Catching Up

This has been a big week for news items so here’s a quick catch up for Friday afternoon and then we can all watch football for the next two and a half days. Or not.

Cameron in Afghanistan

The new British PM is in Afghanistan. He told soldiers stationed in Helmand today that they are not an occupying force.

He said: “This is not a war of choice. This is not a war of occupation, it is a war of obligation.”

He said that British troops had been operating in the country since shortly after the 9/11 attacks and that they were there to stop Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups from organizing and training in Afghanistan.

He promised that as soon as Afghan forces and authority could maintain order and prevent terrorists from using the country as a base then British troops would be withdrawn.

Yesterday Mr Cameron’s helicopter flight was diverted from its destination at Shahzad patrol base in Helmand because of intelligence which suggested the Taliban were planning to attack an unnamed VIP.

He had flown originally to Kabul to speak to Afghan president Hamid Karzai, and to demonstrate that the country was a top foreign policy priority for the new government.

Another soldier killed in Afghanistan

Lance Bombardier Mark Chandler, 32, of 3^rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery was killed this week in a gun battle with insurgents in Helmand Province. He is the 294^th British serviceman or woman to die in the country since 2001.

Police misuse terrorist stop and search powers

Police forces have admitted to misusing stop and search powers given to them under the Terrorism Act 2000.

Under section 44 police can stop people without suspecting them of a crime, but that power needs to be renewed each month by a minister.

But errors in procedures have rendered hundreds of searches illegal.

After the then Home Secretary David Blunkett signed the monthly permission nearly four hours too late in April 2004, the Met Police carried out 840 searches between noon on April 5 and 7.20am on April 29, all have which have been declared illegitimate.

Other errors have involved police forces from North Yorkshire, Hampshire, Bedfordshire, Essex, Manchester, Fife, South Wales and Thames Valley.

Security Minister Baroness Neville-Jones said she has orders a review of the use of the law: "To maintain public confidence in our counter terrorism powers, it is absolutely crucial all those responsible for exercising them do so properly.

"I take these matters extremely seriously and have instructed the Department to conduct an urgent review of current procedures to ensure that errors can be prevented in future."