Wednesday - December 28, 2005

France Cracks Down

My, my! What’s the world coming to? Usually the French crack me up but now they have decided to crack down. On terrorists, that is. I’m sure they still have a full stock of white flags ... just in case. The French have always had a problem deciding whose side to be on in any war. This will probably be no exception to that rule.

PARIS (AFX) - The French parliament has adopted a tough new anti-terrorist law inspired by British measures used to identify the bombers who carried out the July bomb attacks in London. MPs voted 202 to 122 in favour of the law, which will increase video surveillance of railways stations, airports and other public areas, permit official snooping on the internet and mobile telephone records, and lengthen the period of detention for terrorist suspects.

Civil rights groups and left-wing opposition parties have expressed concern over the law, which they fear gives authorities too much power to invade citizens’ privacy and encourages confusion between immigration and terrorism.  The law paves the way for increased use of surveillance cameras in public spaces such as train stations, churches and mosques, shops, factories or nuclear plants.

Mobile phone operators and internet access firms—particularly internet cafes—will be required to keep records of client connections for one year under its provisions. Officials will have greater authority to conduct identity checks on cross-border trains and to automatically monitor vehicles, and police will have wider access to previously confidential customer information from rail, maritime and air transport companies.

Local authorities will have the right to ban certain individuals from entering sporting stadiums. Terrorist suspects can also be kept in custody for a maximum of six days without being put under formal, criminal investigation. The previous duration was four days.

Posted by Ronald Reagan's Ghost     on 12/28/2005 at 07:31 AM   
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