Chertoff comment on Europe and terrorism misguided

2.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 16th Jan 2008

In response to the claims by US Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff that one of the biggest threats to US security may now come from within Europe and that the US was a safer place because of its security strategies, Liberal Democrat European justice spokeswoman Sarah Ludford MEP said:

"Europe is very conscious of the need to prevent as well as prosecute terrorism, which is itself a human rights abuse. But we are sensible enough to know we have to acknowledge causes of terrorism if we are to fight it effectively."

"Hence the US must recognize how its 'war on terror' policies of assassination, torture, kidnapping and disappearance have impeded the criminal law pursuit of terrorist suspects, destroyed the international rule of law, fostered resentment and catastrophically torpedoed the moral authority of the West, thus helping to generate more waves of terrorism."

"It is misguided for people in glass houses to throw stones instead of looking for joint solutions. Fortunately most of the candidates for the next US presidency have a less blinkered approach than Mr Chertoff's."