FC: U.K. will be under state of emergency; Canada legislation update

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

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http://www.observer.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,591394,00.html
Britain is to be placed under a state of 'public emergency' as part of an 
unprecedented government move to allow internment without trial of 
suspected terrorists. In a historic initiative that will incense civil 
liberties groups, David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, will lay the order 
before the House of Commons in the next 48 hours, to be followed by 
anti-terrorist legislation which will be rushed through in the next four 
weeks. [...]

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianpolitics/story/0,3605,591940,00.html

The home secretary, David Blunkett, dismissed "airy fairy" fears about 
civil liberties yesterday as he announced plans to detain foreign 
terrorists indefinitely without a formal public trial. The plans will 
require the government to opt out of Article 5 on the European Convention 
on Human Rights, which bans arbitrary detention. [...]

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From: "Richard Bellew" <quantum () luna co uk>
To: <declan () well com>
Subject: London Daily Telegraph today
Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2001 09:54:42 -0000

Hi Declan

The article in today's London Daily Telegraph about our government's use of
computers to mismanage the foot and mouth (hoof & mouth in US-ian?) epidemic
might be of interest to your Politech readers. It's at:

http://www.dailytelegraph.co.uk/dt?ac=006527651614093&rtmo=a5d9qChJ&atmo=rrrrrrrq&pg=/01/11/12/do01.html

It's a deplorable tale which illustrates the saying I heard when working in
the US, years ago: There's no problem so serious that Government, acting
with the best of intentions, can't make worse.

Regards

Richard Bellew

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From: politech () privacyexposed mailshell com
Subject: Target of McCarthy-era witch-hunt in U.S. decries federal 
anti-terror law
Date: Sun, 11 Nov 2001 12:39:38 -0500
To: declan () well com

Hi Declan,

I think you and POLITECH readers might be interested in reading the
following article, which is a Canadian perspective to it.

The article can be found at http://ca.news.yahoo.com/011109/6/dm61.html or
there is a link from my web site.

Robert

~~~~~~

Friday November 9 5:31 PM EST
Target of McCarthy-era witch-hunt in U.S. decries federal anti-terror law
By COLIN PERKEL

TORONTO (CP) - A target of the 1950's anti-communist witch-hunt in the
United States has blasted Canada's proposed anti-terrorist legislation as a
dangerous threat to civil liberties.

Author and broadcaster Lynne Gordon warned Friday that the proposed measures
could lead to the kind of terrible abuse seen in 1950s America, saying the
bill gives the federal government "unbelievable powers." "People, without a
shot being fired, can be ruined," Gordon told a news conference.

"There didn't have to be any trial, they just had to mention their name."

Under Bill C-36, security police could without a warrant could arrest or
jail anyone suspected of planning a terrorist attack.

"You can be arrested just on preventive measures and held for so many hours
or a week," Gordon said.

"You have no recourse unless they decide to let you go."

[...]

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The text of bill C-36 is here:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/37/1/parlbus/chambus/house/bills/government/C-36/C-36_1/C-36_cover-E.html

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