US 'shock jock' to sue Jacqui Smith

Savage attack: Michael Savage says he's been libeled by Home secretary

British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith may find herself in court in the coming months after placing an American radio presenter on a list of persons banned from Britain. Michael Savage, a so called ‘shock jock’, has joined a list which included convicted terrorists, murderers and Islamic fanatics. But his addition to the list has angered the 67 year old presenter who insists he has been defamed by the Home Secretary.

And in response he has threatened to sue Ms Smith personally, unless he is removed from the list and receives a written apology.

Britain’s ‘least wanted’

The list of Britain’s “least wanted” which was published this week seeks to exclude people the government considers dangerous. It is made up of 22 individuals, though only 16 are named. It names 7 radical Islamists, one Jewish radical, two Russian right wing extremists and several US citizens ranging from neo Nazis to radical preachers.

Amongst those mentioned are the Hamas MP Yunis Al Astal. He once claimed that ““Rome will be conquered [by Islam], just like Constantinople” and is considered by the Home Office to be an individual who engages in “unacceptable behaviour by seeking to foment, justify or glorify terrorist violence in furtherance of particular beliefs and to provoke others to terrorist acts." Others Islamic extremists include Hezbollah terrorist Samir Al Quntar and preacher Amir Siddique. Samir Al Quntar once participated in the attempted kidnapping of an Israeli family in Nahariya that resulted in the deaths of four Israelis and two of his fellow kidnappers. He was released from prison last year after 29 years in prison. Other Islamic radicals included are Nasr Javed, Wadgy Abd El Hamied Mohamed_Ghoneim, Abdullah Qadri Al Ahdal and Safwat Hijazi.

It’s not just Islamic extremists on the list. Jewish extremist Mike Guzovsky is also included. Guzorsky is listed as a contact for the US banned terror organisation Kahane.org.

Far right Russian skinheads Artur Ryno and Pavel Skachevsky said to be responsible for leading a violent gang that beat migrants and posted films of their attacks on the internet have been banned from Britain, though both are languishing in prison following their conviction in 2007 in connection with the murder of 37 people.

Apart from Michael Savage, there are 5 other Americans on the list. Ex-Ku Klux Klan grand wizard Stephen Donald Black, neo-Nazi Erich Gliebe, Muslim activist Abdul Alim Musa, radical pastor Fred Waldron Phelps and Shirley Phelps-Roper.

Many of those named on the list have not expressed any specific desire to travel to the UK, and at least three are currently in prison.

Defamation claims

Following the publication of the list, Michael Savage, whose real name is Michael Weiner, said he was shocked.

“I looked at the headline on the Drudge Report and I couldn’t believe it,” Savage told listeners on his radio show, “I thought it was a joke.”

But his shock turned to anger after the DJ found out who he’d been associated with.
"For this lunatic Jacqui Smith, to link me up with skinheads killing people in Russia and mass murderers who kill Jews on buses is defamation,” Savage proclaimed. “She has put a target on my back,” the controversial radio presenter added, and said he would sue the British politician.

Jacqui Smith has justified the inclusion of Mr Savage on the list saying he was “someone who has fallen into the category of fomenting hatred, of such extreme views and expressing them in such a way that it is actually likely to cause intercommunity tension or even violence if that person were allowed into the country.”

Britain’s Prime Minister, Gordon Brown also defended the government position. “There will have been specific decisions made by the Home Office based on the evidence that they have,” he said. “Our general position is that we do want to make a distinction between reasonable and moderate debate and actions that deliberately set out to create tensions.”

Following the release of the list, several news organisations clamoured for interviews from Savage, who is not well known in Britain. The BBC, Sky News and CNN all covered the story giving Michael Savage more publicity than he could have imagined.

The irony is that the decision to include the ‘shock jock’ on the ‘least wanted’ list has served to bring his views to a far wider audience. Few in Britain would have heard of Savage or his programme the “Savage Nation” before this week. In years past his show could only be heard on short wave radio, but with the advent of the Internet many can easily tune in to his chat show.

Ranting and raving

For those who listened in to the several affiliate stations which carry the Savage Nation, they were met with the ranting of an angry man. Savage, who has published several books and holds a PhD, claims he has up to 10 million listeners across America. From this large base he says he will launch boycott of British goods and travel to the country.

