Justice Dept. Report Faults Roundup of Immigrants; NATO Looks to Anti-Terror Role; Homeland Security Bill Keeps Dynamite from Miners; EU Moves Against Illegal and Harmful Content Online

Justice Dept. Report Faults Roundup of Immigrants

According to a story in todays New York Times, an internal report released yesterday by the Justice Department’s inspector general found the Department’s roundup of hundreds of illegal immigrants in the months after the Sept. 11 attacks was plagued with “significant problems” that forced many people with no connection to terrorism to languish in jails in unduly harsh conditions. The Times reports that the report validated the concerns raised by some members of Congress and civil rights groups who charge that the Justice Department has cast too wide a net in the campaign against terrorism. The findings will probably provide legal and political ammunition to those seeking to curb the department’s counterterrorism tactics, officials said. The Times article provides a link to text of the report.NATO Looks to Anti-Terror RoleBBC News story, it will review plans to take charge of peacekeeping in Afghanistan, and offer backup to Polish peacekeepers in Iraq. NATO officials say those missions show the continued relevance of an alliance set up to fight the Cold War, now that the Soviet Union is long gone and threats come from terrorism, failed states and weapons of mass destruction.

At a two-day meeting in Madrid, opened today by Secretary-General Lord Robertson, NATO will focus on the alliance’s role in fighting international terrorism. According to

Homeland Security Bill Keeps Dynamite from MinersObserver-Reporter (of Pennsylvania), the act requires anyone handling explosives to have a federal permit, issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. But many mine managers, who previously needed only state permits, say that they weren’t informed of the new rules until it was too late. Now they may have weeks without work while they fill out applications and wait for permits. Other incidental consequences of this law have affected model rocket hobbyists and fireworks manufacturers.

Coal miners have been hurt by regulations surrounding the Safe Explosives Act, passed last November as part of broader homeland security legislation. According to a story in the

EU Moves Against Illegal and Harmful Content OnlineEuropemedia.com today, a two year extension to the Safer Internet Action Plan has been adopted by the European Parliament and Council upon the proposal of the European Commission, as part of Europe’s determined effort to tackle illegal and harmful content on the internet and new delivery platforms such as mobile phones. The Safer Internet Action Plan supports a network of hotlines in Europe where illegal content can be reported. It encourages self-regulation; benchmarks content filtering and rating systems and supports a European network of safer Internet awareness centers. The extended plan covers many different types of illegal content or conduct including racist material, and takes account of new online technologies such as mobile and broadband content, online games, peer-to-peer file transfer and all forms of real-time communications such as chat rooms and instant messages.

According to an article on