UK anti-terrorism laws under fire as suspects flee

LONDON, May 24 (Reuters) Britain's anti-terrorism strategy faced mounting criticism today after an embarrassing announcement that three men suspected of planning attacks on British or US troops abroad had absconded.

Police said the men, two of whom are brothers of a man jailed last month for plotting al Qaeda-inspired bomb attacks across Britain, had violated anti-terrorism ''control orders''and failed to check in with authorities last week.

This means that more than a quarter of those subject to the orders, imposed on terrorism suspects who are not charged with a crime, are now missing after the disappearance of at least two other suspects last year.

Lord Carlile, the independent reviewer of anti-terrorism laws, told the BBC that security services believe the three men had wanted to target British troops in Iraq or elsewhere.

''These three men were the subject of solid intelligence that they intended, not to cause damage in the UK, but that they intended to damage our national security by going as insurgents to kill British and other allied troops abroad,'' he said.

In an unprecedented move, Scotland Yard police named the missing men as Lamine Adam, 26, Ibrahim Adam, 20, and Cerie Bullivant, 24.

Home Secretary John Reid said the men were dangerous but did not pose a direct threat to the public.

Suspects under control orders are usually entitled to anonymity because they have not been convicted of a crime.

The powers mean suspects are frequently confined to their homes for much of the day, required to wear electronic tags, obliged to check in with police, forbidden to use computers or telephones and banned from meeting people without permission.

ALREADY ABROAD? The orders must be imposed by a special court, but the suspects are not permitted to see evidence against them and the authorities do not have to prove they are guilty of a crime.

Reports that the men might have already fled abroad were described by police as speculative but officers said they would liaise with ''partners overseas if inquiries led us there''.

The government, which is shortly to unveil new tougher security laws, blamed the judiciary and opposition parties for hindering their and the police's efforts to tackle terrorism.

The controversial orders were brought in after courts threw out Prime Minister Tony Blair's measures to jail suspects indefinitely without charge.

Blair later suffered his first parliamentary defeat when plans to allow police to hold terrorism suspects for 90 days before charging them were rejected by lawmakers.

''I hope when we do bring forward new proposals in the next few weeks that we'll get a little less party politics and a little more support for national security,'' Reid said.

He added control orders were ''far from being the best option'' and the current watered-down powers meant there was little to prevent ''determined individuals'' absconding.

Britain would now consider using emergency powers to derogate from parts of the European Human Rights Convention to allow stricter measures, Reid told parliament.

The Conservatives, who support the orders in principle, accused the government of incompetence. The Liberal Democrats said the orders should be scrapped.

According to the government, 17 people are being monitored under the programme, including the three who absconded this week but not the two who fled last year.

REUTERS RC BST1907