Kurdish security boss: UK terror laws 'too soft'

Iraq's leading security boss has warned that counter-terror laws in Britain and Europe are "too soft".

Lahur Talabany, the head of Kurdish counter terrorism and a key ally of western agencies, also said that many more attacks like those in London and Manchester are likely as Islamic State loses ground in Iraq.

He said it is impossible to watch 3-4,000 suspects 24 hours a day.

Mr Talabany has been advising Europe and in particular Britain, where he grew up, for years, passing on vital information and intelligence.

"What we achieve here will keep people in London safe," he told me.

Mr Talabany has been on the frontline fighting Islamic State since they first pushed into Iraq in 2014. His Counter Terror Group, an elite special forces unit, oversaw the defence of Kurdistan alongside the country's Peshmerga army.

We first met hiding behind a berm under fire from IS, also known as ISIS and ISIL.

Now working most of the time directing the security services, he is adamant that there have to be changes in the way terror laws in the UK and Europe are implemented.

"We've said from the beginning that ISIS would be a global problem," he said.

"These types of attacks were to be expected in London and other countries. People shouldn't be surprised.

Image:Emergency services at the scene of the attack in the London Bridge area

"The laws should be changed in Europe.

"It is not for me to say but the laws are too soft on some of these people that go and join the ranks of ISIL and they are allowed to come back into the country and run around freely and they put them on the watch.

"You cannot put 3-4,000 people on the watch 24 hours a day. So I think first they need to retake a look at some of the laws that exist in Europe.

"If we are suspicious of somebody that poses a threat for the stability of this region - then we have to arrest them and until we are 100 per cent sure, these people should not get out, to be honest with you.

"It is more important to lock one guy up and save thousands of lives, than allow this guy to run around freely and give them a chance to murder innocent people.

"As I said, the laws are too soft in Europe. I believe there needs to be tougher laws at least on people who have been exposed to these kind of war zones or these kind of groups.

"I know some are being watched carefully but it seems they are not being watched too carefully if they are getting away with attacks like they are."

He says that foreign fighters who have been to Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan will "easily" find their way into joining extremist groups like IS when they go home and he is convinced that new low-tech terrorism like driving trucks into people and stabbing them will rise.

"They are on the defensive, where two years ago they were on offensive they looked very attractive, they had a good media campaign going.

"Things are going the other way now, they are on the defensive they losing territory so they need other means to keep themselves going and to keep themselves alive.

"What happened in London and Manchester and other places - this is the kind of stuff they will be looking for from now on."

Image:Flowers in Potters Fields Park following the 3 June attack in London

He said it makes no difference that the UK is a country involved in the fight in Iraq and Syria against IS, adding that the anti-western rhetoric of Islamic State isn't linked to the battles here, but rather in just attacking western society.

"I think it is very important that the west is here trying to finish these guys off. Because if they don't ISIL will grow and they will grow in the UK and in larger numbers.

"It is a very important fight and that will keep people safe in London. What we achieve here will keep people safe in London."

Saudi FM: Qatar must stop supporting Hamas, Brotherhood

Jubeir said Qatar was undermining the Palestinian Authority and Egypt with its policies [File: Maxim Shemetov/Reuters]

Qatar must end its support for the Palestinian group Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood before ties with other Arab Gulf states could be restored, said Saudi Arabia's foreign minister.

Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates severed diplomatic ties and transport links with Qatar on Monday, accusing it of supporting "extremism".

The dispute between Qatar and the Arab countries escalated after a recent hack of Qatar's state-run news agency.

WATCH: Qatar faces embargoes as biggest regional diplomatic crisis in years escalates (3:08)

"We want to see Qatar implement the promises it made a few years back with regard to its support of extremist groups, to its hostile media and interference in affairs of other countries," Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told reporters in Paris.

"Nobody wants to hurt Qatar. It has to choose whether it must move in one direction or another direction. We took this step with great pain so that it understands that these policies are not sustainable and must change."

Jubeir added that Qatar was undermining the Palestinian Authority and Egypt in its support of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.

"We don't think this is good. Qatar has to stop these policies so that it can contribute to stability in the Middle East," he said.

Jubeir declined to say exactly what he wanted Qatar to do immediately, but said the measures taken by Arab states, including a sea, land and air blockade would have a considerable cost on the country.

"We believe that common sense and logic will convince Qatar to take the right steps. The decisions that were made were very strong and will have a fairly large cost on Qatar and we do not believe that Qataris want to sustain those costs," he said.

READ MORE: 'No justification' for cutting diplomatic ties

Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, said it was "shocked" by Saudi Arabia's call on Qatar to stop supporting the group.

