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Fri 22/10/2010 13:03

Dear colleague,

Please find attached this week‟s News Summary. The weekly summary is intended to provide
background information to topical news stories and issues that may resonate in communities. The
weekly summary also includes links to interesting news articles that people may wish to circulate
further.

This week‟s summary includes:

 The Strategic Defence and Security Review and the National Security Strategy
 The Quilliam Foundation report into radicalisation at City University

We encourage you to share this unrestricted document with your contacts.

As ever we would appreciate your feedback on the format, content and timing of the News
Summary as well as suggestions on issues you would like it to cover. Please email
ricu@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk with comments or if you would like to subscribe.

Kind regards,

Naomi

Naomi Line
Strategic Communications Advisor, News Co-ordination Team
RICU (Research, Information and Communications Unit)
Office for Security and Counter Terrorism
Home Office, 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF
Tel: 0207 035 0236

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Weekly News Summary

Friday 22nd October 2010

Key Issues
Strategic Defence and Security Review and National Security Strategy announced

On Monday, the Prime Minister laid a Written Ministerial Statement in Parliament announcing
publication of the National Security Strategy (NSS). The Strategy outlines the UK‟s objectives which
will guide the Government‟s strategic approach to National Security. The full strategy can be accessed
here.

On Tuesday, the Government published its Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) setting
out how the Government will deliver the priorities identified in the National Security Strategy. It
describes how the Government will equip the armed forces, the police and intelligence agencies to
tackle the threats the UK faces today and will face in the future. The review describes National
Security as the first duty of Government and can be accessed at www.direct.gov.uk/sdsr.

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister said:

“We need to focus more of our resources, not on the conventional threats of the past but on the
unconventional threats of the future.

Over the next four years, we will invest over half a billion pounds of new money in a national cyber
security programme. This will significantly enhance our ability to detect and defend against cyber
attacks and fix shortfalls in the critical cyber infrastructure on which the whole country now depends.

We will continue to prioritise tackling the terrorist threat both from Al Qaeda and its affiliates and
from dissident republicans in Northern Ireland.

Although efficiencies will need to be made we are giving priority to continuing investment in our
world-class intelligence agencies. And we will sharpen our readiness to act on civil emergencies,
energy security, organised crime, counter proliferation and border security.”

On Wednesday, the Government also published the Spending Review, which sets out spending
budgets for each Government department up to 2014-15. For more information please visit the
Treasury website.

Key Points
The National Security Strategy (NSS) and the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR)
together comprise the Government‟s strategic decisions about defence and security. They
cover both domestic and overseas elements of security. The NSS focuses on the country‟s
objectives, while the focus of the SDSR is the “ways” and “means” to achieve them.
This is the first time that a UK government has taken decisions on its defence, security,
intelligence, resilience, development and foreign affairs capabilities in this way.

The SDSR has identified areas in which the Government will adapt the strategy for countering
terrorism. This includes:
o A review of counter-terrorism and security powers as part of
a broader programme to enhance civil liberties;
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 o reforming the counter-radicalisation work stream of CONTEST, introducing a clearer
separation from work on integration;
o continuing to prioritise the counter-terrorism elements of policing, and
o to put in place new measures to reduce vulnerability to unconventional terrorist attacks.
Further information and a series of factsheets explaining the NSS and the SDSR can be found
on the Cabinet Office website.

Associated articles: The Telegraph - The defence review has a clear strategy

Quilliam case study on radicalisation at UK universities published

On Monday, counter-extremism think tank Quilliam published a report entitled „Radicalisation on British
University Campuses‟. The report says it used events that occurred at City University in London during
the last academic year (Sept 09 – June 10) as the basis for the report. The report claims that Quilliam
have evidence of hard-line „Islamist‟ ideology being promoted through the leadership of the university's
student Islamic Society.
City University London Students' Union released a statement on Monday which said:
“The report raises a number of issues so the Students' Union will be in contact with the authors to
review the evidence on which the report is based. The Students' Union works closely with the
University to act in the best interest of its student body and wider University community.”

Key Points

The Government is aware of the issues at City University, London and has been consulting with
the Police, the University and the NUS (National Union of Students) and providing support as
appropriate to manage the tensions that have occurred.
There is evidence of radicalisation and recruitment taking place in some universities and
colleges. It is by no means widespread but is obviously very serious where it does occur.
The Government work closely with a range of partners including Federation of Student Islamic
Societies, NUS, the police and Universities to help them manage the risk by training key staff in
institutions and giving advice and guidance.
The Government believes the Prevent strategy isn‟t working as effectively as it could. The
Government wants a strategy that is effective and properly focused, and that is why they are
reviewing it.

Associated articles: Evening Standard – Universities need religious watchdogs

Other News Stories from this Week

The following are interesting news items that we think people may want to circulate further:

Four convicted over NY bomb plot

A US court has found four men guilty of placing bombs outside synagogues in New York and plotting
to fire missiles at military planes. The four defendants - Onta Williams, Laguerre Payen, James
Cromitie and David Williams IV - face up to life in prison following their trial in Manhattan federal court
on Monday.

How to defuse a human bomb

This Guardian article is about a new school that offers children recruited by the Taliban as suicide
bombers a different future.

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