Call for new tools to fight terrorism

LONDON, April 23 (UPI) -- Police chiefs in Britain say in order to fight terrorism they need an extension of the 28-day time limit for holding a suspect without charges.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Ian Blair has told members of Parliament that the United Kingdom is the favored target of Islamist extremists ahead of the United States and European countries, The Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday.

"We appear to face the most radical and escalating threat of these countries in terms of the number of people involved and plots going on and that are happening now," said Bob Quick, Scotland Yard's new head of anti-terrorism.

Since the London subway bombings three years ago, the law enforcement officials report disrupting 15 terrorist plots. Blair said the complexity of the planned attacks and extensive use of computers by extremists mean that longer precharge limits are necessary.