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It looks like military troops will be used in the UK in response to Paris attacks - Printable Version

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It looks like military troops will be used in the UK in response to Paris attacks - David Guyatt - 12-01-2015

I have concerns about the recent eruptions of supposedly Muslin fanatical attacks in Australia, France and, to a so far much lesser extent, Germany.

Are we seeing the stealth domestic militarisation of western Europe, NATO and other allies - following the test case of Boston perhaps - and in light of the new cold war invoked by the US under House Resolution 758?

Quote:12 January 2015 Last updated at 10:53Share this page

David Cameron has 'full briefing' on UK terror threat


[Image: _80197831_armedpolice_reuters.jpg]There are fears that Britain could be the victim of an extremist attack like that seen in France
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Prime Minister David Cameron has had a "full briefing" from security and intelligence chiefs following last week's attacks in France.
They reviewed the Paris atrocities, which left 17 people dead, and the risks to the UK of a similar attack.
It was agreed relevant agencies should consider building elements of the Paris attacks into future training exercises.
Meanwhile, a parliamentary human rights watchdog has raised concerns about the government's counter-terrorism bill.
The UK's terror threat level remains at "severe" - meaning an attack is highly likely - one below the highest "critical" level, which would suggest an attack is imminent.
After the meeting, Mr Cameron tweeted: "We discussed ensuring the UK is properly protected from the terrorist threat."
A No10 spokesman said the prime minister asked the police and military to continue to work closely together to ensure the police can call on appropriate military assistance when required across the country.
"They also discussed the risk posed by firearms, agreeing that our existing tough firearms laws are a very important part of the protections we have and that we should step up our efforts with other countries to crackdown on the illegal smuggling of weapons across borders," they said.
Interception rulesAfter joining French president Francois Hollande, and more than one million people, for a unity rally in Paris on Sunday, Mr Cameron said the UK was facing the same threat from the "fanatical death cult of Islamist extremist violence".
[Image: _80202254_073598cc-48cf-4786-8e91-2e5c008f497f.jpg]Prime Minister David Cameron was one of about 40 world leaders to join the unity rally in Paris
He stressed his determination to give the security services more powers to intercept the communications of terrorist suspects.
Plans for a communications data bill - branded a "snooper's charter" by critics - were blocked by the Liberal Democrats, but Conservatives have signalled they will revive the legislation if they secure an overall majority in May's general election.
Mr Cameron said: "We do need to modernise our rules about interception.
"That is my very clear view and if I am prime minister after the next election I will make sure we legislate accordingly."
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AnalysisBy Gordon Corera, BBC security correspondent
The meeting with security and intelligence chiefs is being described as an operational briefing, focusing on events in France and ensuring that every step necessary is being taken to prevent anything similar happening here.
As well as looking at protective security measures in the UK, there may also have been an attempt to understand if there are any lessons to be learnt from the French decision to drop surveillance over the two Kouachi brothers six months ago when, reportedly, they were not judged an imminent danger.
The issue of surveillance of communications - which has been politically contentious in the UK - may also have arisen.
In a speech last week, the head of MI5 Andrew Parker warned that the security service was seeing a growing threat from crude as well as more sophisticated mass casualty plots.
He also said his greatest concern was a widening gap between this threat and a diminishing ability to intercept communications, as people turned to new internet-based technology.
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BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith said it was unlikely that any new legislation would be announced in the wake of the Paris attacks.
"The balance of parliamentary opinion at the moment is that we have already given the security services a lot of additional powers and resources," he said.
"Appalling and terrible though Paris was, I don't think that has fundamentally changed that political consensus."
Last week's attacks in France were on the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, police officers and a kosher supermarket.
'Some gaps'Meanwhile, the Joint Committee on Human Rights has raised some concerns about the government's counter-terrorism bill, which is due for its second reading in the House of Lords on Tuesday.
It contains plans to block UK terror suspects returning to Britain and to impose a statutory obligation on universities to prevent people being drawn into terrorism.
[Image: _80203759_d7a61271-3a92-44af-a757-23479dd94e85.jpg]People gathered in London's Trafalgar Square to pay tribute to the victims of France's terror attacks
The human rights committee - which is made up of MPs and peers - says blocking the return of terror suspects from countries such as Syria would violate the human rights of British nationals even if it were enforced on a temporary basis.
It also said including universities in a list of institutions required to crack down on extremism had "implications for both freedom of expression and academic freedom".
Immigration and Security Minister James Brokenshire said the government would "carefully consider" the committee's report.
"We believe the bill strikes the right balance in strengthening security whilst protecting civil liberties," he said.