kweli
19-03-2008, 08:41 PM
Tighten your seat belts, here we go, looks like the ride's about to get a wee bit rougher.
Brown unveils national security strategy
Gordon Brown, who told parliament: 'The risks we face have ... changed beyond recognition'. Photograph: PA Wire
A national security forum will be set up and a "register of risks" published under Britain's first national security strategy, unveiled by Gordon Brown today.
Members of the public will also be invited to join new local civil defence networks under the plans.
In a statement to the Commons, the prime minister said he was taking the unprecedented step of publishing the strategy, which details all the threats to the UK, because "the risks we face have, in recent decades, changed beyond recognition".
Publishing the long-awaited document, which will be updated annually, Brown also made a string of announcements on security-related issues, including:
• increased retention bonuses worth up to £15,000 for long-serving servicemen and women
• security service staffing levels to rise to 4,000, double the number in 2001
• the previously-confidential national register of risks to be published later this year, "so the Briitsh public can see at first hand the challenges we face"
• the creation of a national security forum, bringing together business leaders, academics, community organisations and military and security experts to advise the government on security
• a 1,000-strong British civilian force to be available for stabilisation work in fragile or failing states
• increased powers for the parliamentary intelligence and security committee
The announcement was broadly welcomed by the Conservatives, although David Cameron suggested that the national security forum could turn into a "talking shop" and that it would be better to have a proper national security council.
Brown dismissed this saying, saying that the government already had a national security committee that he chaired and that that performed the role of Cameron's proposed council.
Under the civil defence network proposal, people would be invited to join groups run by local councils. They might help evacuate elderly people in the event of a flood, or even play a role in the aftermath of a terrorist attack.
In his statement Brown said: "For most of the last half century the main threat was unmistakable: a cold war adversary. Today, the potential threats we face come from far less predictable sources: both state and non-state.
"Once, when there was instability in faraway regions or countries, we had a choice – to become involved or not.
"Today no country is in the old sense far away when the consequences of regional instability and terrorism – and then also climate change, poverty, mass population, movements and even organised crime – reverberate quickly around the globe."
Anti-terrorism measures
Brown said Britain now faced 30 known terrorists plots and that the authorities were monitoring 200 networks and around 2,000 individuals. He said four regional counter-terrorism units would be set up and four regional intelligence units, "significantly increasing anti-terrorism policy capability in the regions".
The resources available to the joint terrorism analysis centre would increase by 10%, Brown said, and it would be given "a new focus on the longer-term challenge of investigating the path to violent extremism".
There would also be more money for GCHQ, the government's monitoring centre, where "new technical capabilities to root out terrorism" were being developed.
The military
Brown said the government had already raised military pay. In addition to the new retention bonuses, the government would also invest £20m in a home purchase fund for service personnel.
Nuclear non-proliferation
Brown said: "Britain will be at the forefront of diplomatic action on nuclear weapons control and reduction, offering a new bargain to non-nuclear powers."
Britain would host an international conference on the issue, Brown said. He wanted a new international system to non-nuclear powers get the energy sources they need, in return for tougher controls on non-proliferation.
Failing states
Brown said: "In the same way that we have military forces ready to respond to conflict, we must have civilian experts and professionals ready to deploy quickly to assist failing states and to help rebuild countries emerging from conflict, putting them on the road to economic and political recovery."
Britain would make a 1,000-strong civilian force available on standby capacity for this work. It would include the police, emergency service personnel, and judges.
Intelligence and security committee
Brown said the government would give the parliamentary intelligence and security committee more power.
"This will lead to more parliamentary debate on security matters, public hearings on the national security strategy, and, as promised, greater transparency over appointments to the committee so that the committee can not only review intelligence and security but also perform a public role … in reporting and informing the county on security matters."
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/mar/19/terrorism.uksecurity1?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront
Brown unveils national security strategy
Gordon Brown, who told parliament: 'The risks we face have ... changed beyond recognition'. Photograph: PA Wire
A national security forum will be set up and a "register of risks" published under Britain's first national security strategy, unveiled by Gordon Brown today.
Members of the public will also be invited to join new local civil defence networks under the plans.
In a statement to the Commons, the prime minister said he was taking the unprecedented step of publishing the strategy, which details all the threats to the UK, because "the risks we face have, in recent decades, changed beyond recognition".
Publishing the long-awaited document, which will be updated annually, Brown also made a string of announcements on security-related issues, including:
• increased retention bonuses worth up to £15,000 for long-serving servicemen and women
• security service staffing levels to rise to 4,000, double the number in 2001
• the previously-confidential national register of risks to be published later this year, "so the Briitsh public can see at first hand the challenges we face"
• the creation of a national security forum, bringing together business leaders, academics, community organisations and military and security experts to advise the government on security
• a 1,000-strong British civilian force to be available for stabilisation work in fragile or failing states
• increased powers for the parliamentary intelligence and security committee
The announcement was broadly welcomed by the Conservatives, although David Cameron suggested that the national security forum could turn into a "talking shop" and that it would be better to have a proper national security council.
Brown dismissed this saying, saying that the government already had a national security committee that he chaired and that that performed the role of Cameron's proposed council.
Under the civil defence network proposal, people would be invited to join groups run by local councils. They might help evacuate elderly people in the event of a flood, or even play a role in the aftermath of a terrorist attack.
In his statement Brown said: "For most of the last half century the main threat was unmistakable: a cold war adversary. Today, the potential threats we face come from far less predictable sources: both state and non-state.
"Once, when there was instability in faraway regions or countries, we had a choice – to become involved or not.
"Today no country is in the old sense far away when the consequences of regional instability and terrorism – and then also climate change, poverty, mass population, movements and even organised crime – reverberate quickly around the globe."
Anti-terrorism measures
Brown said Britain now faced 30 known terrorists plots and that the authorities were monitoring 200 networks and around 2,000 individuals. He said four regional counter-terrorism units would be set up and four regional intelligence units, "significantly increasing anti-terrorism policy capability in the regions".
The resources available to the joint terrorism analysis centre would increase by 10%, Brown said, and it would be given "a new focus on the longer-term challenge of investigating the path to violent extremism".
There would also be more money for GCHQ, the government's monitoring centre, where "new technical capabilities to root out terrorism" were being developed.
The military
Brown said the government had already raised military pay. In addition to the new retention bonuses, the government would also invest £20m in a home purchase fund for service personnel.
Nuclear non-proliferation
Brown said: "Britain will be at the forefront of diplomatic action on nuclear weapons control and reduction, offering a new bargain to non-nuclear powers."
Britain would host an international conference on the issue, Brown said. He wanted a new international system to non-nuclear powers get the energy sources they need, in return for tougher controls on non-proliferation.
Failing states
Brown said: "In the same way that we have military forces ready to respond to conflict, we must have civilian experts and professionals ready to deploy quickly to assist failing states and to help rebuild countries emerging from conflict, putting them on the road to economic and political recovery."
Britain would make a 1,000-strong civilian force available on standby capacity for this work. It would include the police, emergency service personnel, and judges.
Intelligence and security committee
Brown said the government would give the parliamentary intelligence and security committee more power.
"This will lead to more parliamentary debate on security matters, public hearings on the national security strategy, and, as promised, greater transparency over appointments to the committee so that the committee can not only review intelligence and security but also perform a public role … in reporting and informing the county on security matters."
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/mar/19/terrorism.uksecurity1?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront