Escape debacle puts UK security laws back in focus

LONDON, Oct 19 (Reuters) Two terrorist suspects are on the run in Britain. But far from putting up wanted posters, the government initially kept their disappearance quiet, and even now says it cannot disclose their identities.

The strange episode raises hard questions about the balance of security and civil liberties in Britain, and the effectiveness of its anti-terrorist laws in comparison with other Western countries facing similar challenges.

The fugitives were among 15 men subject to controversial ''control orders'', a form of limited house arrest designed to track individuals the government sees as a threat, but against whom it lacks sufficient proof to prosecute in court.

A similar system was introduced last year in Australia, where the first man to be issued with a control order is challenging the measure in court.

But other countries have declined to resort to control orders, which are fiercely opposed by civil liberties groups.

In some cases, notably France, that is because they have tougher anti-terrorism laws and enforce them more rigorously, said Claude Moniquet, head of the European Strategic Intelligence and Security Center in Brussels.

He said the same people Britain was struggling to contain with control orders would probably be behind bars in France.

''In general, the French justice system is harsher on terrorism than that of any other European country,'' he said, citing tough laws against aiding or associating with terrorists.

''If you're a terrorist and I give you lodging, and I know you're a terrorist but I don't know you're going to blow up the Eiffel Tower, I can (still) go to prison. The law is much tougher than in Great Britain.'' Moniquet, who is French, said laws like these enabled authorities there to drill deeper into terrorist support networks and obtain convictions.

''That removes part of the problem. Every time they hit a network, they hit it full-on and have a much bigger number of arrests and prosecutions.'' More Reuters PDM DB0925