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| Tuesday, 21 September 2004 |
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Australian PM plans anti-terror flying squads, threatens overseas strikes Sydney, Monday (AFP) Australian Prime Minister John Howard said he would not hesitate to order pre-emptive strikes against terrorist bases overseas as he Monday unveiled a plan for anti-terror police flying squads. With security one of the top issues in the October 9 general election after this month's bombing of Australia's Jakarta embassy, Howard pledged nearly 100 million dollars (70 million US) to the plan if reelected. "We will not wait for a terrorist threat to eventuate before we take action," he said in an official announcement. "In close co-operation with our regional neighbours we will ensure that we take every measure possible to disrupt and destroy the terrorist networks at their source." The six new teams of officers from the Australian Federal Police would include two based outside Australia, he said. Earlier, in comments likely to worry Australia's neighbours, Howard said he would not hesitate to launch a pre-emptive strike on a terrorist base overseas if it was necessary. "I've said that if there were no alternative other than to do something ourselves to prevent an attack on Australia from a terrorist group, I would do it," Howard told national radio. Howard's comments come on the day of Indonesia's presidential election, the country widely considered to be the most likely target for any such strike and one with which Australia has long had an awkward relationship. This is not the first time Howard has made statements about pre-emptive strikes. Shortly after 88 Australians were killed in bombings at nightclubs in Indonesia's tourist island of Bali in 2002, Howard said that Australia could unilaterally launch strikes against terrorist bases in other countries. Asked Monday about the chances of another terrorist attack, he said it was "a near inevitability" but that he did not think one would take place on the Australian mainland. Opposition leader Mark Latham has rejected the idea of pre-emptive strikes while independent analysts have said that Howard's proposal would make Australia's neighbours uncomfortable. Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said, however, the plan would be welcomed in the region and he and Justice Minister Chris Ellison would visit Australia's neighbours to talk about it if reelected. Howard said if reelected his government would send small teams of anti-terror personnel to high-priority regional countries. Other measures would include the creation of two counter-terrorism criminal intelligence teams, which could be deployed in the region, and two counter-terrorism surveillance teams. The federal police would also develop a unit of highly trained operational linguists to work on terrorism issues. Funding for a full-time bomb data centre in Jakarta and help for a similar project in Malaysia and Singapore would also be provided. A regional intelligence secretariat to coordinate intelligence with law enforcement agencies from around the region would also be established. |
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