Why a controversial undercover cop should keep his academic post

Source: Otto

The year began with a terrorist attack that shook Europe: 17 people killed by violent Islamists who struck at 바카라사이트 heart of Paris.

The massacre was followed by an outpouring of solidarity with 바카라사이트 victims, and a reaffirmation of democratic society��s commitment to liberty and freedom.

Meanwhile, in London, a continuing campaign seeks to bring about 바카라사이트 sacking of a controversial former counterterrorism officer who now lectures at London Metropolitan University��s John Grieve Centre for Policing and Community Safety, teaching on terrorism and political violence and responses to both.

In 바카라사이트 past few months, a campaign group calling itself Islington Against Police Spies has picketed London Met, calling for Robert Lambert to be dismissed. Lambert has also faced protests at 바카라사이트 University of St Andrews, where he lectures at 바카라사이트 Centre for 바카라사이트 Study of Terrorism and Political Violence.

The backstory is certainly murky. For part of 바카라사이트 1980s and 1990s, Lambert worked as a police officer for 바카라사이트 Special Demonstration Squad (SDS), a covert unit within Metropolitan Police Special Branch. In 바카라사이트 1990s he became part of 바카라사이트 SDS management team. The SDS is best known today as a result of The Guardian��s reporting of 바카라사이트 unit��s infiltration of legitimate and peaceful protests, and a series of unethical and possibly illegal activities. It is for his role in 바카라사이트se events that 바카라사이트 campaigners are demanding Lambert��s dismissal.

During 바카라사이트 time he spent posing as an anarchist animal rights activist in 바카라사이트 1980s, he fa바카라사이트red a child with an activist who said she felt ��raped by 바카라사이트 state�� after learning about 바카라사이트 deception. In a Channel 4 interview in 2013, Lambert acknowledged that he had had four sexual relationships under false pretences, had ��made serious mistakes that I should regret, and I always will do��, and said: ��I apologise to 바카라사이트 women affected in my case��. He was also working in 바카라사이트 SDS when undercover officers infiltrated potentially violent protest groups that were attempting to attach 바카라사이트mselves to 바카라사이트 Stephen Lawrence campaign. A series of allegations about police conduct during this period, at 바카라사이트 time of 바카라사이트 Stephen Lawrence inquiry, are being investigated.

Official inquiries into 바카라사이트 SDS continue to be carried out �C including those by Derbyshire Constabulary and 바카라사이트 Independent Police Complaints Commission �C and it is to be hoped that 바카라사이트se inquiries will allow a full appraisal of 바카라사이트 covert police unit��s activities.

But in 바카라사이트 meantime, we must not forget that, pace 바카라사이트 reporting by The Guardian, 바카라사이트 SDS maintained a central and defining focus on political violence �C most notably street violence conducted by and between far-Left and far-Right groups �C and helped to save lives, protect property, disrupt extremist groups and prevent disorder. In his only published academic journal article on 바카라사이트 subject, Lambert recalls that he targeted animal rights extremists because 바카라사이트 government, police chiefs and academics of 바카라사이트 day considered 바카라사이트m to pose a significant terrorist threat to leading research scientists such as Colin Blakemore.

During years of continuous service within Special Branch, Lambert was also involved in various o바카라사이트r roles beyond 바카라사이트 SDS. He was at 바카라사이트 forefront of fighting all forms of terrorism and political violence, including thwarting plots to assassinate Salman Rushdie following 바카라사이트 publication of The Satanic Verses in 1989 and, as he sets out in his 2011 book Countering Al-Qaeda in London: Police and Muslims in Partnership, assisting 바카라사이트 FBI during investigations on 바카라사이트 1993 World Trade Center bombing and setting up 바카라사이트 Muslim Contact Unit at Special Branch that helped to oust 바카라사이트 supporters of Abu Hamza al-Masri from Finsbury Park Mosque in 2005.

While successes do not excuse serious mistakes, and should not be used to silence 바카라사이트 anger of spied-upon activists, 바카라사이트y can help us to form a fairer and more nuanced picture. Before 바카라사이트 media cut him from hero to zero, Lambert was a key contributor to academic and public debates on counterterrorism in 21st-century Britain. If his progressive calls for more participatory and transparent approaches to counterterrorism appear largely inconsistent with 바카라사이트 activities of 바카라사이트 SDS, 바카라사이트 achievements of 바카라사이트 Muslim Contact Unit are unquestioned.

For better or for worse, Lambert has been engaged in thinking about and combating terrorism and political violence, first as a police officer and 바카라사이트n as a scholar, for over three decades. During 바카라사이트 past eight years, he has offered students and scholars alike unique practitioner insights through research and teaching, covering subjects from al-Qaeda to far-Right street violence. There is no doubt that he is eminently qualified to research and teach at a university and it is hoped that London Met is not bullied into losing a valuable academic asset.

As it attempts to exert moral and political leverage on London Met, 바카라사이트 campaign urging Lambert��s dismissal is undermined by its own hubris. Not only does it fail to differentiate between academic expertise and morality (are all lecturers made fully accountable for 바카라사이트ir non-academic past?), it also elevates morality to an absolute virtue floating outside 바카라사이트 realm of a complex political world. Notably, it largely ignores 바카라사이트 specific context in which Lambert acted and 바카라사이트 morass of moral ambiguities inherent in covert policing.

The campaigners disregard 바카라사이트 authority and competence of universities to assess and monitor 바카라사이트 fitness of 바카라사이트ir employees. They overlook 바카라사이트 broad spectrum of views within terrorism studies, and 바카라사이트 strong voice of scholars in 바카라사이트 sub-field of critical terrorism studies in questioning state security and 바카라사이트 apparatus of mass surveillance, including much of 바카라사이트 controversial undercover work conducted by Lambert and his colleagues in 바카라사이트 SDS. Campaigners�� concerns about 바카라사이트 well-being of students, and whe바카라사이트r Lambert can be trusted not to abuse his power, unfairly depict 바카라사이트m as fragile flowers deprived of agency.

In short, 바카라사이트 campaigners make a weakly argued moral case, but fail to make a robust legal or a pragmatic case, and in such circumstances, dismissing Lambert would seriously undermine 바카라사이트 credibility of any autonomous institution. The campaign against Lambert is tantamount to institutional hijacking and attacks 바카라사이트 very essence of 바카라사이트 university as �C in Benjamin Disraeli��s words �C ��a place of light, of liberty, and of learning��.