Picking out child terrorists before. . . uh, before they're even terrorists

Seems the existence of terrorism can be used to justify just about anything. The United Kingdom has never been content with leaving all of the creepy evil to the terrorists themselves (case in point: the ridiculous "let your paranoid fantasies run wild!" posters London police put up recently), so this is hardly a surprise. Nevertheless, the level of government misconduct that's being tolerated in the name of "terrorism" is continually sobering. Witness the new UK program that's fingered up to 200 children as potential terrorists:

The programme, run by the Association of Chief Police Officers, asks teachers, parents and other community figures to be vigilant for signs that may indicate an attraction to extreme views or susceptibility to being "groomed" by radicalisers. Sir Norman, whose force covers the area in which all four 7 July 2005 bombers grew up, said: "What will often manifest itself is what might be regarded as racism and the adoption of bad attitudes towards 'the West'.

This program is more of a counseling and Muslim outreach sort of thing (working with local imams and whatnot), though it's pretty scary that teachers are being trusted to identify future terrorists based on what they say and write (what other opinions will be off-limits?), and that the government is behind it, if the "slippery slope theory" can once again be held to be true:

"Why, Masoud, do you remember that picture of a bearded man shooting a car you drew in seventh grade? That's why airport security is hassling you today."