“Britain will suffer financially from this mistake,” Michael Savage told his listeners on Thursday. In his show which warns listeners of “adult language and psychological nudity”, Savage claims he represents the majority of what America believes.

“I talk about family values,” he said, running a campaign of “Borders, language and culture”.

His views are nonetheless very strong. He has spoken out very strongly against homosexuality and Islamic terrorists. He has also been criticised for statements made about autism, though he says he has made mistakes at times. But he insists he has never incited violence.

He holds nothing back in his criticism of those he dislikes. On Thursday night’s show he called the British government “extremist” and described Home Secretary Jacqui Smith as a “Witch”, a “hateful person” and a “creature”.

“I am going to use attorneys of England to sue Jacqui Smith,” he said, “Send me a letter of apology or you will find yourself in the courts.”

Callers to the show were unsurprisingly supportive of the right-wing DJ. One caller who claimed to be a former London police office calling from within the US said the British government had chosen a “White American radical Jew to appease the Islamists”.

“They are petrified of radical Muslims” the caller said, and in order to placate those that might feel the Muslim population had been unfairly singled out, Savage had been added to the list. “I’ve heard that,” Savage said, but avoided direct agreement.

Britain an "extremist nation"

His show was punctuated with bursts of Rule Britannia, the Russian ex-Soviet Nationale and the Sex Pistol’s God Save the Queen. At one point he played what he regarded as one of the most important speeches of all time, that given by Winston Churchill on June 18th 1940.

“What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us.

Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science.

Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.' ”

It was all a part of his attempt to show how Britain had lost sight of its once well founded principles of democracy and free speech laid out in the Magna Carta.

“If they don’t get some backbone they won’t have a nation” Savage declared.

“People are saying to me that this is the last gasp of a troubled Labour party that is out of touch with the voters of England,” Savage told reporters earlier. “That's all well and good but will the Conservatives undo the damage that this lunatic has done?”

Oxygen of publicity

Whether or not his views are dangerous, as the government maintains, their efforts to exclude him from Britain, has only increased his public profile. But it is not the first time such plans have backfired. In February this year Dutch right wing politician Geert Wilders was turned back at Heathrow by authorities because of his views. As a result he was unable to attend a meeting in London’s parliament, but the publicity served only to increase his public profile. His controversial film Fitna subsequently received record hits on video websites and there were pages of debate in the national press and on television about a previously unheard of politician.

In fact the banning of people, books and records has often served to make them more popular than they otherwise would have been. By banning Savage, the Labour party, which are already suffering in the polls, has courted yet more bad publicity for itself. From a failing economy, criticism over MP’s expenses to accusations of directing the country towards a police state, the government is on the defensive. A libel case against the Home Secretary is the last thing it needs.

UK terror threat growing, govt says

"The threat of a serious terrorist attack on Britain has grown"

British Home Secretary has put forward plans to train workers in hotels, airports and supermarkets as part of its ongoing anti-terrorism strategy. During a debate in parliament on Wednesday, Jacqui Smith thanked the hard work already done by the security services in helping to keep Britain safe, “We’ve disrupted more than a dozen terrorist plots in the UK” Jacqui Smith, British Home Secretary, told MPs as she laid out plans to increase the annual anti-terrorism budget to more than £3.5 Billion by 2011. She said the key strategy in fighting terrorism was to Pursue, Prevent, Protect & Prepare. But she insisted that while the government was making every effort to thwart the terrorists, the UK government was “against torture and extra-ordinary rendition”.

Chris Grayling, the Shadow Home Secretary, was supportive of the general effort to battle terrorism but was critical of the implementation of the government’s initiative. He said that anti-terror training of shopping centre staff as part of Project Argus amounted to a 3 hour seminar including a coffee break. The Conservative MP said that some stores he his office had contacted knew nothing about plan except for reports in papers [BBC].

Jacqui Smith was defensive of the project and insisted that 700 programs had been carried out and more than 30,000 individuals had been trained.

