KHALID AZIZ: Another law of Unintended Consequences? (From Hampshire Chronicle)

KHALID AZIZ: Another law of Unintended Consequences?

2:20pm Thursday 19th April 2007 in News

WHAT does the average terrorist desire?

A good working definition might be to instil in the law abiding public, a sense of fear, tension and frustration, that creates a seed bed for the terrorists' own twisted and dystopian view of the world.

Successive politicians have reinforced a policy of "not giving in to terrorists", although some have been more focused than others.

When the then Home Secretary Willie Whitelaw took the decision to hand the Iranian embassy siege over to the SAS, as he recalled in his autobiography, he was left in no doubt that the outcome for the terrorists was going to be less than positive. Justice was swift and decisive.

Today, a quarter of a century on, it's arguable that, slowly and insidiously, government is playing right into the hands of the terrorists by increasingly oppressing the ordinary citizen.

Let me explain what I mean.

Stereotypically, how would you describe the Swiss when compared to the British? A closed, secretive country perhaps, outwardly all chocolate and cuckoo clocks, but under the surface a selfish, insular and self-satisfied country proud of the fact it hasn't been to war for a 1,000 years (perhaps quite rightly they could see no profit in it).

You'd think that compared to Britain - a tolerant melting pot of the world for centuries - Switzerland would be much more tricky to get into, particularly if you are not a Swiss citizen.

Contrast then, a recent experience flying to and from Switzerland from Heathrow.

Arriving in Geneva, just showing the cover of my maroon passport emblazoned with crest and power laden motto Dieu est mon droit', was enough to gain me instant entry.

Arrive back at Heathrow Terminal 4 and it's a different story. Several aircraft arriving at once meant long queues, especially for UK and EC nationals.

With just two officials on duty it took almost half-an-hour of queuing to get into one's own country.

The queues for non-European passport holders were much shorter. Why? Because they had seven officials on for those.

The Customs and Excise learned long ago that you catch smugglers by intelligence, not by routine border checks.

Indeed we've just seen some spectacular intelligence-based results which netted 10,000 fake passports in dawn raids.

It's all about management. The Home Office, if it is to be fit for purpose, needs to think through the effects of tightening border controls.

Airports should be adequately staffed, otherwise you create yet another act in the growing statute book of the Laws of Unintended Consequences.

* Khalid Aziz is chairman of Hampshire-based communications consultancy The Aziz Corporation