[Infowarrior] - UK giving 60K citizens "terror" training

[Richard Forno]

  Thousands getting terror training

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7957431.stm

Thousands of UK workers are being trained to help respond to a future  
terror attack as part of an updated counter-terror strategy, ministers  
say.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said shop and hotel workers would be among  
60,000 people able to deal with an incident.

The updated approach, aimed at tackling immediate terrorist threats  
and the causes of extremism, would be the most comprehensive in the  
world, she added.

But the Tories said not enough action was being taken against  
extremists.

'Closed doors'

The Home Office's new counter-terrorism document - to be published on  
Tuesday - will go into more detail than ever before in the interests  
of public accountability.

It will reflect intelligence opinion that the biggest threat to the UK  
comes from al-Qaeda-linked groups and will also take into account  
recent attacks on hotels in the Indian city of Mumbai.

Ms Smith told BBC One's Politics Show: "What we're completely clear  
about is that if we're going to address the threat from terrorism, we  
need to do that alongside the 60,000 people that we're now training up  
to respond to a terrorist threat, in everywhere from our shopping  
centres to our hotels.

“ Tens of thousands of men and women throughout Britain... have now  
been trained and equipped to deal with an incident ”
Gordon Brown

"We need to do it alongside the 3,000 police officers now working on  
counter-terror and we need to do it with international partners.

"This is no longer something you can do behind closed doors and in  
secret."

The paper - called Contest Two - will update the Contest strategy  
developed by the Home Office in 2003, which was later detailed in the  
Countering International Terrorism document released in 2006.

Over the last six years the strategy has concentrated on preventing  
radicalisation of potential terror recruits to disrupting terrorist  
operations, reducing the UK's vulnerability and ensuring Britain is  
ready for the consequences of any terror attack.

The updated strategy will increase the focus on challenging  
individuals and groups who undermine the UK's "shared values" - even  
if they are not breaking the law.

'Daily business'

Gordon Brown said tens of thousands of civilians had already been  
trained in how to look out for suspicious behaviour in crowded places  
and to react in the event of an attack.

The prime minister told the Observer: "Today, not only the police and  
security and intelligence officers and our armed forces, but also the  
emergency services, local councils, businesses and community groups  
are involved in state-of-the-art contingency planning.

"Tens of thousands of men and women throughout Britain - from security  
guards to store managers - have now been trained and equipped to deal  
with an incident and know what to watch for as people go about their  
daily business in crowded places such as stations, airports, shopping  
centres and sports grounds."

“ We have really got to do more to stop some of the fostering of  
hatred that is still visible and present in our society ”
Chris Grayling, shadow home secretary

While the paper will look into the lessons learned from the November  
attacks in Mumbai, it is not thought attacks are likely on hotels in  
the UK.

The terrorism threat level, set by the Joint Terrorism Analysis  
Centre, has since July 2007 been "severe".

Ms Smith said an attack was "highly likely" but stressed the UK was  
"much better" at identifying threats, particularly international ones,  
and foiling them than in the past.

Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling welcomed some of the proposals  
but said too little was being done to tackle the "root causes of  
extremism".

Earlier this week, the Tories claimed the government had failed to  
close down a single terror website since Tony Blair pledged action in  
2005.

"The government is not doing enough to deal with some of the groups  
who are potentially fostering extremism," Mr Grayling said.

"We have really got to do more, I think, to stop some of the fostering  
of hatred that is still visible and present in our society."

One terrorism expert said equipping people to react quickly to an  
attack in the workplace and in public areas was a "bold and  
imaginative" step.

"There are thousands of people not only in the public sector but in  
the private sector also who have the necessary knowledge and skills to  
help in the constant vigilance that is needed against the terrorist  
threat," said Professor Paul Wilkinson, from St Andrew's University.

By 2011, Britain will be spending £3.5bn a year on counter-terrorism,  
the Home Office has said.

The number of police working on counter-terrorism has risen to 3,000  
from 1,700 in 2003.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/7957431.stm

Published: 2009/03/22 11:41:00 GMT

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