Criticism of uk counter terrorism strategy pdf

The united kingdom faces a continuing threat from extremists who believe they can advance their aims by committing acts of terrorism here in the uk and a gainst our citizens and interests abroad. The united nations global counterterrorism strategy was adopted by general assembly resolution 60288 in 2006, and states that terrorism constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security the strategy is a unique instrument to enhance the efforts of the international community to counter terrorism along four pillars. Ian acheson ian acheson is a senior adviser at the usbased counter extremism project. Us counter terrorism strategy and al qaeda download us counter terrorism strategy and al qaeda ebook pdf or read online books in pdf, epub, and mobi format.

A new version of the uk s counterterrorism strategy also known as contest, was unveiled earlier this month. The aim of contest is to reduce the risk to the uk and its citizens and. However, this administration has made it clear that we are not at war with the tactic of terrorism or the religion of islam. Created in 2003, contest sought to revolutionize the way terrorism was addressed through preventing, pursuing, protecting and preparing the country and its citizens against attack. Further revisions were published on 24 march 2009, 11 july 2011 and june 2018. Counterterrorism also spelled counterterrorism, also known as antiterrorism, incorporates the practice, military tactics, techniques, and strategy that government, military, law enforcement, business, and intelligence agencies use to combat or prevent terrorism. Of the four strands comprising contest, it is the prevent strand, preventing individuals from becoming terrorists and supporting terrorism, that elicits the strongest reaction from different sections of british society. He has extensive involvement in operational command of serious prison incidents, hostage negotiation, and counter terrorism policy and practice. To combat this threat the government has developed a counterterrorism strategy and set up programmes and plans to give effect to it. Our criticism of prevent is based on facts, not myths. Steps towards a coherent network policy the eu counterterrorism strategy, which was adopted by the european council in december 2005, reflects the eus aim of forming a network of the member states foreign and domestic policies in the fight against terrorism.

There is a better way to counter terrorism, and a more effective model that we can adopt, but first government officials must abandon failing strategies. While the overall prevent strategy is already subject to severe criticism. An annual report on the implementation of contest was released in march 2010 and in april 2014. Uks flawed counterterrorism strategy, by nafeez mosaddeq. The uk s counterterrorism strategy, known as contest, is recognised as one of the most successful softfocus strategies in the world, with an intended emphasis on community support and what have become known as prevent or counterextremism measures. The watershed of the 911 attacks in 2001 harnessed calls for more comprehensive and sophisticated counterterrorism strategies to be instigated on a global basis. A 12month prevention of terrorism act introduced in 1974 was renewed. Uk revises counterterrorism strategy ahead of brexit. Confronting terrorism has been a principal objective of the united states and other western governments since the mid1990s. Counterterrorism strategy is a governments plan to use the instruments of national power to neutralize terrorists, their. Reviewing the global counterterrorism strategy gov.

British liberal democrat politician shirley williams wrote that the united states and united kingdom governments must stop to think whether it is sowing the kind of resentment which is the seedbed of future terrorism. Uk and us counterterrorism strategies compared by gabriel heyl the purpose of this memorandum is to analyze the counterterrorism ct policies of the united kingdom contest and the united states of america national strategy for counterterrorism. By extension the united kingdom has a history of confronting terrorist challenges both domestically and. If the eu could develop the counterterrorism parts of its law enforcement, foreign and defence policies, based on an agreed strategy, it could start to become a much more effective counterterrorism actor, terrorism can be defeated with this longterm approach. The prevent strategy, which was presented in its updated version to the british parliament in june 2011, is a constitutive part of the british counter. Of the four strands comprising contest, it is the prevent strand, preventing individuals from becoming terrorists and supporting terrorism, that. Responding to the growing support for isis among british citizens, the act introduces a range of more aggressive restrictions on suspected. The prevent strategy 9 the strategy architecture 9 inherent design problems 12 discretion indicators of vulnerability and risk the assumed path from extremism to terrorism 14 ii. Uk counter terrorism, tackling extremism, terrorism and conflict, uk, terrorism, europe a new version of the uk s counterterrorism strategy also known as contest, was unveiled earlier this month. Global group of ngos deplore lack of attention to human. Currently, few independent impact assessments exist, with a.

A former head of the metropolitan police counter terrorism command so15 between 20112016, he spent the majority of his thirtyyear policing career in. The uks counterterrorism strategy, known as contest, is recognised as one of the most successful softfocus strategies in the world, with an intended emphasis on community support and what. The wrong reasons, the wrong people, the wrong methods, the wrong consequences. It is using the threat of terrorism to mute international criticism of these practices and to export them abroad. Pdf an analysis of the uks counterterrorism strategy. Counter terrorism officials fear a rise in terrorist recruits after a collapse in referrals to the uk s main antiradicalisation scheme during the lockdown, as extremists pump out propaganda. Pros and cons of the prevent strategy letters politics. It is time to critically assess the uks counterterrorism. The uk s counterterrorism strategy, known as contest, is recognized as one of the most successful softfocus strategies in the world, with an intended emphasis on community support and what have become known as prevent or counterextremism measures.

