Personal Background

My blog focuses on the influence of international terrorism in western countries. Terrorism is a topic that I have been interested in for a long time. A marking point for me was three years ago when I first heard about the plans of the German government to introduce the so called telecommunications data retention law. I became more interested in it and I got to know more about it. At that time many people in Germany simply did not care about this law that would affect each and every person using a phone, a computer or a fax machine.¹ As I got to know more I also saw how much information was concealed in the media or simply presented wrong about the law. The German government claimed that they had to adopt this law as it was enacted by the European Union but this was misleading. In fact the German law went much further than it was required by the European Union.

This was one of the many laws in Europe that was made to enhance the fight against terrorism. Many people I talked to were not aware of this fact or said that it must be right simply because the government must have a good reason for the law. But as I looked further into the topic I could not find good reasons for many of these laws. An example would be the public call by many politicians for video surveillance everywhere. But how does a surveillance camera help the victims of a terror attack?
Instead of solving the problem of terrorism at the root, many politicians tend to rather work on the surface and come up with laws that are about the symptoms of terrorism. A surveillance camera doesn't prevent a terrorist attack, it just gives the feeling of security.
We can't give up the personal freedom of the individual just because there could be a terroristic attack
-somewhere, somehow at some time.


¹The Directive requires Member States to ensure that communications providers must retain, for a period of between 6 months and 2 years, necessary data as specified in the Directive

• to trace and identify the source of a communication;

• to trace and identify the destination of a communication;

• to identify the date, time and duration of a communication;

• to identify the type of communication;

• to identify the communication device;

• to identify the location of mobile communication equipment.

Patriot act

USA PATRIOT act

"Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001"

-A "direct answer" to the terroristic attacks on 9/11

"The Act increases the ability of law enforcement agencies to search telephone, e-mail communications, medical, financial and other records; eases restrictions on foreign intelligence gathering within the United States; expands the United States Secretary of the Treasury authority to regulate financial transactions, particularly those involving foreign individuals and entities; and enhances the discretion of law enforcement and immigration authorities in detaining and deporting Immigration in the United States suspected of terrorism-related acts. The act also expands the definition of terrorism to include domestic terrorism, thus enlarging the number of activities to which the USA PATRIOT Act’s expanded law enforcement powers can be applied."
(quote: Wikipedia)


What it does:

• It allows the police, secret service, etc. to arrest any American as well as non-American citizen for an undefined time.
  
  
• To examine any suspect -with torture "if necessary"
  
  
• It allows any secret service to search the house of a suspect undercover
  
  
• Any form of communication (Internet,phone, etc) of a suspect can be monitored without an approval by any court