Contest – Counter terrorist strategy
26 March 2009
For the first time, the Government has set out in an unclassified strategy a detailed account of the history of the threat, the impact that this has had on the UK, our understanding of its causes and our view of its likely direction.
The strategy sets out the principles that govern our response to the threat, particularly our commitment to human rights and the rule of law; and our intention to address not only immediate threats from terrorism but its causes.
And it sets out comprehensive programmes of action here and overseas. These programmes are divided into four main areas of work, building upon the earlier CONTEST framework:
- A Pursue strategy which makes use of new and greater resources now available to the agencies and police to investigate and disrupt terrorist networks here and overseas and to prosecute those responsible. The Government recognises the key role they play and their outstanding contribution to our security and safety.
- A Prevent strategy introduced since last year which aim to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting violent extremism and which reflects our better understanding of the causes of radicalisation; it includes new objectives, new programmes to address them, new funding and new partnerships with communities in this country and overseas.
- A Protect strategy which seeks to reduce the vulnerability of this country and its interests overseas to terrorist attack by further strengthening our borders, consolidating work on our critical national infrastructure and improving the protection of the crowded places where we work, live and play.
- A Prepare strategy that will enable us to respond effectively to new types of threat and to recover from any terrorist attack faster than ever before
- And a dedicated cross cutting strategy devoted to further work on the specific threat posed by the use by terrorists of chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapons (CBRN).
The strategy has a section devoted to its delivery. This identifies the very wide range of partnerships now essential to our counter terrorist work at both a local, national and international level. The document also sets out how the Government will measure progress.
The strategy concludes with a section on CT related communications, emphasising that however good our strategy may be it can be undermined if we fail to communicate it effectively in this country and overseas.