On Air: Who’s more intelligent, the intelligence services or the terrorists?

In yesterday’s programme many listeners commented that profiling at airports would not work because the people who resort to terror would simply change their profile and stay one step ahead.

The calls for these extra security measures at airports came after Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab tried to detonate a bomb on a plane bound for the US.  The American intelligence and the British intelligence services are blaming each other for the blunder.

On Air: Can profiling stop terrorism?

If you are from one of 14 countries – including Nigeria, Afghanistan and Cuba, and flying into the US you will now face enhanced screening, including body pat-down searches and carry-on baggage checks.

 These countries have been selected because the American authorities deem to be a security risk. Many of you say this leads to profiling, which we discussed a little on WHYS last week  but has continued ever since. 

Has the west done enough to find this man?

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates acknowledged over the weekend that the US have little or no recent intelligence on the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden.

So is it time to stop looking for him?

Or do you agree with General McChrystal who yesterday said “I don’t think that we can finally defeat al Qaeda until he’s captured or killed” ? Is Osama bin Laden too iconic to give up on?

Here’s our post on this from last week:

Should security institutions be above the law?

The White House has confirmed there will be a new interrogation team for key terror suspects.The new team will be called the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group.

This comes as the Justice Department launches a criminal probe of past CIA interrogation tactics during President George W. Bush’s war on terrorism.

Should the Lockerbie bomber be freed on compassionate grounds?

Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, the man convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie plane bombing, is expected to be released on compassionate grounds.

Eight and half years ago he was jailed for life for the murders of 270 people but now he is terminally ill.

Can the Pakistan Taliban survive the “death” of Baitullah Mehsud?

“We both are alive,” says Taliban commander Wali-ur-Rehman. He might find that the US, Pakistan and its neighbours  in the region beg to differ. They are pretty confident that the leader of the Taliban in Pakistan, Baitullah Mehsud is very much dead.

That’s what so  many of you have been talking about around the world and on this blog.  We touched on this story on Friday during the first half of our programme, but unfortunately telephone lines didn’t work in our favour. It’s still been one of the biggest stories of the weekend. Is he dead? If he isn’t should Taliban prove it? And if he is, can the Taliban survive his death or is the leadership of this organisation more than just about one man?

On air: Your Questions to a “former terrorist”

We’re going to be joined for the whole programme by Walid Shoebat – who describes himself as a former terrorist. He says, “Islam has one goal and it is to overthrow all western cultures”……”Islam sees Sharia law as the only acceptable law”.

Talking Points 27th November

Gunmen have carried out co-ordinated attacks on high-profile locations, including two luxury hotels, across the Indian city of Mumbai, killing over 100 people. Events are still unfolding – you can read live updates on the situation here. But there are reports that foreigners, particularly British and American passport holders, were being singled out by the gunmen. Can terrorism stop tourism and bring a country to its knees? The Indian financial markets were shut after yesterday’s attacks. Are there places you now wouldn’t go on holiday?

Talking Points 30th October

Good morning/afternoon/evening – while the US and Pakistan authorities consider talking to the Taleban, they strike again. The Taliban’s spokesman says dialogue is “worthless…(as long as) foreign troops are in our country”. Fears for personal safety is now the highest concern for many Afghans so is it time to talk to the Taleban?  

On air: Is it up to Muslims to solve Islamist terrorism?

A WHYS dialogue about terrorism: As Kate has already said, today World Have Your Say will come from a West London hotel where The Centre for the Study of Terrorism is holding its annual conference Terrorism: Alternative Global Perspectives.  It brings together influential Muslims from across the world to talk about terrorism.

It is poignant timing.  Today a draft armed-forces agreement between the US and Baghdad is being considered that could mean all US troops leaving Iraq by 2011.