DAR AL HARB - E.U.: MILITANT ISLAM IS SEEN AS THE GREATEST THREAT TO THE E.U.

EU drafts plan to combat militant Islamists

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union states should clamp down on radical imams and Internet "hate speech" and train police and teachers on the dangers of Islamist militancy, according to a confidential plan seen by Reuters.

The paper on combating radicalisation, agreed by EU ambassadors, urges governments to monitor "travelling imams inciting to violence, talent spotters, recruiters and other leading figures and their movements within the European Union."

It says EU states should collect and exchange information on these "radical inspirational figures," and pay special attention to diminishing their influence in prisons.

"Member states should encourage the Muslim communities not to rely on external imams, but also to ensure that imams are trained and recruited from their own communities," it adds.

Militant Islam is now seen as the major terrorism threat in the 27-nation EU. Authorities are trying to understand how young Muslim men are being radicalised and recruited for operations like the 2004 Madrid train bombings and 2005 suicide bombings on London's transport system. Some plots have also featured women.

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Pertinent Links:

1) EU drafts plan to combat militant Islamists