New Defence Secretary in terrorism row
THERESA MAY’S new Defence Secretary has come under fire for implying that British citizens who have fought for Islamic State in Syria should be “destroyed”.
The comments by Gavin Williamson sparked concern among MPs and peers who accused the Minister of appeared to endorse “a clear breach of humanitarian law”. The row coincided with the release of new figures which reveal terror suspects are being arrested in record numbers following a dramatic surge in activity by security agencies.
According to the data, a total of 400 people were held on suspicion of terrorism-related offences in Britain in the year to the end of September – a rate of more than one every day.
Mr Williamson made the controversial comments during an interview with the Daily Mail.
Discussing the UK’s response to the terrorist threat from overseas and the treatment of Britons who have travelled to countries like Syria to fight with IS, he said: “I do not believe that any terrorist, whether they come from this country or any other, should ever be allowed back into this country.
“We should do everything we can do to destroy and eliminate that threat”.
The Barnsley Central Labour MP and former serviceman Dan Jarvis labelled the comments “morally, legally and practically wrong”. The Liberal Democrat defence spokesman Lord Campbell described them as “ill-considered” adding that they “appear to endorse a clear breach of humanitarian law”.
BRITAIN WILL not retreat from its role on the global stage when it leaves the European Union, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has insisted as he called for a new drive to combat international terrorism.
In a major diplomatic speech, Mr Johnson said that blaming Western military interventions for terror only fuelled the rise of jihadism, which the Foreign Secretary said had the “addictive power of crack cocaine”.Mr Johnson said that the UK’s position as Nato’s second biggest contributor, its huge overseas aid budget and extensive diplomatic reach would ensure it remained engaged globally.
The Foreign Secretary insisted the UK needed to remain a strong international player, saying: “You can make an argument that we got things wrong in the past, but retreat is not the solution. A retreat by Britain is exactly the wrong prescription. On the contrary, we need to be more outward looking and more engaged. Other countries want to see more of the UK, not less.
“They want to see us more involved. Using our incredible diplomatic strength to try to achieve better outcomes.
“Using the biggest aid budget anywhere in Europe – we are 25 per cent of Europe’s aid spending – that’s not going away. It’s still going to be there.”
Mr Johnson issued a call for unity with Muslims around the world who are “equally determined” to fight Islamist terror. The Foreign Secretary said the West needed to realise that hundreds of millions of Muslims are on its side in the battle against terrorism.
The address came after Theresa May clashed with US President Donald Trump over his sharing on Twitter of antiMuslim videos. Strengthening national identities in the Muslim world, empowering women and fostering reform are key to restoring peace and prosperity, Mr Johnson said.