The use of violence and intimidation against civilians in the name of political pride or other goals can be defined as terrorism. In comparison to its neighbors France or Italy, the United Kingdom has a greater likelihood of experiencing terrorist attacks. This is due to the close cooperation between the United States and the United Kingdom in the battle against terrorism. The globe has seen numerous governments fall because of terrorism. Syria and Somalia, for example. In the past 20 years, neither Somalia nor Syria have known true calm; since 2011, Syria has been a theater of conflict. Terrorism destabilises a nation’s economy, political stability, loss of life, and psychological trauma on the people attacked. The rate at which terrorist activities are taking place around the world if left unchecked will cause havoc. The United Kingdom is one of the few nations around the world who have a very strict rule when it comes to the issue to deal with terrorism.
Over the last few year, the United Kingdom has developed several acts that there geared towards kicking the act of terrorism away. However, the terrorist has become creative and are devising a new mechanism to evade the law. Primarily, there needs to be a reform on the definition of Terrorism in the United Kingdom. Joe Robinson joined the group fighting the ISIS after news came out that a group of armed men killed more than 38 people on June 25, 2015. The gunmen claimed to be part of the ISIS group that has been terrorising people in Syria. This meant he joined the People’s Protection Unit team that was defending Kurdish part of Syria. Primarily, he acceded to the team to fight the good fight against the terrorist ISIS. However, the law in the United Kingdom states that fight against ISIS in Syria is considered an act of terrorism.
Having a military experience and noticing that the government of United Kingdom is doing nothing to revert the issue on Syria. He decided to go and join the people in Syria who are fighting Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). This was a good way as he was trying to help people fight the wrong individuals who were causing political disability by inserting fear on people. However, this contradicts the law of United Kingdom that states that fighting the ISIS is Syria is a crime for any United Kingdom citizens. Primarily, this is the main reason why the United Kingdom is not heavily involved in the war in Syria. If the United Kingdom participates in the war, it is likely that the war will end because the nation has some military capabilities that can bring the rebels to their knees.
The UK should review its laws on Terrorism to allow it citizen’s fight the rebels groups that are terrorising people in Syria. Consequently, the UK is one of those nation in the world that are putting all their resources in ensuring that they fight the terrorist groups and terrorism. The fight against terrorism should start from the source. This will enable the country to mitigate the issue before it gets out of hand. Terrorism is a problem of the world and not the UK alone so the state should revise its laws on terrorism to be in line with other nations in the world that are putting the same effort to fight terrorism. With a collective understanding and integration of laws around the world, it will be easy to nations to fight terrorism together as one. The terrorist act in the United Kingdome needs a review to protect people who struggle for greater good such Joe Robinson. Some of the terrorist act have motivated youth to join the war to fight the ISIS which is killing a lot of people in the country.
There are some key areas that the government should consider when reviewing the definition of the terrorism under the United Kingdom. Primarily the definition of the terrorism should include aspects such as violence for political ends and use violence to advance political ideological or religious cause. Incorporating such elements in the terrorist act will protect individuals such as Joe Robinson who join the fight to protect the human rights. Within the strategy of the definition of terrorism under the current law, two important themes conduct in regards to the justifiable reliance. Firstly, a significant threat to terrorist activities to the public or the constitution in the name of achieving a certain political or religious ideology. Moreover, the factor requires conducts in the widening of the definition of terrorism and other power to accommodate offences so that the intervention is possible before the crime takes place. The second theme that arises is the preventive strategies that are required in targeting the individuals and locations. This entails that the process of intelligence gathering is essential as it will help the country in the course in contingency planning and prevention. This strength will allow the United Kingdom to criticise the rebels and gauge the power of cogent reforms and political opposition.
The Terrorism Act of 2000 was mainly designed to consolidate provisions and draw together the previous antiterrorism laws to makes sure that they are in line with the single code that many require re-enactment or renewal. However, terrorism activities have changed over the years, and the laws need a re-enactment to makes sure it incorporates the other issues that are currently visible with terrorist tactics. For instance, Joe Robinson joined a group that were fighting the terrorist group in Syria. In a real sense, he was fighting the good fight by fighting the terrorist group but under the English law that amounted to terrorist activities. Such a law id discriminative meaning the people with United Kingdom roots cannot help other people fight terrorist groups.
Under the Terrorism Act of 2000, a prescribed group is an organisation that participates of commits terrorism acts, prepares for terrorism, promotes or encourages terrorism, and concerned with terrorist activities. The group that Joe Robison does not meet the above definition meaning that the organisation was fighting the terrorist activities by the ISIS group that kills people anytime they fell necessary. Revising the Act to accommodate such good acts by people in the United Kingdom would be a big step towards fighting terrorism laws around the worlds. This is because terrorism affects nearly every country in the world as the terrorist groups want to facilitate their ideology of world’s Muslim caliphate. Such a doctrine is not adequate as does not allow people freedom of worship and they will be forced to become Muslims. Moreover, it is evident that terrorist activities destabilise world peace by instigating fear into people. For instance, such is evident in the current state of Syria and some Middle East countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan which are in constant wars. The same is also apparent in Africa in nations such as Somalia and Libya which have not experienced any peace for some time now. Not only would reforming the terrorist would benefit the United Kingdom but the world in general in the fight against terrorist activities.
