 THE Danish parliament has overwhelmingly adopted two laws overnight designed to strengthen Danish security services' powers to combat terrorism. In the wake of the London terrorist attacks of July 2005, the Danish government sought to buttress security legislation, fearing the Scandinavian country could be the target of attacks due to its involvement in the American-led Iraq war. Denmark has some 530 troops in Iraq, most of them stationed in Basra in the south of the country under British command.
| The Marshmallow People and the other invertebrates will, of course, be out in force to condemn such things... |
The measures voted will allow for easier monitoring of suspected terrorists' communications and are will give Danish intelligence services (PET) access to aircraft passenger lists without a warrant. The statutes will allow the PET to obtain the financial history and medical records of suspects, and facilitate information exchange between the PET and the Danish Intelligence Defence Service (FE) concerning individuals in Denmark and overseas. Police are no longer required to obtain a warrant for individual telephone numbers. A single warrant will permit authorities to listen in on a suspect for a four-week period, regardless of which telephone he uses. Video surveillance of public places and large gatherings of people are also to be permitted by the new laws.
| I think the festivities surrounding the Mohammad cartoons may have helped with this passing... |
The two acts were supported by the majority Liberal, Conservative and Danish People's parties, as well as the Social Democrats, the main opposition party. Other opposition parties voted against the measures, saying that the laws undermined civil liberties. "We are on the way to a police state where the intelligence services have virtually a free hand to spy on citizens," opposition spokeswoman Line Barfod said. "Nothing can justify such Draconian measures as the security of the state is not threatened," Mr Barfod added.
| Obviously, though, the majority thinks that the security of the state is threatened. And Barfod is my nominee for Most Unfortunate Name of the Week. |
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