British Prime Minister Tony Blair's pledge to crack down on groups and clerics who foment support for terrorism prompts one obvious question. How many groups and individuals are there who set the ideological conditions that lead to attacks such as those in London?
The answer is that the authorities do not know.
One plan the government is considering is to make it easier to deport foreign-born people who preach hate or eulogize terrorist acts.
A possible target is Omar Bakri Mohammed, a Syrian-born cleric granted asylum in Britain. He claims to have given religious instruction to two Britons who went to Israel on a suicide bombing mission that killed four.
Bakri Mohammed has made statements praising martyrdom and once called for the death of the former prime minister John Major. His radical group, al-Muhajiroun, held a meeting "in memory" of the Sept. 11 hijackers.
Evan Kohlman, a consultant to the US government on the terror threat in Europe, said deporting Bakri Mohammed would not alone tackle the "extremism" he is alleged to have incited.
He says the cleric's supporters would be capable of carrying on.
"His hate has become self-propagating. If he's removed, his followers have generated networks and can hold their own meetings. He is an important symbol to them," Kohlman said.
There has been much debate about the role of al-Muhajiroun in recruiting British Muslims for violent jihad, an allegation Bakri Mohammed denies.
Mike Whine, spokesman for a the Community Safety Trust, a British Jewish group monitoring Islamic extremism, said: "There is no evidence of involvement in terrorism, but what they do is act as a conveyor belt, to radicalize young people, and if they want to do something real, they are put in contact with real terrorists."
Al-Muhajiroun recently announced that it had disbanded; a new group has emerged, the Saviour Sect, which contains some of its members.
Another cleric who could be a target is Jordanian-born Abu Qatada, who fled to Britain claiming persecution.
He was held in London's Belmarsh jail without charge or trial after the government's post-Sept. 11 crackdown, and is now subject to a control order.
Qatada has been dubbed "Bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe."Tapes of his sermons were found in the Hamburg flat used by some of the Sept. 11 hijackers.
He has been convicted of terrorism in his absence in Jordan and several European countries are believed to be trying to extradite him.
An Italian magazine ran statements in which Qatada is alleged to have called for an attack on Rome.
"Rome is a cross. The West is a cross and Romans are the owners of the cross. Muslims' target is the West," the magazine quoted him as saying.
The second measure being considered is making it an offence to glorify terrorism. Kohlman said this law, if passed, could be used against hundreds of people.
Abu Musa, spokesman for the radical group Supporters of Sharea says there are five to 10 clerics who would publicly espouse views the government considers as praising terrorist acts. He estimates that a third of clerics share these views in private.
A third proposal is to make it harder for radicals banned by Britain's allies to enter the country.
There was controversy this week over the decision to admit Egyptian-born scholar Tariq Ramadan; he was banned in France.
RSS