For the past year, since a burning vehicle loaded with gas cylinders was driven into the main entrance to Glasgow Airport in an attack, which fortunately failed, Scotland has had a new awareness of the potential threat of terrorism.

For the past year, since a burning vehicle loaded with gas cylinders was driven into the main entrance to Glasgow Airport in an attack, which fortunately failed, Scotland has had a new awareness of the potential threat of terrorism.

The responsibility for preventing future attacks now lies with Scotland's new counter-terrorism co-ordinator, Allan Burnett. As part of a strategy of prevention he wants to identify young people in danger of being attracted to extremist groups and divert them from influences which could turn them into potential terrorists. His view of political extremism as equivalent to addiction to drugs, alcohol or gambling in exerting an all-consuming, poisonous hold over an individual will be controversial.

However, his argument that, whether the attraction is al Qaeda or neo-Nazism, people who are dabbling in the sort of politics which lead to illegal activity could be diverted in the same way as those led into offending by addiction, has some practical merit. Projects are being piloted in England designed to prevent young people, such as some who have accessed extremist websites, becoming radicalised. They may have potential to be usefully implemented in Scotland with youngsters who are more vulnerable than dangerous or motivated more by curiosity than intention to harm, not least because in such cases prosecution may well serve to deepen feelings of alienation instead of acting as a deterrent.

That illustrates the delicate nature of anti-terrorist operations. Mr Burnett is a former head of the special branch at Strathclyde Police and no soft touch. He is also one of the few senior officers to have publicly stated his support for extending the period terrorist suspects can be held without trial to 42 days. In that context, diversionary schemes could be regarded with suspicion by some in the Muslim community in Scotland as potentially blurring the distinction between criminal behaviour and legal activity which could be construed as suspicious. Mr Burnett is right to advocate the involvement of parents as the way to avoid mutual suspicion.

After the attempted attack on the airport, there was a public display of solidarity between Muslims and other Scots who were all equally horrified. Since then, however, young Muslims report that they are increasingly likely to be questioned by police at airports and ports, or if they have taken part in activities such as paintballing. Their alarm deepened last week with the announcement that the Scottish Government is to create an extra 50 counter-terrorism posts over the next two years at a cost of £3.8m. Terrorism is a genuine threat which cannot be ignored and covert police operations are necessary to provide the intelligence which prevents attacks, but there is also a need to rebuild trust with ethnic minorities. When that is established, those who want to express their anger about the government will have every reason to forsake clandestine plotting in favour of public participation.