The Brown doctrine on the war on terror is emerging more quickly than we might have expected and certainly than he would have wished. In his interview with Andrew Marr, the Prime Minister rightly pointed out that al Qaeda’s campaign against the West began long before the liberation of Afghanistan and Iraq. He spoke – again, wisely – of the war against our “values”, the assault by the Islamists upon a way of life rather than a specific foreign policy. He seems to understand that there is no quick fix. He grasps that we will need tougher security measures and rights to detain without charge beyond 30 days. (Interesting that he hinted he was in close touch with Tony Blair)
And yet Mr Brown also said that “making progress in the Middle East with Palestine and Israel will make a difference” and that the battle for “hearts and minds” was essential, as if his predecessor had made insufficient efforts to engage moderate Islam.
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