AP: (John) Reid: Rights, Security Must Be Balanced (UK)

[Eugene]

Reid: Rights, Security Must Be Balanced

The Associated Press
Wednesday, August 16, 2006; 9:50 AM

LONDON -- Britain's top law enforcement official said Wednesday
that Europe is being confronted by terrorism that's "unconstrained
in its evil intention," and individual rights must be balanced
with collective security.

Home Secretary John Reid made his comments after briefing European
Union counterparts on the investigation into an alleged plot to blow up
trans-Atlantic planes.

"As we face the threat of mass murder we have to accept that the rights
of the individual that we enjoy must and will be balanced with the
collective right of security and the protection of life and limb
that our citizens demand," he told journalists.

-snip-

The EU minister in charge of justice, Franco Frattini, said Europe should
explore "positive profiling of passengers" in order to make border controls
more efficient. Without elaborating, he said the profiling would be based
on biometric information and denied it would target racial or religious
groups. Such data could include fingerprints or voice characteristics.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/16/AR2006081600346.html