LONDON, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- A British Tory Party MP has charged that the London bombings were directly linked to the Iraq war.
Kenneth Clarke, a leading contented for the leadership of Britain;s main opposition Conservative, or Tory Party, launched his campaign Thursday with a scathing attack on Prime Minister Tony Blair's handling of the Iraq conflict and its aftermath, the Independent newspaper reported Friday.
"If the prime minister really believes it, he must be the only person left who thinks that the recent bombs in London had no connection at all with his policy in Iraq," Clarke said. "Sensible members of the public know perfectly well that misjudgments over Iraq have made the United Kingdom a more dangerous place for its citizens. The public knows it; all politicians should have the courage to say so," Clarke said.
Although most Tory MPs voted for military action in Iraq, Clarke insisted that many MPs and party members now shared his views on the issue, the Independent said.
Clarke warned that bringing in new laws after every terrorist atrocity could be counter-productive, saying they could feed a sense of panic and enhance the grievances from which the terrorists hoped to derive sympathy. "You do not beat the enemies of freedom by taking freedom away," he said, warning that moderate Muslims were being alienated.
Clarke also plans to detain suspects without trial for up to three months and called for an independent body to report to Parliament on anti-terrorism powers.
Clarke argued that draconian laws would not make the country any safer and that a political response was need to resolve the conflict with the Muslim world. "The roots of our present terrorism lie in the Middle East and in a series of conflicts around the world," he said.
