New measures to crack down on extremists who incite others to commit terrorist acts by preaching, running websites or writing inflammatory articles were announced by the British government today.
Home Secretary Charles Clarke said the government would draw up a list of "unacceptable" activities intended to foment or provoke terrorism in the wake of the London bombings, which killed 56 people - all of whom have now been identified.
The Home Office, Foreign Office and intelligence agencies will compile a database of individuals "around the world" who have demonstrated such behaviour. Any individuals on that index seeking to enter the UK will have their cases referred to ministers with a view to possible exclusion from the country.
Mr Clarke said he had concluded his powers to exclude people from Britain needed to be used "more widely and systematically", both for foreign visitors and people already living in the country
And he made clear the powers to remove people would apply to visitors, asylum applicants and those who had already won asylum.
His comments came after Britain's most senior police officer called for a new criminal offence of "glorifying terrorism" to make it easier to prosecute the "preachers of hate". There is growing anger over the comments of the radical Muslim cleric Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed, who said yesterday that the British government and public shared some of the blame for the July 7th attacks on the capital.
It also emerged today that Pakistan had detained an "important man" with "direct links" to the London bombings. A senior intelligence official in the eastern city of Lahore confirmed that the man was in custody, but refused to disclose his name, or elaborate on his alleged links to the attacks.
The Pakistani authorities were already holding at least seven people suspected of links to the four London suicide bombers - three of whom visited the country in the months before the atrocity.
Intelligence officials there are trying to determine whether they received training from extremist groups or became radicalised while attending religious schools, known as madrasas.
Prime Minister Tony Blair said today he had spoken to the Pakistan leader, President Pervez Musharraf, about tackling extremist preaching. He said he was considering hosting a conference to bring together all countries affected by Islamist extremism.
Mr Blair also agreed to consult police and security services on whether evidence from phone-tapping should be allowed in court in the light of the July 7th attacks.
AP