For one thing those on the front line in counter-terrorism warn that it risks cutting off vital local intelligence and serving as a recruiting sergeant for terrorists.

BBC: NEWS | UK | UK Politics | David Davis speech in full

We will work to keep terrorists from disrupting computer networks, to prepare local communities for biological and chemical emergencies, and to support research into vaccines and treatments.

CNN: Prepared Text of Clinton's State of the Union speech

The official said the warning was sent in a weekly bulletin to 18, 000 state and local agencies, a lightly classified alert that outlines possible tactics terrorists could use.

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They propose, for example, to scrap Labour's identity-card scheme, introduce the election of local police chiefs and repeal the 42-day maximum for detaining terrorists before they are charged (if there is no new evidence that the 42-day limit is needed, Mr Cameron says circumspectly).

ECONOMIST: David Cameron

American experts have visited each one in an effort to help local administrators tighten up security and reduce the chances of ships and their cargoes being used by terrorists.

ECONOMIST: In peril on the sea | The