Hearts and minds

As home-grown terrorists are acquitted, a new report says a lack of national identity as  made Britain vulnerable.

The report, published through the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank, declared Britain’s security to be at risk and its vulnerability to be down to a “loss of confidence in our own identity, values, constitution and institutions”.

Blaming multicultural Britain, the report concluded with a classic soundbite: “We look like a soft touch. We are indeed a soft touch, from within and without.
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The public could be forgiven for being confused. What is the reality of Britain’s efforts to combat terrorism: impressive or rubbish? Soft or tough?

The RUSI report and the case of Raja and his codefendants reflect two important strands in Britain’s engagement with terror: the strength of our security apparatus and the nation’s cultural identity.
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But for Prins the detection and conviction of extremists is the end point of a more important part of the fight against terrorism: disseminating a vision of British values so the various communities that live here do not become radicalised.

Hearts and minds.  It's all about Hearts and Minds.