'Tougher Laws Needed To Combat Terror'

12:33pm UK, Wednesday September 07, 2005

Home Secretary Charles Clarke has insisted that tougher powers across Europe to combat terrorism would not erode human rights.

He wants a rethink about the European Convention on Human Rights to make the deportation of terror suspects easier in the wake of the July 7 bombings.

Armed police on UK streets

He told Euro MPs at the parliament in Strasbourg: "Of course criminals and terrorists use modern technology - the internet and mobile communications - to plan and carry out their activities.

"We can only effectively contest them if we know what they are communicating. Without that knowledge we are fighting them with both hands tied behind our backs.

"And of course the criminals know that and organise themselves to take advantage of our weaknesses."

Mr Clarke has also set himself on a collision course with the British judiciary by insisting they should respect controversial new deals being sought to deport terror suspects.

He stressed that a rethink of the Convention - which prevents terror suspects being deported to countries where they may face persecution - will be central to the EU's response to the bombings.

He also made a dig at the reluctance of Euro MPs to agree access to information technology used by terrorists because of fears of breaching human rights.

He warned: "This European Parliament, as well as national parliaments, needs to face up to the fact that the legal framework within which we currently operate makes the collection and use of this intelligence very difficult, and in some cases impossible."