British Government Issues Anti-terror Bill

British government published onTuesday an emergency bill to give police, customs and other agencies extra powers to clamp down on terrorism threat.

Most controversial of the bill is the proposal for detention without trial of foreign nationals suspected of terrorism who cannot be deported under existing immigration laws.

The bill extends race hate laws to cover religious hate in a move welcomed by the Muslim community, which has been targeted in a spate of attacks across Britain in the wake of the American terror attacks.

It also includes new penalties for people who carry out hoaxes involving bio-chemical, radioactive or nuclear weapons, triggered by scores of anthrax scares across Britain, none of which proved real.

Tightened rules requiring the reporting of suspicious transactions by financial institutions are also outlined, along with powers to freeze suspected terror funds and tightened rules for bureaux de change.

Extra police powers cover security at airports and demonstrations, where people can be forced to remove masks and gloves.

In plans to reform the asylum system, certain rights of appeal would be removed for suspected terrorists and the substance of their asylum claims will no longer have to be considered.

And telecommunications companies would be able to keep data on phone calls, faxes and e-mails - but not their contents - for national security reasons.

As the emergency bill was published, ministers said it had not been drawn-up in haste, stressing the two month drafting process, and that it would not be rushed through parliament without adequate scrutiny.

( Xinhua News Agency 11/14/2001)