She also came under fire for failing to compensate those injured in terrorist attacks abroad. Ian McCartney, a Labour MP, talked of some 200 British citizens who had been killed abroad and more than 150 maimed. Asking why there was no specific compensation for such victims, Jacqui Smith said she understood his impassioned statement and added, “I will talk to colleagues about that”.

The risk from terrorism exists not only abroad, but much is exported back to Britain. Sky News today reported that some 20 extremists had returned to the UK after being trained in Pakistan. Sky said that many more radicalised individuals, possibly hundreds, could be following them. It has prompted US authorities to carry out surveillance on British Muslims living in the UK [Sky News].

The types of attacks that might be perpetrated was mainly focused on CBRNE, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear & Explosive [BBC / Sky News / CNN]. But former Home Secretary David Blunkett raised the risk of a potential cyber-attack. He said that such attacks, seen recently in places like Estonia, could even threaten lives as well as the financial stability of Britain. Jacqui Smith said that the cyber-security was a concern and that there was “work going on in government”.

“We must ensure we are safe in the virtual world as we are in the real world” the Home Secretary added.

Some MPs were concerned as to how the terrorist initiatives were affecting the lives of ordinary people. While Liberal Democrat MP Chris Huhne applauded efforts to thwart terrorism, he asked why citizens were being continually intimidated by police for otherwise law-abiding activities.

Kerry McCarthy, Labour Bristol East, also criticised the arbitrary use of such powers. Smith insisted that “guidance was given to police”. But there is growing anger amongst some members of the public who are seeing their rights eroded. A trainspotter was recently banned from Macclesfield station in Cheshire after Virgin Trains deemed him a security risk [BBC]. Natioanl Express have also put plans in place to ban trainspotters from its East Coast line, again citing security concerns. One disgruntled man told a London paper, "Trainspotters may be seen as a bit odd but we are friends of the railways. We don't smash it up, steal cables or blow ourselves to bits - so why are they picking on us?" [This is London].

The irony is that many such individual may serve as the front line in surveillance. Trainspotters may well be able to give authorities first hand information of suspicious behaviour on the rail network.

The threat comes not only from Pakistan’s training camps but also from terrorist websites. Stewart Jackson, a Conservative MP, questioned the Home Secretary why not one terror website had been shut down despite pledges to do so. Powers outlined in the 2006 anti-terrorism act aimed to shut down such sites. However the Daily Telegraph revealed this week that the government had failed to make any headway in this effort. It remains to be seen what effects the news proposals announced by the government will have in pursuing and preventing those intent on perpetrating such acts.

Northern Ireland peace process at risk

The return of violence to the streets of Northern Ireland has run the risk of derailing the peace process. On Saturday a number of soldiers were shot in what was described as an ambush by members of the Real IRA, a dissident group that split from the Provisional IRA in 1997 [BBC]. The Real IRA, or Óglaigh na hÉireann, have been responsible for one of the deadliest attacks perpetrated by Irish Republican terrorists. In 1998 the Real IRA admitted responsibility for the Omagh bombing in 1998 which left 29 dead and over 200 injured. Most of their attacks on the mainland have been relatively minor, though the actions brought them much publicity. Amongst the most prominent attacks was the blast at the BBC in west London .

There have been several attacks in Northern Ireland since 2000, but it was the shooting dead of two soldiers outside the Masereene Barracks in County Antrim that brought the group the publicity they had sought [BBC / Sky News].

The British Prime Minister Gordon Brown condemned the attacks and later met with members of the Northern Irish assembly. All sides of the political spectrum, including leading figures in Sinn Féin, have condemned the actions of the Real IRA.

Within 48 hours another dissident group known as the Continuity IRA carried out an attack on a police officer shooting him in the head. The officer, named as Stephen Paul Carroll from County Down, was killed as he responded to a call about a broken window. Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde said it was a “Sad day for Northern Ireland” but insisted the death would not stop his officers from serving the community [BBC / Sky News / CNN].

Speaking shortly after the killing, Gordon Brown once again condemned the attack but insisted the road to peace would continue. Of the people of Northern Ireland he said, “They want the political process to move forward, they do not want violence returning to the streets.”

