Instrumentalization of Madrid so as to construct a more authoritarian EU super state was predictable, but here's the juice from Statewatch based on proposals 'provided to them'; biometrics, Schengen Information System reinforcement, the whole caboodle. Is there a Foucault anywhere in the house.....?
“Scoreboard” on Post-Madrid Counter-Terrorism Plans
Statewatch
Summary
1. The tragedy in Madrid on 11 March 2004 requires a response from the
EU to review and reinforce counter-terrorist measures. An analysis of the
57 proposals on the table at the EU Summit on 25-26 March in Brussels
shows that 30 of these are relevant to this need.
2. However, the analysis also shows that 27 of the proposals have little
or nothing to do with tackling terrorism – they deal with crime in general
and surveillance.
3. A number of the proposals would introduce the wholesale surveillance
of everyone in Europe and could potentially be used for social and
political control:
a) through logging all telecommunications (e-mails, phone-calls, mobilecalls,
faxes and internet usage;
b) tracking all air travel in and out and within the EU (effectively an EU
version of the USA’s controversial PNR, CAPPS II and US-VISIT plans);
c) the fingerprinting of nearly everyone in the EU by the introduction of
biometric passports and ID cards for citizens and the same for resident
third country nationals.
4. The dreadful loss of life and injuries in Madrid requires a response
that will unite the people of Europe rather than divide them.
If in defending democracy measures are introduced that fundamentally
undermine civil liberties and peoples’ right to privacy, it has to be asked
what are we defending?
