EXTREMISTS TARGETED

New anti-terror laws for U.K.

Police would gain the power to seize the passports of Britons suspected of having travelled abroad to fight with terrorist groups under new laws proposed Monday by Prime Minister David Cameron.

Speaking to Parliament, Cameron said his government also is working on plans to block such suspected British jihadi fighters from re-entering the U.K. The power to monitor such suspects who are already in Britain also would be strengthened.

The plans to widen Britain’s antiterror laws, which are likely to be approved by Parliament, are aimed at preventing attacks by Islamist militants returning from terror training in trouble spots in the Middle East.

Like other western countries such as the U.S., France and Germany, Britain is worried that citizens who travel abroad to join terror groups could threaten their home country when they return.

Intelligence and security services suspect that about 500 Britons have gone to fight in Syria and potentially Iraq. Cameron has described the extremism posed by the Islamic State group as the biggest security threat of modern times — surpassing that of al- Qaida — and said it poses a direct threat to Europe.

Britain’s Home Secretary already has the authority to withhold passports in some cases, but Cameron said more is needed to ensure police at border crossings could act in time when they spot a suspect.

“We will introduce specific and targeted legislation to fill this gap by providing the police with a temporary power to seize a passport at the border, during which time they will be able to investigate the individual concerned,” he said.

Authorities last week raised Britain’s terror threat alert from “substantial” to “severe,” the secondhighest level, in response to the crises in Iraq and Syria and concerns that terrorist groups could target Europe.

The alert means that an attack on Britain is “highly likely,” though the government did not provide information to suggest an attack was imminent.