Shift in Anti-Terrorism Strategy?—United Kingdom

The presumptive favorite to be the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Gordon Brown, has “laid out a multifaceted approach to combating terror in remarks seen as part of a bid to bolster his public image as he makes a case to succeed Tony Blair as prime minister.”^[1] Stating that there “should be no safe haven in the world for terrorists and there should be no hiding place anywhere in the world for those that fund them,” Mr. Brown laid out plans to “use classified intelligence to freeze assets of those suspected of having links to terrorism.”^[2]

The initiatives designed to counter terrorist financing involve “a review on the exploitation of charities by terrorists.”^[3] A “separate review of bureaux de change, cheque cashers and money remitters” will also be conducted, keeping in mind that services are perfectly legal in their own right but are “in some instances … known to be open to abuse as a source of terrorist finance”; these industries may be subject to “a licensing system, more stringent requirement for firms to keep records, and tougher action against non-compliance.”^[4]

Additionally, Mr. Brown is supporting “a risk-based approach to ensure that legitimate businesses are not penalized” regarding new money laundering proposals.^[5] Finally, he stated that the Privy Council will, on Wednesday, “lay before parliament a new terrorism order which would give the treasury the power to stop funds reaching anyone in the UK suspected of planning terror or engagement with terror.”^[6] Since September 11, 2001, “almost 200 accounts have been frozen linked to over 200 organisations with suspected connections to Al Qaeda.”^[7]

Other anti-terrorism proposals include tighter identity and border controls, with the private sector leading the charge: “Where once we used signatures, birth certificates and now PIN codes to pay for products in supermarkets, enter buildings, access [our] phone, email, computer, and bank accounts,” Mr Brown said, “we will soon be able to efficiently and conveniently use both digital scanning of fingerprints and digital scanning of the unique patterns in the iris of the eye.”^[8]

Pre-charge detention is facing a change as well, with Mr. Brown acknowledging that British authorities currently can hold an individual for up to 28 days under a control order, but arguing that “if the evidence shows it necessary to go beyond 28 days, we should be prepared to do so,” so long as there are proper procedures in place to deal with arbitrary detention.^[9]

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[1] UK to Change Focus of Terror Fight? CBS/AP (via CBS News), Oct. 10, 2006.
[2] Id.
[3] James Blitz, Brown Unveils Plan to Cut Terror Funding, Fin. Times, Oct. 10, 2006.
[4] Id.
[5] Id.
[6] Id.
[7] Gordon Brown, Speech by the Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, on “Meeting the Terrorist Challenge” given to Chatham House, (via Government News Network) Oct. 10, 2006.
[8] Id.
[9] Id.