Minister: “Silly” to rule out talking to al-Qaeda
Security minister Lord West said it would be “silly” for the government to rule out all communication with terrorist groups including al-Qaeda.
But he said it would be “wrong” to do so at the moment when they have no constructive aims.
The security expert was commenting after a former Downing Street senior aide re-opened the debate about communicating with terrorists.
Jonathan Powell, Tony Blair’s chief of staff, said he had discovered secret communication channels between the British government and IRA and believed they contributed to the peace process three decades later.
He said the government should now consider finding a way to talk with al-Qaeda, along with Hamas and the Taliban.
But the Foreign Office has dismissed the idea as “inconceivable”.
Speaking to the BBC’s Politics Show, Lord West said: “To say that there should be no link at all through any strange back source, back route into anywhere would be silly – but that’s done on a very careful, secret level really to find out what they’re up to.”
But he cautioned the government could not talk to al-Qaeda while they have no political aim.
“I think to actually get into dialogue with people who at the moment don’t seem to have any aim other than causing mass casualties, no clear way ahead, I think would be wrong,” he said.
Lord West said he did not believe the government was communicating with al-Qaeda at the moment.
A Foreign Office spokesman responded: “It is inconceivable that Her Majesty’s government would ever seek to reach a mutually acceptable accommodation with a terrorist organisation like al-Qaeda.”
This is the second time Lord West, who was brought in unelected to Gordon Brown’s “government of all the talents”, has risked contradicting government policy.
In November he said he was not convinced about the need to extend the 28-day limit for detaining terror suspects – but became convinced an hour later after visiting Downing Street.
The debate on talking to terrorists comes as the government prepares this week to unveil its new national security strategy.
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said the government would be judged on whether it strikes the right balance between security and liberty.
