THE Manchester atrocity saw political campaigning cancelled and comments muted. That was understandable given the savagery of the attack and the desire not to appear crass. However, there are legitimate points to be made, and some serious issues go straight to the door of Number 10, given Theresa May’s actions as Home Secretary.
Questions need asked about why calls about the perpetrator weren’t followed up. There may have been mistakes made but equally it may simply be a judgement call gone wrong. The calls made about people of concern will be many and resources required for monitoring them are huge. Lessons perhaps need learned, rather than a witch hunt pursued. It’s their political masters who need to answer.
UK policy towards the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group over many years has contributed to this. Under Tony Blair they were rendered to Colonel Gaddafi for torture as part of the infamous “deal in the desert”. Then Mrs May afforded them what seems almost free movement in and out of the UK, as part of the fight to overthrow Col Gaddafi. Rendition was reprehensible, but consorting with them was culpable negligence. They’d been fighting in Afghanistan before then. They were neither our friends nor allies, hating us as much then as now.
There’s a legitimate point that the intervention in Iraq and in other parts of the Middle East and North Africa has been a factor. For some Tories to deny it when it’s been stated by the former head of MI5 is laughable. The war on terror was a failure, and terror is still with us. Many of these terrorists were almost babes in arms at the time of 9/11 and it’s Yemen, Syria and elsewhere that are now the impetus. It’s not so much past incursions of the west, no matter how calamitous, but current actions that need addressed. Drone attacks are more of an issue than the Twin Towers. Scrutiny of ongoing interventions is required more than historic point scoring.
Moreover, these people don’t enter into political debate. There has to be a change in policy for ultimate peace in the world but in the interim we require to protect ourselves. The issues aren’t mutually contradictory. Long-term the solution rests on justice and fairness at home and abroad. Short-term the response has to be about identifying terrorists and bringing them to account, by lawful means that don’t alienate minority communities.
Matters have become much more complicated as the number of Jihadists going to and from war zones is considerable. Internment was an unmitigated disaster in Northern Ireland and would be now. But monitoring them is difficult. More resources will be necessary and additional powers on individuals or technology may have to considered. They do though require to be subject to both democratic control and judicial scrutiny.
There’s a point to be made about police numbers. The cuts imposed by Mrs May are having consequences.. They aren’t responsible for the attack but will be impacting on citizens and officers alike. There’s fewer doing more and if they’re needed elsewhere can’t be in communities.
However, troops on the street in London was less to do with numbers and more to do with sensitive sites. Police resources were stretched here as there, with the army guarding nuclear power stations and military sites, freeing up the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) and MoD police to assist Police Scotland.
It did though make a mockery of the opposition to the integration of British Transport Police into Police Scotland. It was the latter on guard at stations from Inverness to Edinburgh. The argument for amalgamation was visibly made and should also apply to the CNC. The political posturing should cease.
So, let’s have serious questions on current policy and actions taken, not just political point scoring.
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