We've got to understand what motivates young Muslims
‘We’ve got to understand what motivates young Muslims'”
by Rosie Cowan (“The Guardian,” May 24, 2004)
Well, well even Scotland Yard is interested in young muslims nowadays.
“‘We’ve got to understand what motivates young Muslims'”
by Rosie Cowan (“The Guardian,” May 24, 2004)
Scotland Yard is to set up a special team to liaise with the Muslim community in an attempt to find out what drives some young people to become fanatical terrorists, Sir John Stevens revealed yesterday. The Metropolitan police commissioner said his officers and the other security agencies were engaged in massive covert intelligence to try to prevent an attack on London, which he recently warned was “inevitable”.
But he recognised that understanding and gaining the trust of Muslims, many of whom feel police have stereotyped them all as terrorists, is vital to reducing the threat.
A Metropolitan Police Authority survey found that the number of Asians stopped and searched by police jumped 41% between 2000/01 and 2001/02, and searches of black people rose 30%, compared to 8% for whites in the same period.
The Met has just withdrawn an anti-terrorism advertisement because of complaints that the woman pictured looked like a Muslim in a traditional headscarf.
In an interview with the Guardian Sir John said: “The ad had already been used for a year and a half but if some Muslims were taking exception to it, then we had to withdraw it, as it is counter-productive to what we need – cooperation from all communities.
“We have a very good relationship with the Muslim community in London, which we have particularly worked at since September 11 [2001], but we have got to work a lot harder with Muslim youth.
“We’ve got to use our Muslim officers and listen to particular institutions, schools, universities. We’ve got to understand what motivates young Muslims and why some become fanatical enough to contemplate getting involved in terrorism, even suicide bombings.”
A Met spokeswoman said a small working group would be set up in the next few weeks to examine how existing links with local communities could best be used to proceed with the project.
Regarding the terrorist threat, Sir John said: “We’re doing all we can on the preventative side. There is massive covert work, surveillance and CCTV monitoring.”
The Met has boosted its counter-terror branch by 680 officers in the past two years and is taking on another 100 this year. Sir John praised his detectives’ success in foiling terrorist plots – 100 suspects are currently awaiting trial.
“We have the best investigative capacity in the world and we’re working flat out. But it’s like being a goalkeeper. If you let one in, the goals you’ve saved don’t matter a jot.”
He is relatively satisfied that the Met, the lead agency if disaster strikes London, is adequately equipped. Roughly 1,500 officers have undergone full chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear training.
However, he admitted it was a major worry that the Met did not have a radio system that would work on the deep tube lines – a problem highlighted by the Guardian last week.
“It’s obviously a matter that needs to be resolved as soon as possible,” he said. “Pito [the Police Information Technology Organisation] is working with the government and commercial suppliers to get it sorted out at the earliest opportunity.”
He cannot afford complacency about London’s ability to cope with a major attack. But he cautioned against panic.
Vigilant
“We have to be careful not to frighten people to death. It’s about getting the balance between people being vigilant and getting on with everyday life. If you restrict people in what they do every day, then the terrorist has won.”
He is pleased by the public response to his call to become the police’s “eyes and ears” in the fight against terrorism – a new telephone hotline is receiving 200 calls a day, a huge leap.
However, he rejected criticism that the anti-terrorist operation was not as coordinated as it should be, insisting: “Our relationships with the other security agencies has never been better. If the politicians want a more direct chain of control, then do it, but don’t change the structure.”
But Sir John is convinced the one piece of legislation that would most help the police prevent terrorism is allowing telephone intercepts to be used as evidence.
Some senior officers and other agencies, such as GCHQ and Customs, are concerned that it would reveal too much about covert intelligence-gathering methods.
Sir John said: “Some of the stuff at GCHQ and other areas has to be firewalled, but I firmly believe intercept evidence should be used in evidence.”
The Met commissioner is also in favour of the introduction of identity cards, featuring a biometric eye scan. “I was against them a year and a half ago but now I’ve seen what biometrics can do,” he said. “I don’t agree with keeping DNA records, that is too intrusive, but there is no problem with fingerprints and eye scans.
“Forged passports can look perfect, and in terrorism and organised crime we’re getting people using other people’s identity documents.”
Although he is due to retire in the next year, Sir John revealed that he intended to continue to lead two major investigations – the Diana inquiry, and his 14-year probe into security force collusion with Northern Irish terrorists.
