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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Ministers 'using fear of terror' | Ministers 'using fear of terror' |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A former head of MI5 has accused the government of exploiting the fear of terrorism to restrict civil liberties. | A former head of MI5 has accused the government of exploiting the fear of terrorism to restrict civil liberties. |
| Dame Stella Rimington, 73, said people in Britain felt as if they were living "under a police state" because of the fear being spread by ministers. | Dame Stella Rimington, 73, said people in Britain felt as if they were living "under a police state" because of the fear being spread by ministers. |
| In an interview with Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia and published in the Daily Telegraph, she also attacks the approach taken by the United States. | In an interview with Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia and published in the Daily Telegraph, she also attacks the approach taken by the United States. |
| "The US has gone too far with Guantanamo and the tortures," she said. | "The US has gone too far with Guantanamo and the tortures," she said. |
| "MI5 does not do that. Furthermore it has achieved the opposite effect - there are more and more suicide terrorists finding a greater justification." | "MI5 does not do that. Furthermore it has achieved the opposite effect - there are more and more suicide terrorists finding a greater justification." |
| She said the British security services were "no angels," but they did not kill people. | She said the British security services were "no angels," but they did not kill people. |
| Dame Stella, who stood down as the director general of the security service in 1996, has previously been critical of the government's policies, including its attempts to extend pre-charge detention for terror suspects to 42 days and the controversial plan to introduce ID cards. It is time to take stock and to repeal abusive laws and policies enacted in recent years Mary RobinsonInternational Commission of Jurists | Dame Stella, who stood down as the director general of the security service in 1996, has previously been critical of the government's policies, including its attempts to extend pre-charge detention for terror suspects to 42 days and the controversial plan to introduce ID cards. It is time to take stock and to repeal abusive laws and policies enacted in recent years Mary RobinsonInternational Commission of Jurists |
| "It would be better that the government recognised that there are risks, rather than frightening people in order to be able to pass laws which restrict civil liberties, precisely one of the objects of terrorism - that we live in fear and under a police state," she said. | "It would be better that the government recognised that there are risks, rather than frightening people in order to be able to pass laws which restrict civil liberties, precisely one of the objects of terrorism - that we live in fear and under a police state," she said. |
| Dame Stella's comments come as a study is published by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) that accuses the US and the UK of undermining the framework of international law. | Dame Stella's comments come as a study is published by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) that accuses the US and the UK of undermining the framework of international law. |
| 'Take stock' | 'Take stock' |
| Former Irish president Mary Robinson, the president of the ICJ said: "Seven years after 9/11 it is time to take stock and to repeal abusive laws and policies enacted in recent years. | Former Irish president Mary Robinson, the president of the ICJ said: "Seven years after 9/11 it is time to take stock and to repeal abusive laws and policies enacted in recent years. |
| "Human rights and international humanitarian law provide a strong and flexible framework to address terrorist threats." | "Human rights and international humanitarian law provide a strong and flexible framework to address terrorist threats." |
| The Conservatives said the government's push to extend the detention time limit for terror suspects was the kind of measure condemned by the report. | The Conservatives said the government's push to extend the detention time limit for terror suspects was the kind of measure condemned by the report. |
| Shadow security minister Baroness Neville-Jones said: "The Conservative Party is committed to ensuring that security measures are proportionate and adhere to the rule of law." | Shadow security minister Baroness Neville-Jones said: "The Conservative Party is committed to ensuring that security measures are proportionate and adhere to the rule of law." |
| Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Ed Davey said: "This is damning testament to just how much liberty has been ineffectually sacrificed in the 'war on terror'." We have very broad police powers which sweep the innocent up with the guilty Isabella Sankey, Liberty | |
| Isabella Sankey, director of policy at human rights campaign group Liberty, said she was "enormously heartened" by what Dame Stella had said. | |
| "Over the last seven years, we've seen a number of measures passed, some of which affect very few of us in a horrible and terrible way, whether that's house arrest under control orders or rendition and torture in foreign states," she said. | |
| "We've also seen many, many measures that affect all of us just a little bit and, most of all, which seriously impact our rights to privacy. | |
| "We have very broad police powers which sweep the innocent up with the guilty." | |
| Ms Sankey said Britain was "the oldest, unbroken democracy on Earth," defined by individual rights which must be defended. | |
| "These are rights, liberties and values that have seen us through two World Wars, seen us through the Troubles in Northern Ireland and will see us through the strife that we have now," she added. | |
| Dame Stella became the first female head of MI5 in 1992. | Dame Stella became the first female head of MI5 in 1992. |