Jubeir's remarks "constitute a shock for our Palestinian people and the Arab and Islamic nations", according to a Hamas statement released on Wednesday.

It alleged that Israel "exploits these statements to carry out more violations against the Palestinian people".

Kuwait's Emir, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, visited Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to hold talks with the Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz on ways of defusing the escalating crisis.

No details were given on the talks.

Yemen's internationally recognised government also cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of working with its enemies in the Iran-aligned Houthi movement. The Maldives and Libya's out-of-mandate Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni later joined the Arab nations in saying they too would cut ties.

On Monday, Qatar expressed surprise over the "unjustified" decision to cut diplomatic ties, saying it was in "violation of its sovereignty".

"It was clear from the outset that the aim of the media campaign and the decision to cut off diplomatic and consular relations and close the borders is to pressure Qatar to abandon its national decision-making and sovereignty," the Qatari Cabinet said in a statement on Monday.

WATCH: Qatar's foreign minister talks to Al Jazeera about diplomatic crisis (12:39)

"The measures are unjustified and are based on claims and allegations that have no basis in fact," the foreign ministry said in another statement.

"The aim is clear, and it is to impose guardianship on the state. This by itself is a violation of its [Qatar's] sovereignty as a state."

Jubeir also dismissed Qatar's recent rapprochement with Iran, saying that countries that deal with Tehran "deal with it at their own peril".

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan defended Qatar, saying he personally would have intervened if accusations that the country supports "terrorism" were true.

"Let me say at the outset that we do not think the sanctions against Qatar are good," Erdogan said in a speech in Ankara on Tuesday.

"Turkey will continue and will develop our ties with Qatar, as with all our friends who have supported us in the most difficult moments," he added in reference to last year's failed coup.

"Efforts to isolate Qatar ... will not solve any problem," said Erdogan.

READ MORE: Qatari riyal under pressure amid Gulf diplomatic rift

US President Donald Trump weighed in on the ongoing diplomatic dispute, saying his trip to the Middle East is "already paying off".

In a series of posts on Twitter on Tuesday, Trump referenced Qatar when he said leaders of the Middle East have stated that they "would take a hard line on funding extremism".

"During my recent trip to the Middle East I stated that there can no longer be funding of Radical Ideology. Leaders pointed to Qatar - look!" Trump said.

"So good to see the Saudi Arabia visit with the King and 50 countries already paying off. They said they would take a hard line on funding...

...extremism, and all reference was pointing to Qatar. Perhaps this will be the beginning of the end to the horror of terrorism!"

Frantic push for votes on eve of General Election

A frantic dash for votes all over the country is being made by all the party leaders as the General Election campaign reaches its final day.

Theresa May is expected to make five visits across England, Jeremy Corbyn six in Scotland, Wales and England and Tim Farron six across England.

Their aim, in the final hours of the election campaign, is to win over voters who are still undecided and make sure their supporters turn out on polling day.

The Prime Minister, who began the campaign promising "strong and stable leadership" on Brexit, has been forced in the final days to turn to pledges on fighting terrorism.

Vote 2017: Comprehensive guide to election night

The Borough Market attack, coming less than two weeks after the Manchester bombing, has prompted criticism by opponents of cuts in police numbers when she was Home Secretary.

Just hours before embarking on her final-day dash, Mrs May vowed at a rally with activists in Slough to tear up human rights laws if they stop her from tackling terrorism.

Promising more powers for police and security chiefs, the Prime Minister said: "I mean longer prison sentences for people convicted of terrorist offences.

"I mean making it easier for the authorities to deport foreign terrorist suspects back to their own countries.

"And I mean doing more to restrict the freedom and the movements of terrorist suspects when we have enough evidence to know they are a threat, but not enough evidence to prosecute them in full in court.

"And if our human rights laws stop us from doing it, we will change the laws so we can do it."

After being used sparingly by the Tories during the election campaign, Boris Johnson was the warm-up act for the PM and launched a typically colourful attack on Mr Corbyn.

The Foreign Secretary claimed the "herbivorous" Labour leader would be "eaten for breakfast" by Brussels bureaucrats in Brexit negotiations.

Philip May, the PM's husband, was also at the Slough rally, making what was thought to be his first appearance out on the campaign trail.

Attacking the PM's human rights vow, Mr Corbyn said: "You can't keep our country safe on the cheap.

"Theresa May is refusing to put in the resources that are needed. She has slashed funding for the police, our courts system and border force.

"I will do everything necessary and effective to keep our people safe. We will always keep the law under review, but don't believe would-be terrorists and suicide bombers will be deterred by longer sentences or restricting our rights at home."

Earlier Mr Corbyn said, at a noisy and high-spirited rally in Birmingham, that Labour is "going all-out" to win the General Election and show its doubters that the party is "real, serious and here".

