My 90 Day Hell - T Bliar

So, the Great Stupendo did not get his 90 days for terror suspects. We will see all sorts of The Great and The Good parading their consciences and declaring how civilisation has been saved. Whilst I am forbidden to wish them harm, it would be rather apt if the next Islamic Idiocy were at the site of Guy Fawkes attempt.
It might be said that my support of extended detention is all part of being a running dog policeman. The police asked for this period and that is good enough for me. Opponents will say that giving in to police demands is the first slippery step on the staircase to a police state. I don't see it as a demand - it is an assessment of what might, in certain cases, be needed to allow the police to do what we expect of them. Whilst their work after 21 July shows that they are good at detection, prevention is a much better alternative. Terrorism as we now face it is international - the Mr Big jets in and sets things up and is back on a plane leaving Heathrow before his Fundamental Fanatic friend is strapping on his rucksack.
I read an assessment the other day of what was involved in the 21 July enquiry. Over 30 computers were seized. 50 mobile telephones had to be examined. There were some 10,000 pages of print-out. I cannot remember how many lines of enquiry led overseas. We will never have the sort of forensic resources to cope with this workload. On an enquiry of this extent, the IT resources alone are immense. As things develop and news of the enquiry leaks out, things will become more difficult. Stronger encryption will get onto the computers. Mobile phones will be used once and destroyed. All terrorists involved will be taught that they must resist all interrogation for three days to give time for colleagues to go deep and possible evidence destroyed. Given the total lack of concern about - indeed, desire to maximise - death tolls it is essential to stop things in their tracks in advance of an event. This is much harder than waiting for something to go off and then seeing who did what, where, when, with what and in what manner.
So, we will regret an opportunity missed. I just hope that this is not a terrible expensive lesson we will have to pay for in lives.