culture of change. There are two most important things that emerge under pursue. First, it is possible to have a defined structure where policy are set, decisions made, actions implemented, reporting and communication carried on and reevaluation of strategies. It also brings the right people so as to use the limited resources and ensure deployment in the best effect. There are huge impacts that are seen through pursue with intelligence roles reaching to Afghanistan where they can spot emerging issues that can threaten UK’s interests. There are major reviews that have been taken to ensure that UK strikes the right balance of protecting national security and individual freedoms. In turn, it has limited pre-charge detention and abolished section 44 that was used to enforce stop and search for suspected terrorists. In order to ensure that counter-terrorist measures are effective, National Security has committed itself to continue assessing its powers to ensure that they are effective to respond to changing nature of terrorism.5 Eventually, UK has an improved ability to prosecute and deport the people with terrorist related offenses through an increased capability to detect, investigate and disrupt the threats. Its judicial proceedings are also well equipped to handle sensitive and secretive materials that serve national security and justice interests. Due to its long-history of connection with many countries in different continents, it has been able to work with countries as well as multilateral organizations to deal with threats faced from the source. UK respect human rights standards and particularly European Convention on Human Rights6 and this has been enshrined with Deportation with Assurances where they set a Memoranda of Understanding that deported terrorist suspects will be treated according to human rights standards.7 This has already been established with a number of countries and between governments. Similar standards have been applied in Human Rights Act 19988 to ensure that suspected terrorists receive humane treatment once they are deported and the court ruling processes alludes to basic human rights. Eventually, it is possible to protect extreme actions being taken and particularly in those countries that are less likely to take human rights into consideration for suspects involved with terrorism. Protect is the second strategy and an element of government’s counter-terrorism strategy. The aim of measures under protect is to strengthen its protection against attacks in both the UK and interests overseas as well as reducing vulnerability. Major activities have been established in phases with 2013 to 2015 phase dealing with; strengthening UK border security. This targets illegal immigrants or ill-intentioned citizens from other countries. Every immigrants must produce valid visas and be approved for entry. Secondly, it aims at reducing the vulnerability that faces transport network. Generally, major terrorist threat that happened in the last decade was the 9/11 incidence that involved air transport and UK has invigorated its security in its ports, entries and major destinations to undermine any attempt for terrorist to get in weapons that can cause mass destruction.9 The government has also worked closely with public as well as private stakeholders to increase resilience of UK’s infrastructure. For the development of proper National Security Strategy, government has actively made choices on risks the country faces. In the age of uncertainty, all parties are required to react and this has highly focused on the roles of institutions and their infrastructure to ensure resilient and possibilities to counter attacks. There are clear priorities that are in line with government efforts to ensure that public facilities and areas that can be attacked are well shielded from threats. For crowded places, the government has improved protective security by increasing resilience of UK’s Critical National Infrastructure (CNI). It has committed the owners and operators of such infrastructures to improve security. Protective security has thus been principally achieved as it is possible to identify risks, assess vulnerabilities, encourage infrastructure owners to implement proportionate and mitigation measures. New building put in place and those designed are guided by procedures to deter threats, detect and minimize the consequences of attack. The measures are effective as they aim to prevent direct assault on many sites and reduce the potential damages or injuries than can occur if at all terrorist incidence takes place. The Centre for Protection of National Infrastructure also work with government departments in providing expert advice on proportionate and appropriate security measures and hence protects most of UK citizens working in major buildings. The government has acknowledged terrorist risks that are directed to crowded places. These are attractive targets for most terrorists that have in the past demonstrated that they target places that are easily accessible or regularly available to many people and those places that offer prospect for greater impact beyond loss of life. In turn, national network counter-terrorism security advisers give advices to organizational that work in both public and private sectors to work on reducing vulnerability to attacks. Generally, protect priority has worked on coming up with efficient networks that ensure that all the people take responsibilities and a share of security efforts. It should be noted that, it would be ineffective and with higher cost if at all the government will assume protection efforts alone. When responsibilities are shared, it is possible to have an immense and effective security measures in place. Secondly, the government is fully involved in coordination. As much as the private and public sectors take responsibilities on national matters, there are agencies that conduct and continually update the agenda that consequently ensure comprehensive security. The approach is effective as it ensures that all the people are sensitive to terrorist issues and are able to respond fast and effectively in preventing them from occurring and reducing the impacts that can result. Thirdly, prepare is another element of the government’s counter-terrorism strategy. Under it, the government aims at mitigating the impacts of terrorist incidences where they cannot be stopped. The role has been taken by Home Office that works closely with intelligence agencies as well as with intelligence services in order to bring terrorist attacks to an end as well as to recover from the aftermath of such attacks. It involves an approach for emergency