A glimmer of hope for the UK February 17
Finally, a front page top story on BBC news entitled Ministers 'using fear of terror', detailing comments made by the former head of MI5, Dame Stella Rimington.
Excerpt:
"It would be better that the government recognised that there are risks, rather than frightening people in order to be able to pass laws which restrict civil liberties, precisely one of the objects of terrorism - that we live in fear and under a police state"
It is worth noting that this woman was in charge of the UK intelligence services at a time when there was no IRA ceasefire and the IRA were actively carrying out attacks such as the 1992 Balti Exchange bombing, the 1993 Bishopsgate bombing, the 1996 Manchester Bombing and the 1996 Docklands bombing, and yet she stills sees the importance of civil liberties and assessing risks accordingly.
It is also worth noting that as a result of all 4 of the above attacks, 6 people were killed - less than the number of people who are killed per day on UK roads (around 8 per day in 2007).
As an added glimmer of hope, the associated stories include the recent damning report by the International Commission of Jurists that Anti-terror tactics 'weaken law'.