Magic Statistics

The two men detained in Britain earlier this month in connection with the terrorist arrests in Canada have now formally been charged with conspiracy to commit murder.  From the online report at BBC News:

A youth, 16, and a man, 21, have been charged with conspiracy to murder and conspiring to cause public nuisance by using poisons or explosives.

The man, from Bradford, was arrested at Manchester airport last week.

He and the 16-year-old, who comes from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, will appear at Bow Street Magistrates' Court in central London on Thursday.

BBC News understands that the charges faced by the 21-year-old relate to allegations of terrorism overseas.

"Overseas"?  Why can't the BBC bring itself to mention the name of the country, Britain's former colony, Canada?  Because that would make the Islamic connection apparent?  Is that also the reason why the older man is not named?  (The name of the teenager cannot be released.)

Fortunately, the Bradford Telegraph & Argus fills in the gaping holes blanks.

Aabid Khan, 21, . . . who is unemployed, is also charged with possession of a computer hard drive for a purpose connected with the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism.

The Argus also says that another Bradford man is still being sought in the ongoing investigation which is linked to "the arrest of 17 members of a suspected al-Quaida-style terrorist cell in Canada."

The Guardian is even worse then the BBC: Its report failed even to mention that another country was involved.

I wonder why those venerable British news services omitted all that information.

Bradford Argus link via Western Resistance.

UPDATE (15 Jun.): Canada's National Post has more information. 

Present UK law allows elective abortions until 24 weeks of gestation.  In a recent meeting with Scotland's top Roman Catholic Cardinal Keith O'Brien, Prime Minister Tony Blair suggested that, because of recent scientific advances and changing public mood, the time is right to consider reducing the legal time limit.

Tony Blair has signalled a major U-turn on abortion by admitting that the time had come to "re-open the debate".

The Prime Minister has acknowledged that the legal time limit for abortions should be up for discussion in a private meeting with Scotland's most senior Catholic in Westminster.

Pro-life campaigners last night said they were 'encouraged' by Mr Blair's admission to Cardinal Keith O'Brien.

Pressure has been mounting on Mr Blair to allow MPs the right to vote on whether the legal time limit for abortions should be slashed following a number of major scientific advances.

Cardinal O'Brien pleaded with Mr Blair to heed the growing public unease over abortion and allow MPs to vote on lowering the 24-week upper time limit.

Catholic sources revealed: "Tony Blair was very receptive and has told us he believes there is a need to re-open the debate on abortion time limits."

This comes a few days before England's ranking Catholic Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor meets with Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt.  It is understood that Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor will raise the same issue.

Recent scientific progress has made it possible to save babies born before 24 weeks gestation.  Also, the availability of high-definition ultrasound technology has changed attitudes to unborn children, making the public more receptive to tighter restrictions on abortion. Disturbing stories of babies who have survived elective abortion procedures have also had an important impact.  An estimated 50 babies every year are born alive following abortions in the UK.

British MPs on both sides of the issue have called for review of the existing law.

Such a proposal would be impossible in Canada because our unelected masters the Supreme Court invalidated previously existing abortion laws in the 1988 Morgentaler decision, taking the issue out of the hands of the people.  No political party has had the stomach to challenge judicial legislation.  Thus, as this blog has noted in the past, when it comes to abortion, it's impossible for Canada to be more extreme.

A French judge has sentenced 25 Muslim would-be terrorists to prison terms after they were convicted in connection with a conspiracy to bomb landmark sites, including the Russian Embassy and the Eiffel Tower.

Five ringleaders were jailed for between eight and ten years each. Twenty people who played lesser roles in the conspiracy received shorter sentences, some of which were suspended. Two defendants were acquitted.
. . .
The court convicted 24 defendants of criminal association in relation with a terrorist enterprise, a broad charge used by France to sweep wide in bringing terror suspects to justice. One other was convicted of using false papers.

Those convicted were part of an international jihadist network working to support Islamic separatists fighting in the Russian province of Chechnya.

Today's sentences stem from events that occurred in 2002, and have generated little controversy in France.  In Britain, by contrast, there has been much public hand-wringing debate over the extent to which security and civil rights may be brought into conflict by anti-terrorist operations.  The French take a tougher approach to public security than do the British, reports Charles Bremner, Paris correspondent for The Times of London.

There is a big difference between the French and British policy and approach to terrorism. The DST, the equivalent to MI5 as well as the police intelligence, keep a very close watch on the housing estates where the majority of the Muslim population live.

"Until last summer the French were very unhappy with what they saw was incompetence by the British. The French thought the British were far too lax towards radical Muslim activities on their territory.
. . .
"Among the French public there is not the same level of popular concern over terrorism in France as there is in Britain. House raids happen very often and do not get the same media coverage that is heaped on them in the UK.

The contrast between French convictions and British apologies over the fruitless raid on an east London residence will only reinforce the low view that French authorities have of British law enforcement.