Europe: Germany, Britain, Netherlands Agree to Enhance Anti-Terror Cooperation

The governments of Germany, Britain, and the Netherlands have pledged to increase cooperation on countering Islamic extremism.

The agreement was made at the opening of a joint symposium aimed to find unified approaches to the problems posed by Islamist extremism in Europe. «It’s clear that we share a common threat that demands a united response, even if the specific nature of that threat differs from country to country,» British Interior Minister Jacqui Smith said. «We can learn a lot from each other, not only in how we can counter the threat, but also how we can coordinate our actions.»

The three pledged support in awareness of all signs, including monitoring websites and technological tools used as platforms for plotting acts of terror. Specialists from the three countries will share experiences and discuss ways of cooperating to crack down on Islamist extremism.

United rather than unilateral responses to terrorism help ensure rigorous counterterrorism and integration policy debate, holding governments responsible for maintaining liberty and keeping the most effective ideas at the forefront of security efforts.

February 12, 2009

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4021444,00.html