Government Minister admits Labour policies have radicalised Muslims (Wantage and Didcot Liberal Democrats)

Wantage and Didcot Liberal Democrats <info@wantagelibdems.org.uk>

Government Minister admits Labour policies have radicalised Muslims

January 30, 2009 9:28 PM

Ruins in Gaza

Labour Government Security Minister Lord West has admitted that Labour's foreign policy under Prime Minister Tony Blair resulted in many Muslims becoming radicalised who would otherwise not have done. And he said that the recent actions of Israel in Gaza has not helped. A Home Office spokesman explained that the minister had meant that foreign policy was illegitimately used as a "tool" by radicals and terrorists.

Lord West is quoted in today's Daily Telegraph as saying: "Tony Blair, I'm afraid, would never accept that our foreign policy actually had any impact on radicalisation," Lord West told a conference in London. "That's clearly rubbish. Gordon Brown is much clearer. The causes are so diverse. We didn't understand it, we still don't totally understand it but we actually have a far, far better understanding than we did in the past. To pretend what happens abroad has no impact is nonsense," the former first sea lord added.

"To pretend what happens abroad has no impact is nonsense," he said. "This business in Gaza has not helped us at all in our counter- radicalization policy. There is no doubt about that."

Lord West, a so-called Goat in Mr Brown's Government of All The Talents, has gained a reputation for making off-message statements. In November 2007, he was forced to issue a "clarification" of his views on pre-trial detention of terrorism suspects, after it appeared to clash with the Government line. He said at the time: "Being a simple sailor, not a politician, maybe I didn't choose my words well."

Commenting in December on the continued Israeli air raids in the Gaza Strip, Liberal Democrat Shadow Foreign Secretary, Ed Davey said: "David Miliband [Labour Foreign Secretary] may not be prepared to say it, but the Israeli reaction is utterly disproportionate. From the standpoint of ordinary people in Gaza this is a full-scale attack, which is leaving women and children dead and thousands of innocent people suffering. The rocket attacks by Hamas are totally unacceptable, but Israel ought to have learnt from its attack on Lebanon which only served to strengthen the cause of extremism.