Benefits of reforming the Terrorist Act
It is important that the UK changes its anti-terrorism law to incorporate its definition with other nation’s definitions. This will help not only the UK but the whole world. Improving the anti-terrorism law through a consensus definition helps the entire world as the arrest and prosecution of terrorist groups and member will be under uniform laws with clear definitions of the crime committed. Moreover, the prosecutors will have an easy in identifying the crimes perpetrated, and it will be easy for them to prosecute people. Reforming the terrorism act has some benefits to the United Kingdom which include firstly, barring returning terrorists. The exclusion order will involve requests to controls UK nationals who are suspected of terrorism abroad. The rules can be enforced trough several activities including cancellation of travel document and the inclusion of a person’s papers in the details of the British border.
So the message of the British nationals who are involved in terrorist activities abroad will be that they will be allowed to enter the country on the government's term hence with will reduce incidences under which people are joining the terrorist group’s ad participating in terrorist activities. Furthermore, this will go a long way in protecting the nation against terrorist activities as the nationals will now be more screened and the suspected individuals will be prosecuted and jailed regardless of their nationalism. However, this strategy has some setbacks as some people will be rendered stateless by making people choose to come back to the country on the condition that they are monitored or be banned from entering the country. Moreover, it is even unclear how the ban will work with the current loopholes in minor ferry ports and small aircraft.
Secondly campus extremism, most of the people who are engaging in terrorist activities in the country are either in high school, college, or universities. There should be a new rule that requires colleges, police, prisons, schools, and college to prevent people from getting involved in terrorist activities. Primarily, ministers should have the power to give directions and enforceable by court order to individuals and firms that mainly invite extremist people and speakers or fail in their protective duty. Primarily, colleges, universities, and schools should not allow radical speakers in their institutions. Consequently, prisoners should show their willingness to deal with extreme people in an appropriate people. Similarly, the organisation will be mandated to take caution of the guidelines within the revised Terrorism Act and the rules published by the home secretary. If these groups and institutions continue ignoring the directions of the Minister, then he should issue an instruction to them that is enforceable by a court order.
Additionally, monitoring of air passengers, revising the terrorist act will result in issuing tougher rules and regulations to airline companies to provide the counter-terrorism unit with passenger data. This will be critical in ensuring the security of the country as the airlines will be tasked with the responsibility of screening people flying into the country. Primarily, carriers that fail to provide advanced passenger list should be denied landing rights in the UK. More than 90% of aeroplanes operating in Europe provide such data except airlines from Germany where laws are perverting such disclosure. Consequently, the revising or reforming the terrorist act will prevent people from making trips abroad which have no basis and joining terrorist groups. The border officer should be given the power to confiscate the passport of individuals if they suspect that the persons are leaving the country to go and join terrorist groups. Similarly, they should be given the power to detain and question people whore are suspected of terrorism for about six hours and schedule 7 anti-terrorist groups.
Likewise, the terrorist act should reform the terrorist prevention and investigation measure (Tpims) to give the organisation powers to relocate suspected individuals to different parts of the world. The definition of terrorism should be full to civil standard to include the people accused or caught on the periphery of terrorist activities until they are proven innocent. With only one Tpim in the country, the chances are that people are likely to leave the country and go and the jihadist groups in Syria or Iraq. Increasing the powers of the Tpim people will be watched, and their movements monitored, and any suspicions arise they will be arrested for questioning. The number of individuals joining the jihadist groups will likely to reduce because of the strict measures put in place by the organisation to prevent terrorist activities in the country.
Moreover, the terrorist act should include a clause that bans insurance companies from paying ransoms. A crime offence should be created in the UK to tighten the law making it illegal for the UK-based organisation from providing cover for terrorist organisation ransom payments. Primarily, the ransom payment to the ISIS group over the last twelve months has been more than 28 million dollars, and they are mainly paid through insurance companies making its hard to detect and control. Consequently, internet monitoring would be another interesting part of the terrorist act that needs reform. Most of the people joining the terrorist groups join them via the web through social medias such as Facebook and Twitter. Service, providers should be mandated to keep data on internet protocol that allows the security organisations to identify people involve in terrorism activities. The new law should require that the service providers retain all information and submit them to security agencies for analysis.
In conclusion, the UK need to reform its laws on terrorism to allow it citizen’s fight the rebels groups that are terrorising people in Syria. Consequently, the UK is one of those nation in the world that are putting all their resources in ensuring that they fight the terrorist groups and terrorism. This will benefit not only the UK but the whole world. Reforming the terrorist act through a consensus definition helps the entire world as the arrest and prosecution of terrorist groups and member will be under uniform laws with clear definitions of the crime committed.
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