UK ID Cards Version 1

[MrMouse]

The thin edge of the wedge ...has officially been reached!

Imagine a minor offense ... drugs or otherwise. Imagine a national database ... imagine your propects!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4856074.stm http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...049791,00.html

Anyone doubt the wisdom and far-sightedness of George Orwell's vision in 1984? The only thing he got wrong was the date...

[Copyright Steve me mate the political activist]

Wave goodbye to your freedom.

http://www.defy-id.org.uk/
http://www.no2id.net/

[klaatu]

When you say "ID Cards" are these the same ID Cards that the Labour party said, in their manifesto before the last General Election, would NOT be mandatory? And are these the same ID Cards that became mandatory for most of the population on Thursday? *

* The vote was on Thursday; they don't become mandatory until 2010

Klaatu (definitely living in George Orwell's 1984)

[Alfa]

Does that come with or without iris scan or finger prints?

[klaatu]

All ten finger's prints will be on there, not sure about iris patterns.

Klaatu

[enquirewithin]

Some of us live in countries where ID cards and fingerprinting have been a reality for some time. Also, if I go to the States, my fingerprints are taken and stored on some database or other.

But still, it's a pity that the UK has come to this.

[Alfa]

The New World order is coming.

[enquirewithin]

Now Blair wants to run for office again. Not satisfied with his career as a war monger, he wants to further erode the rights of the individual in the UK, forming a British "FBI." The target? People smugglers and drug smugglers, a very vague target.

Tony Blair says a new force will tackle the "brutal and sophisticated" criminal gangs of the 21st Century. The Serious Organised Crime Agency, dubbed Britain's FBI, will bring together more than 4,000 police, customs and immigration experts.
Soca "law enforcement officers", with new multiple powers, will target international drug and people traffickers and fraudsters.
They would make life "hell" for "Mr Bigs", Mr Blair said at Soca's launch.
"The level of sophistication, the level, frankly, of brutality with which many of these gangs operate today means that we have to do it differently," Mr Blair said at the Downing Street launch.


Soca amalgamates the National Crime Squad, the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS), and investigators from Customs and the Home Office's Immigration Service.

A major part of its role is to "reduce harm" to members of the public which will be measured by thing like falls in robberies or the number of addicts in treatment.

• Queen's evidence: Prosecutors will be able to offer statutory deals - immunity or reduced sentences - where, previously, deals were only informal
• Financial reporting orders: Courts can make orders, of up to 20 years, forcing criminals to provide bank statements to ensure they have no crime-related earnings
• Disclosure notices - Courts can force suspects to answer questions or provide documents or face imprisonment or fines. Limits the right to silence
• Law enforcement officers: Soca officers will have the multiple powers of police, immigration and customs officers

.....
International agencies
The new agency will use international agencies to identify links between illegal gangs in the UK and abroad with about 120 officers, based in 40 countries around the world, working as liaison officers.
The agency will start with 4,200 staff - about half criminal investigators and half analysis and intelligence - and a budget of £400m.
According to the Soca annual plan, published on Monday, the agency aims to spend 40% of its operational effort on drug trafficking, 25% on organised immigration crime, 10% on fraud and 15% on other organised crime.

Although it is now officially going "live", Soca has been operating as a shadow body for the past year.
Michael Levi, a professor of criminology at Cardiff University, told BBC News the creation of Soca had become necessary because of the rise in "international crimes" including people-trafficking and drug-smuggling.

And Drugscope chief executive Martin Barnes told BBC News that, while disrupting "high level markets" was a good move, "low level dealers" must also be targeted.
"We welcome the launch today but time will tell how effective it is in terms of affecting the price and availability of drugs on the street," he said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4870988.stm