Supported celebrities including comedian Steve Coogan, the Labour leader addressed a crowd of around 6,000 at an event that was beamed to rallies in Barry, Brighton, Glasgow, London and Warrington.

Mr Corbyn promised to leave "no place untouched, no stone unturned" in the final hours of the campaign and claimed: "We are going all-out to win this election."

Mr Farron, who is seeing the Liberal Democrats squeezed in an election that looks like a return to two-party politics, also attacked the Prime Minister's anti-terror proposals.

"Theresa May is simply posturing about being tough on terror as she panics that her abysmal record is coming under scrutiny," he said.

"In her years as home secretary she was willing to offer up the police for cut after cut. We have been here before - a kind of nuclear arms race in terror laws.

"It might give the appearance of action, but what the security services lack is not more power, but more resources. All she would do is reduce freedom, not terrorism."

Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan criticises Qatar sanctions

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament last month [Umit Bektas/Reuters]

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan defended Qatar after several countries severed diplomatic ties with it, saying he personally would have intervened if accusations that the tiny Gulf emirate supports "terrorism" were true.

Erdogan stood by Qatar on Tuesday, saying he intends to "develop" ties with the embattled Gulf state hit by sanctions from Saudi Arabiaand its allies.

"Let me say at the outset that we do not think the sanctions against Qatar are good," Erdogan said in a speech in Ankara.

Sean Spicer responds to Al Jazeera on Trump tweets about Qatar

"Turkey will continue and will develop our ties with Qatar, as with all our friends who have supported us in the most difficult moments," he added in reference to last year's failed coup.

Turkey has close ties with Qatar but also has good relations with the other Gulf states, especially Saudi Arabia.

Erdogan was careful not to criticise Riyadh, calling on the member nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council to "resolve their differences through dialogue".

"Efforts to isolate Qatar ... will not solve any problem," said Erdogan, praising Doha's "cool-headedness" and "constructive approach".

Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates severed diplomatic ties and transport links with Qatar on Monday, accusing it of supporting "extremism".

"Presenting Qatar as a supporter of terrorism is a serious accusation," the Turkish leader said. "I know [Qatar's leaders] well and if that had been the case, I would have been the first head of state to confront them."

Sadiq Khan wades into police cuts row with terror warning for Theresa May

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has waded into the row over police cuts, warning the Metropolitan Police is facing the loss of thousands of frontline officers under Tory plans.

Mr Khan said the force could lose as many as 12,800 officers, which would reduce its strength by 40%, making it harder to tackle the terrorism threat.

The Labour mayor said the Met had already had to make £600m of cuts since 2010 and is now facing £400m more.

He said: "Our city has suffered two awful terrorist attacks since I was elected as mayor - and we must do everything possible to stop there being any more.

"Police officers in our communities act as the eyes and ears of the security services, providing the intelligence and information that allow us to disrupt attempted terrorist attacks.

"Cuts on this scale would make it harder to foil future terrorist attacks on our city - and as the mayor of London I'm simply not willing to stand by and let that happen."

:: Met defends dropping inquiry into London attacker

Mr Khan's comments will heap pressure on Theresa May, whose record as Home Secretary is under scrutiny in the wake of the terror attacks.

At the Home Office, Mrs May oversaw cuts of 20,000 officers despite warnings from the Police Federation, which she accused of "crying wolf".

On Monday, Jeremy Corbyn called for her resignation over the issue, and former David Cameron aide Steve Hilton said Mrs May should take responsibility for the problems facing police forces.

But the Prime Minister repeatedly refused to say she was wrong to make the cuts while she was Home Secretary and insisted counter-terrorism budgets had been protected.

Despite her assurances, Home Office documents, highlighted by The Times newspaper, show reductions in funding to the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism (OSCT).

The OSCT is responsible for terrorism strategy at home and abroad and liaises with the intelligence services and police.

Mr Khan has come under repeated criticism from Donald Trump over his handling of the terror attacks.

The President started his Twitter assault on the London Mayor on Sunday, misrepresenting comments Mr Khan had made urging the public not to be alarmed by an increased police presence.

:: US mayors back Sadiq Khan against Trump

When Mr Khan issued a statement saying he was too busy dealing with the aftermath of a terror attack to respond to the President's comments, Mr Trump doubled down with a second insult.

Mrs May has said the President was "wrong" to criticise Mr Khan.

"I think Sadiq Khan is doing a good job and it's wrong to say anything else - he's doing a good job," she said.

