February 17, 2009 4:13PM 

# Former MI5 Head Criticizes Exploitation of Fear 

By [Jim Harper](https://www.cato.org/people/jim-harper) 

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The BBC [reports](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7893890.stm) that Dame Stella Rimington has spoken out against governments’ use of fear to pass legislation that reduces civil liberties. It’s “precisely one of the objects of terrorism — that we live in fear and under a police state,” she says.

Carlos Marighella says so, too, as David Rittgers [points out](https://www.cato.org/2009/02/12/taking-cues-from-terrorist-playbooks/).

##### Related Tags 

[Defense and Foreign Policy](https://www.cato.org/defense-foreign-policy) 

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