New terrorism power plans unveiled

LONDON - The government unveiled plans on Thursday for controversial new powers to allow police to hold terrorism suspects for up to 42 days without charge -- but the compromise deal failed to appease critics.

Since taking over from Tony Blair in June, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said police powers need to be extended to allow them to deal with complex terrorism investigations that involve multiple plots and many countries.

But he has had to backtrack from simply raising the detention limit, in the face of mounting opposition not just from political opponents and civil rights groups, but from senior legal figures and within his own Labour Party.

Instead, the new and complicated proposals would allow the government to use temporary measures only in extreme situations, permitting detectives to quiz suspects for a maximum of 42 days -- up from the current 28-day cut-off.

These additional powers, which would be subject to parliamentary approval, would expire after two months.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said the measures were needed to address an increasing "serious and sustained threat".

The security services have said they are monitoring thousands of individuals that pose a risk and so far this year 42 people have been convicted of terrorism offences.

But Smith said the new powers would only be used in exceptional circumstances.

"It is not something we are expecting to become mundane or everyday," she told reporters, saying police and the independent reviewer of government terrorism laws back their plans.

The current limit is itself a compromise deal agreed two years ago after Blair suffered his first defeat in the House of Commons when Labour MPs rebelled against plans for a 90-day limit. Brown is likely to face similar problems when the proposals go before parliament next year.

Ministers concede that no case has so far required more time than the current limit but say detectives were pushed to the brink over the suspected plot to blow up transatlantic airliners in August last year.

Two suspects were charged on the 28th day of their detention. But civil rights groups argue 28 days is already much longer than in any other comparable democracy.

Many senior officials, including the former Attorney General and the Director of Public Prosecutions, remain unconvinced and both major opposition parties are fierce opponents, saying no evidence has been produced for the extension.

The announcement has also angered Islamic groups who fear new powers will alienate many of the country's 1.7 million Muslims.

"This government has increased the detention from 7 days to 28 days without any evidence and we are certainly on the road to a police state," the mainstream Ramadhan Foundation said in a statement.