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| Monday, 25 November 2002 |
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Publicity campaign to tell Australians how to spot terrorists SYDNEY, Sunday (AFP) Australian Prime Minister John Howard said Sunday that a major public information campaign telling people how to spot terrorists will be launched in time for the Christmas holidays. Howard also flagged tougher immigration laws allowing members of banned terrorist organisations to be deported, even if they hold a valid visa to be in Australia. He said the unprecedented publicity would reinforce the need to be alert to terrorist threats. "This is virgin territory for Australia and I don't pretend that we'll have it absolutely right," he told the Channel Seven television. Howard said the campaign would urge people to report anomalies such as an abandoned car outside a public building or a person leaving a package in a bar and then running off. "I don't want people to become paranoid about this but we have to try, however inadequately though the advice may be, we have to try and help people." The publicity campaign is the latest sign of Australians coming to grips with the fact that they are vulnerable to terrorism following last month's car bombing in Bali that killed at least 190 people, about half of them Australian. Howard said Australians had to get used to the fact that there may be terrorists amongst them, although they should not allow it to change the way they went about their lives. He said the government was considering tightening immigration laws to ensure members of groups with suspected terrorist links, such as Jemaah Islamiah (JI), could be deported. His comments followed federal government confirmation that a man claiming JI membership is living in Australia on a valid visa. Howard said the government did not have the power to deport the man. "It may well be that we will want to approach the parliament again with some further changes," he said. "These are once again delicate balance issues, we don't want to abrogate basic rights. |
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