E Tu, Labor Party

This must be a plot by John Ashcroft...except that this time it's the liberal Labor Party.

LONDON — The government Wednesday unveiled a sweeping set of proposals restricting the activities of anyone in Britain deemed to pose a strong terrorist threat.

Detailed in Parliament by Home Secretary Charles Clarke, the measures may include putting electronic tags on suspects, curfews, house arrests and bans on the use of telephones or the Internet. Under the proposals, it would not be necessary to charge the suspects or prove they had committed a crime. Clarke said the controls could be applied by the Home Office to British citizens as well as foreigners in the country.

Human rights advocates were swift to voice objections. Some suggested that the proposed powers threatened Britain's centuries-old tradition of habeas corpus, which allows detainees to file court action claiming that they are being held in violation of law.