preparedness which concentrates on managing the consequences of multiple emergencies including terrorism. Home Office supports emergency services in order to enhance their ability in order to work together and effectively at the scene where major incidence occurs. In addition, UK has enhanced its firearms capabilities as well as its police armed units to work in emergency services. There has been a continued effort to build generic capabilities in response to and recovery from wide-range terrorism at civil emergencies. The measures that involves prepare element acknowledge the impacts that can be felt if the government is not well set to deal with incidences. To reduce adverse effects like the cases where fire may be rampant and destroy massive buildings or slow evacuation processes that may hinder timely retrieval of people buried under debris. Improved emergency services can work together in such attacks through an enhanced communication as well as information sharing to improve preparedness for highest impact risks. One of such programs is Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Program. The program has focused on improving most significant emergency responses to major and complex incidences. Under it, there are services that are promoted including; detailed understanding of roles and responsibilities for each other with clear guidance on how different parties can work together where appropriate. In turn, in case an incidence happen, the team can share information in a quick an effective way to enhance emergency response and make rapid decisions to support joint assessment of such risks. To support this, there has been a greater emphasis on collaborative or joint training as well as exercise at various levels of command. Finally, protect is the last element involved in counter terrorism strategy. The main focus is to protect or stop people and vulnerable groups from being recruited or becoming terrorist or offering support to terrorist. A preventative strategy responds by ensuring ideological challenge and criticizing the aspects of extremist. It works closely with intelligence to note the proponents and the people who promote the views to mitigate their spread. In addition, UK provides practical help in order to prevent people from being enticed or drawn into terrorism through giving appropriate support and advice groups on the risks and consequences of being involved in terrorism. UK also work with wide-range of sectors such as education, faith, charities, health, criminal justice and online community where they cite the risks of radicalization that need to be dealt with.10 Through the strategy, they cover all forms of terrorism both the far right extremist and non-violent extremist. In turn, they also prioritize the work according to the risks they face. There are special committees that include senior cabinet members and security chiefs that build on Prevent Strategy. There are ranges of departments and local authorities as well as community organizations that deliver these strategies. Police are also involve in much similar ways to tackle these crimes by preventing apologists from entering the country, giving guidance to institutions and local authorities to use statutory powers and understand the threat of extremism. In addition, funding has been ensured to specialist police unit that works to eliminate online contents which may breach terrorist legislation. The strategy make use of community based campaigns as well as activities that rebut terrorist propaganda to offer alternative views to most vulnerable targets and audiences. The context makes use of a range of organizations and civil society. Support has been geared to people at risk or vulnerable to be drawn into activities of terrorist through Channel process. Several agencies have worked together giving individual access to health, education, diversionary activities and specialist mentoring services. Most of these activities have been in effect in various regions and many countries like Pakistan, East Africa and Middle East where there are societies prone to radicalizing activities and that can have direct impact to UK communities.11 In conclusion, the terrorist threat faced by UK is more diverse ad dispersed across wide geographical areas as well as in countries where there are ineffective governance. Therefore, UK faces unpredictable situation with potentially, frequent and less sophisticated attacks. UK has noted Al Qaida and its senior leadership in the borders of Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as affiliates and supporters in major areas to contribute to increased threat. In turn, it has set up a structure and particularly by mandating most of security roles to Home Office. The structure has in turn set up the policy, actions, evaluation of actions and continued efforts to improve effective actions. The actions in response to terrorism are comprehensive and cover the terrorism effects and impacts in phases. Through a four step strategy involving pursues, prevention, protection and preparedness, UK government has set complete programs to deal with wide-spread effects of terrorists at all levels. Bibliography 1. GOV.UK: Protecting the UK against terrorism: https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/protecting-the-uk-against-terrorism 2. Counter-Terrorism Policy and Human Rights: Prosecution and Pre-Charge Detention: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/272344/6920.pdf 3. Tsoukala, Anastassia. "Democracy in the Light of Security: British and French Political Discourses on Domestic Counter‐Terrorism Policies." Political Studies54, no. 3 (2006): 607-627. 4. GOV.UK: Protecting the UK against terrorism: https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/protecting-the-uk-against-terrorism 5. GOV.UK: Protecting the UK against terrorism: https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/protecting-the-uk-against-terrorism 6. Article 6: The right to a fair trial: European Convention on Human Rights 7. Middleton, Ben. "Deporting Terrorist Suspects with Assurances: Lessons from the United Kingdom." Conn. Pub. Int. LJ 12 (2012): 127-231. 8. Human Rights Act 1998 9. Clarke, Peter. Learning from Experience: Counter-terrorism in the UK Since 9/11. Policy Exchange, 2007. 10. Richards, Anthony. "The problem with ‘radicalization’: the remit of ‘Prevent’ and the need to refocus on terrorism in the UK." International Affairs 87, no. 1 (2011): 143-152. 11. Choudhury, Tufyal, and Helen Fenwick. "The impact of counter-terrorism measures on Muslim communities." International Review of Law, Computers & Technology 25, no. 3 (2011): 151-181. Read More