London's Mayor Suggests Cancelling President Trump's State Visit After His Criticisms on Twitter

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has suggested that U.S. President Donald Trump should not be welcomed to the U.K. because his policies are incompatible with British values, as a planned state visit approaches. The mayor's comments follow criticism from Trump on Twitter over Khan's response to a terror attack Saturday that left seven people dead in the British capital.

Speaking to Britain's Channel 4 News on Monday, Khan said the U.S. President was wrong about “many things.” According to the Guardian, he added that he doesn't think Trump should be welcomed to the country.

“I don’t think we should roll out the red carpet to the President of the U.S.A. in the circumstances where his policies go against everything we stand for,” he said.

President Trump criticized Khan on Sunday after the mayor told Londoners that an increased police presence on the streets was "no cause for alarm." Trump misleadingly suggested that Khan was downplaying the act of terrorism, which saw a van crash into pedestrians on London Bridge before three men exited the vehicle and attacked several people in nearby Borough Market.

After the mayor's office contextualized Khan's remarks, Trump went on the offensive again, tweeting on Monday that the explanation was a "pathetic excuse."

Read more: President Trump's Attack on London Mayor

Trump's attack on Khan has drawn sharp criticism not in the U.K. but also from American officials. The acting U.S. Ambassador in London, Lewis Lukens, issued a statement on Twitter offering praise and support for Khan: "I commend the strong leadership of the @MayorofLondon as he leads the city forward after this heinous attack," it read.

I commend the strong leadership of the @MayorofLondon as he leads the city forward after this heinous attack. – LLukens 3/3 https://t.co/p4dDZuCpyO- U.S. Embassy London (@USAinUK) June 4, 2017

The U.S. Conference of Mayors, which represents 1,400 communities across the country, also sent Khan an unequivocal message of support.

“[Khan] has risen above this crisis of death and destruction, as mayors continue to do, to alleviate fear, to bring comfort to his people of London and to give support to the first responders who continue to protect, defend and provide emergency care to his people of London," the statement read. “Thank you, Mayor Khan, for your leadership during this crisis."

Why Arab rivals have joined together to take on Qatar

It is a gulf Arab state that supports various Islamist groups - with critics saying it uses a TV channel as a tool of its foreign policy.

You could say that about a number of Arab countries, but it is Qatar that is being singled out for criticism and diplomatic ostracisation to a degree seldom seen before in the Arab world.

The reason? Qatar has long been out of line with the regional consensus and its neighbours believe this is the time to pull the small Gulf kingdom into line.

Other countries in the region may well support various Islamist militias in Syria.

Some sponsor TV channels perceived by many to have clearly biased agendas.

Saudi Arabia is accused of spending billions exporting a hardline form of Islam that its critics say leads to extremism.

But none of them share the sympathies and pet causes of Qatar.

:: Chaos in Qatar as Arab states cut travel links

Image:Al Jazeera's coverage has upset rival regimes

It has provided a base for the leadership of Palestinian militant organisation Hamas, an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood which has long been a thorn in the side of Egypt's military dictatorship.

It has good relations with Hezbollah to the fury of most other Sunni Arab nations because of the Lebanese Shia militia's close ties with Shia theocratic regional power Iran.

Qatar defends these relations with diverse groups because it says there is considerable support for them among ordinary people across the Arab world.

But that cuts no ice with the elites who rule them.

Qatar-based TV channel Al Jazeera has long been an irritant for the undemocratic elites who run that world.

It was a scapegoat during the Arab Spring uprisings, its staff often the victims of intimidation and worse by repressive regimes fighting for survival during those revolutions.

And regimes across the Middle East have for a long time sought to take revenge.

Qatar has been cast out before.

But this is more severe and likely to be longer lasting.

:: Oil price wobble amid Qatar diplomatic rift

Its regional rivals have found a common sense of purpose.

They are united in their fear of Iran and suspicion about Qatar's alleged ambivalence towards Tehran.

And they have been galvanised by US President Donald Trump's recent tour of the region.

Mr Trump challenged them to tackle extremists in their own backyards.

They have instead come down hard on a country they say is easy on extremists.

Previous administrations have taken a more nuanced, even-handed approach cultivating ties with as many countries as possible.

:: Investors watch Gulf diplomatic spat with unease

The Trump administration is being more blunt: stamp out extremism or else.

In that climate, Qatar's maverick foreign policy is more exposed.

Qatar has little leverage if the region remains united against it. The country houses a huge US military base, but it could be moved.

The diplomatic rupture is sending economic shockwaves across the region which will cause concern for all its governments - but Qatar is smaller and more vulnerable than its far richer, bigger neighbours and has more to fear from a protracted economic fallout.

It may choose to try and sit this one out as it has with previous moments of isolation, hoping the alliance ranged against it will begin to fracture, but it won't be able to for long.