The Continuity IRA claim to be a legitimate continuation of the Irish Republican Army or Óglaigh na hÉireann, a claim also made by the Provisional IRA. However while the Provisional IRA gave up their 25 year campaign in 2005, the Continuity IRA have persisted in their armed campaign. In a statement released today [Tuesday] the group said, “As long as there is British involvement in Northern Ireland our struggle will continue”.

Although the numbers within the Continuity IRA and Real IRA are relatively small, the damage they might inflict could be considerable. Both organisations are believed to only have around 150 members. This compares with thousands involved in the Provisionals. The groups also lack support on the ground. But the scattered nature of the two groups will make it all the more difficult for MI5 and other security services to find and locate the perpetrators.
Several other splinter groups are also of concern in the security services. Amongst them is the INLA [Irish National Liberation Army] though many of these groups are considered more ‘criminal’ than ‘political’.

The damage that all the groups might inflict on the peaceful political process is nonetheless extremely worrisome.

Pakistan - terrorists target cricket team

At least 7 members of the Sri Lankan cricket team have been injured in a terrorist attack in Lahore, Pakistan. Twelve armed terrorists carried out the coordinated attack as the convoy of vehicles carrying the team approached the Gaddafi stadium. As well as automatic weapons, a rocket launcher was also used in the attack. However the missile failed to reach its intended target, that of the coach carrying the team which was within a kilometre of the stadium.

Amongst the injured were the assistant coach, Paul Farbrace, and players Thilan Samaraweera, Tharanga Paranavitana, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Ajantha Mendis, Suranka Lakmal and Chaminda Vaas. Samaraweera and Paranavitana are said to have been seriously injured and were conveyed to hospital. Five policemen and a driver were killed. The tour was immediately cancelled and the team was quickly conveyed to the Gaddafi stadium where a waiting helicopter ferried them out of the country.

The attack took place at around 08:30 local time and continued for thirty minutes. A police spokesman said the terrorists were armed with Kalashnikovs, hand grenades and rocket launchers. Following the incident all the terrorists managed to slip away, though the police spokesman insisted they would be captured or killed.

However, the attack has shown that the Pakistani authorities are not prepared and ill equipped to cope with such attacks. “You cannot guarantee safety in Pakistan,” Tim Marshall, Sky’s International Correspondent said. He described the Pakistani authorities and being ineffective. They were “Out manoeuvred, out gunned and out foxed” he added. The country is becoming increasingly unstable, especially in the north of the country and this high profile incident will do nothing to improve Pakistan’s image abroad. The incident will also create some concern around the world. “I don’t think any team will want to go to Pakistan in the next few years,” Tim Marshall said. But there’s not just the sporting world that will be rattled by these events. Pakistan is a nuclear power, and there has long been a concern in the West that the weapons may fall into the hands of terrorists or an extremist government. The war in Afghanistan is slowly but surely spreading across the borders into its neighbour. This will raise more concerns in Washington as Barack Obama refocuses his war on terror [BBC / Sky News / CNN / al Jazeera].

'Terrorist' awarded 2,500 pounds

Terror suspect and radical cleric Abu Qatada has been awarded £2,500 by the European Court of Human Rights. The judgement comes after the court ruled his detention without trial in Britain had breached his human rights. On Wednesday this week Law Lords in Britain ruled that Abu Qatada could be deported to Jordan to face trial. His lawyers have already submitted an appeal against the decision to the European Court saying he might face torture if extradited.

Several other terror suspects were also awarded payouts by the European Court. Rideh, a Palestinian refugee who was detained in December 2001, accused of having links to radical preacher Abu Hamza, and Djamal Ajouaou, a Moroccan national, accused of being connected to two other terror suspects, are amongst ten others awarded between £1,500 and £3,400. The Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling said the payouts would "horrify most reasonable people in the UK". The Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said she was “disappointed” by the decision [BBC / Sky News]

British al-Qaeda member jailed

A British Muslim who became the first al-Qaeda suspect convicted in the UK of directing terrorism has been sentenced to life in jail. Rangzieb Ahmed, 33, was found guilty of the offence on Thursday following a trial at Manchester Crown Court. An accomplice, Habib Ahmed, was sentenced to 10 years [BBC / Sky News]