Not even a week had passed and the Metropolitan Police  issued an ‘apology’ to the public - specifically to the residents of East London, for the ‘disruption and inconvenience’ caused to the community from the terror raid last Friday.

Our country’s so-called ‘Intelligence’ observed the house that they raided for 2 months prior to the arrests based on ‘specific evidence’. Now they have released without charge and we’re still waiting for them to recover any evidence proving the suspects to ever be terrorists.

A mere apology cannot and will not address the questions that have been raised from this incident.

Muslim community leaders have cooperated with the police, and the public can empathise with why it is necessary for authorities to raid houses that are under suspicion of ‘terrorist activity’. However was it entirely necessary for 250 or more armed officers to a raid house that can just about hold 45 people? A whole street in Forest Gate in East London can just about hold 250 people let alone one house! Which then leads to questions arising about the competency and capability of our country’s intelligence services and police authorities, whom we pay for, from our own taxes?

Government officials have a habit of issuing apologies. But why not do the job properly in the first place, and avoid the need for apologies to be issued?  They are supposed to be our country’s Intelligence.

Despite the impression that the media might give, as British citizens we have just as much right to question the actions of the authorities as anyone else.  These questions are not being asked out of thin air, but are based on facts that have been published.  Examples would include the gun that had ‘accidentally’ gone off in a struggle according to a police report, when the suspect’s lawyer had clearly confirmed that the gun had been shot at close proximity. Remember Jean Charles de Menezes, that other supposed Islamic terrorist shot by the police? Any person with rational thinking would question how we can trust our country’s Intelligence?

Furthermore, rather than just banging on about ‘suspected terrorists and activities’ why aren’t we questioning the root cause of these supposed acts? Instead of the intelligence just intercepting e-mails and phone calls and carrying out terror raids in the early hours of the morning, why are they not addressing what might cause anyone to pursue such extreme measures as blowing themselves up or even collecting chemicals to create bombs? And before anyone shouts ‘glorification of terrorism’ please remember that seeking to understand is not the same as seeking to justify. But if we’re ever going to put a stop to terrorism surely it makes sense to understand the root causes?

If only this country spent the time that they use listening to scare-mongering about the ‘Muslim terrorists’ and used it to write to their MPs or lobbied government officials asking them to address what it is that is angering these people to the point that thy might take such desperate measures? If we don’t answer this question then the terrorists only have to be lucky once and all our lives are in jeopardy as happened on that horrific day in London, nearly one year ago. MPACUK believe the only answer is for the public to get involved in the political process and change the unjust policies that are fuelling Muslim anger. If we don’t trust our government with our safety, we can change our government.

The government has the right to extract taxes from our salaries, and we, the public have just as much right to demand that the government truly ensures our safety.  The mood in the country is now firmly against the Iraq war.  There are only talks of pulling the troops back in from Iraq, all talk, no action. Before the war Intelligence reports warned that invading Iraq would put us in Britain under increased terrorist threat – yet foreign policy continues to haunt Britain’s public with security issues. Once again comes to the question of, how much can we trust the intelligence and our government with it?

---