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LONDON, Aug. 5 (Xinhuanet) -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Friday unveiled a series of plans to extend the government's powers to "deport any foreign national inciting extremism" and to refuse asylum seekers in Britain if they are found to advocate extremism.
"Deportation will include those fostering hatred,
advocating violence and validating such violence," he said at a monthly press
conference.
Some centers used by extremists will be closed,imams
preaching extremism will be deported and current terrorist organizations in
Britain or their successor group are to be banned, Blair announced.
The prime minister said a one-month consultation with
other parties would be held on the new grounds for excluding and deporting
people before new anti-terrorism legislation is passed in autumn.
Recognizing that current human right laws might stand
in the way of some of the anti-terrorism measures, Blair said the human rights
act will be "amended if necessary" to make deportations more straight forward.
Blair pleaded that the measures are not aimed in any
way at "decent law-abiding Muslims" whose contributions to Britain are greatly
acknowledged and welcomed.
But he also said that Britain's tolerance and good
nature should not be abused by fanatic extremists who kill innocent lives.
Britain has surveyed practice and detailed
experiences in other countries in drawing up a comprehensive framework for
action in dealing with terrorism, he said.
In responding to al Qaida's video tape broadcast
on Thursday in which one of the group's top leader Ayman al Zawahiri blamed
Blair for the London bombings, the prime minister said Iraq, Afghanistan, or
Palestine are not excuses to justify terrorism. Enditem
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