David Cameron: seize passports of Islamic State militants

LONDON , Sept. 2 (UPI) -- British Prime Minister David Cameron outlined plans to combat Islamic militants, about 500 of whom are from Britain, as they return home.

Cameron, speaking to Parliament Monday, proposed seizing suspected militants' passports and compelling them to join "deradicalization programs." He called the concept of British citizens swearing allegiance to the Islamic State and other militant groups "abhorrent."

"Adhering to British values is not an option or a choice. It is a duty for all those who live in these islands, so we will stand up for our values, we will in the end defeat this extremism, and we will secure our way of life for generations to come," Cameron added.

His plans also include a widening of police powers to temporarily seize passports at the border before a suspect enters Britain, what Cameron called "specific and discretionary" powers, and laws that could compel suspected militants to leave their hometowns and move away from associates.

"The European Council conclusions could not be clearer, and I quote, the European Council believes the creation of an Islamic Caliphate in Iraq and Syria and the Islamist extremism and export of terrorism on which it is based is a direct threat to every European country," he said, noting at least 700 people from France have joined the IS, as well as 400 from Germany.