Anti-terrorism operation launched

“Commuters in Glasgow are being stopped and searched at random during an ongoing anti-terrorism operation.” On Wednesday, the operation to make railways a difficult target for terrorists went underway. Police officers and sniffer dogs are involved in searching passengers getting off trains in Glasgow. The British Transfer Police said that “section 44 allows officers to be proactive in deterring and detecting those who are involved in terrorist activities.” They hope that this “routine search operation” would not only deter terrorist activity but also reassure the public they are safe while traveling. The police said “we aim to carry out the operation with minimum disruption and would like to thank the public for their co-operation and understanding.” However reassuring this message seems, others have a different point of view. The Muslim Counsel of Scotland said they will abuse this power using it to discriminate against anyone who looks Asian. Allowing police to search anyone without suspicion will certainly lead to discriminatory acts and resentment. They commented “its like searching for a needle in a haystack when there is no evidence the needle even exists.” They also stated there have been similar initiatives in London which have proven to yield zero results.
Although it seems the appearance of such an operation on the outside seems righteous the fact of the matter is on the inside it may very well be a hoax. If we start putting a face on terrorism and single out individuals who look a certain way we are not upholding humanitarian rights. Discrimination could easily play a big role in this operation. Without some protocol showing no discrimination against any ethnic background this operation is a flop. It will cause resentment towards the government and police and no progress would have been made. Although it may seem like a security blanket for some, the people who are singled out and searched without suspicion would have their human rights violated. This is not a solution in my eyes. If indeed security measures need to be increased in train stations in Glasgow, this is not the solution. A formalized security measure needs to be put into place where there is not chance of discrimination and a randomized process put into place. I’m sure a security system like this would still carry out the same effect this operation aims to meet. Terrorists would be deterred from using the train stations and travelers would feel a heightened sense of security without feeling discriminated against.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7072882.stm