Posted on 04/19/2007 4:12:57 PM PDT by Cornpone
Brussels, 19 April (AKI) - Immediately alert all member states of the expulsion of a non EU citizen suspected of terrorist activity, incitement to discrimination, hate and violence. This is the objective of a new alert and information system approved on Thursday by the Interior and Justice ministers of the 27 EU nations, meeting in Luxembourg. "The alert system we have agreed gives the competent authorities of the member states the chance to inform each other rapidly on citizens, who are relevant from a security perspective, who have been expelled" said German interior minister Wolfgang Schaeuble.
He said this was particularly important "in cases where a member state expels a person who cannot immediately be returned to their country of origin."
"Each member state can take its own neccessary security measures swiftly" he said.
What's more the system will allow a EU wide alert to prevent the entry of certain non EU citizens.
France last year raised the idea of better information exchange on the expulsion of terror suspects. The German presidency of the EU has carried forward the proposals which Schaeuble said were "an important contribution to reinforcing European cooperation in the fight against terrorism".
Comments on terror suspects made by Schaueble in an interview with German weekly magazine, Stern, published Thursday, have caused controversy. He said they should be considered guilty until proven innocent, something which sits uncomfortably with Germany's post-war constitution, enshrining citizens' liberty and protecting them from the state persecution which occurred under the Nazi and Communist regimes.
Recent changes to Germany's anti-terrorism laws have already met with fierce resistance.
"Would it be right to say that I would prefer to allow ten attacks to take place rather than to prevent one person from trying who perhaps does not intend to launch an attack? In my opinion that would be wrong," Schaeuble said.
Interesting. Thanks for posting this.
“What’s more the system will allow a EU wide alert to prevent the entry of certain non EU citizens.”
Seems like Europe’s finally waking up slowly, hope it’s not too late. They needed a better terrorist tracking system, about time.
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