Prevent is part of the governments counterterrorism strategy, contest. These efforts culminated with the publication of the revised version of the national counter terrorism strategy nactest in 2016 and in august 2017 with the policy framework and national action plan for preventing and countering violent extremism pcve. The preventing violent extremism prevent strategy is the british governments main programme for preventing violent extremism at its root, and a central component of its wider counterterrorism strategy. The united nations global counterterrorism strategy was adopted by general assembly resolution 60288 in 2006, and states that terrorism constitutes one of the most serious threats to.

Overview of the uk prevent strategy even though the uk government has been actively countering terrorism for a few decades, the focus on the prevention side is more recent, i. Counterterrorism laws have developed at different paces in different jurisdictions, reflecting the political environment in each case. This new strategy reflects the changing terrorist threat and incorporates new government policies on counterterrorism. Uks flawed counterterrorism strategy g overnment advisers, counterextremism officials, and current and former civil servants confirm that the uk governments counterterrorism strategy is failing to tackle the danger of violent extremism. Terrorism and counterterrorism in the eu doc research.

Within my msc dissertation resisting radicalisation. The document is the fourth version issued since contests creation in 2003, and did not depart substantially from its predecessors. Prevent is one of the four strands of the uks counterterrorism strategy, contest. Counterterrorism strategy this article is more than 11 years old. National strategy for combating terrorism focuses on identifying and defusing threats before they reach our borders.

The current uk national threat level is severe, meaning an attack is highly likely. An inspection on the effectiveness and efficiency of the. In response to the threat of terrorism and radicalisation, the home office introduced the prevent strategy, which plays a key role in the governments fight against terrorism. The prevent policy was introduced in the uk in 2003 as part of an overall post 911 counterterrorism approach contest, with the aim of preventing the. Criticism of uk tpims mounts as government retains power to relocate suspects by max rowlands 1 the coalition government is to retain the power to force individuals suspected, but never convicted, of involvement in terrorism to leave their home for government owned accommodation in a different part of the country. Meeting the challenge international peace institute. Download pdf us counter terrorism strategy and al qaeda. The nuts vote to reject the home offices prevent strategy is disappointing. The governments prevent strategy which forms one strand of the governments overarching counterterrorism strategy, contest seeks to preempt acts of terrorism by identifying those at risk of committing such attacks, including by intervening to stop people moving from extremism into terroristrelated activity. Why the uk prevent strategy does not prevent terrorism. Criticism of governments counterterrorism strategy is. Click download or read online button to us counter terrorism strategy and al qaeda book pdf for free now. In response to the threat of terrorism and radicalisation, the uk government introduced the counterterrorism strategy contest and its four strands prepare, prevent, protect, pursue. Contest is the united kingdoms counterterrorism strategy.

The recent passage of theresa mays controversial counterterrorism and security act has been met with a flurry of criticism, reiterating a familiar critique of the governments counterextremism strategy, prevent. The united kingdoms strategy for countering terrorism 4 this has had a profound effect on the threat to the uk, seen so starkly through the attacks in 2017. Open letter on the uks prevent counterterrorism strategy. The government of the united kingdom uk has stressed that preventing the spread of extremist ideology and stopping acts of terror. The united kingdom ambassador to italy, ivor roberts, echoed this criticism when he stated that president bush was the best. In the uk, for example, counterterrorism laws developed in response to the situation in northern ireland. Its aim is to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. Based on the analysis, i will provide suggestions on how the us policy for ct. The united kingdoms strategy for countering terrorism.

While we appreciate the nature of the difficult challenge before us, our strategy is based on the belief that sometimes the most difficult tasks are accomplished by the most direct means. Strategic counterterrorism foreign policy at brookings 1 introduct ion terrorism is a real and urgent threat to the american people and our interests. Islamophobia crippling counterterrorism 3 about the authors richard walton is a senior fellow at policy exchange. Our criticism of prevent is based on facts, not myths asim qureshi responds to nazir afzals critique of those campaigning against uks counterextremism strategy prevent. Finally, one should not disassociate counterradicalization from the broader counterterrorism strategy and the new counterterrorism act 2019 now in effect. It would be a disaster if the fallout from weak and incoherent training is allowed to blight the future of the. It is meant to tackle all forms of terrorism but continue to prioritise according to the threat they pose to the uks national security. Counter terrorism strategy contest 2018 the aim of contest is to reduce the risk to the uk and its citizens and interests overseas from terrorism, so that people can go about their lives freely. Ct efforts require a multidepartmental and multinational effort that goes beyond traditional. The human rights implications of the united kingdoms counterradicalisation policy. This report provides an overview of the european unions eus counterterrorism strategy before and after the 911 attacks, which marked a major shift in prioritising counterterrorism in the eus foreign security policy.