Australia may deploy agents in Indonesia<\/p>\n
Agencies, Canberra, Kuala Lumpur<\/p>\n
Australia wants to base counter-terrorism teams in Southeast
\nAsia, including in Indonesia and the Philippines, the government
\nsaid on Monday, as it laid out its security plan ahead of an Oct.
\n9 general election.<\/p>\n
Center-left opposition Labor pledged to spend A$373 million
\n(US$260 million) to strengthen Australia's defense as the two
\nparties argued over the best way to wage the war on terror.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister John Howard, whose conservative government has
\nedged ahead of Labor in opinion polls, said two teams of
\nAustralian police would fight terror at the source and stop it
\nreaching Australia .<\/p>\n
\"We will not wait for a terrorist threat to eventuate before
\nwe take action,\" Howard told reporters.<\/p>\n
He said the A$100 million plan would likely include Indonesia
\nand the Philippines as bases for the two 10-man teams of police.<\/p>\n
\"If you are there and you are working in an increased way with
\nthe locals, you have a far greater capacity to bring about, or
\nachieve, the prevention of a potential attack,\" Howard said.<\/p>\n
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said, however, the
\ngovernment plan would be welcomed in the region and he and
\nJustice Minister Chris Ellison would visit Australia's neighbors
\nto talk about it if reelected.<\/p>\n
The plan drew a lukewarm response from the Philippines, which
\nsaid existing treaties meant the teams would not be able to go
\nbeyond intelligence gathering and technical expertise.<\/p>\n
\"I believe the agreement with Australia does not call for any
\njoint operations. We will abide by our agreement,\" said Ignacio
\nBunye, a spokesman for Philippine President Gloria Macapagal
\nArroyo in Manila.<\/p>\n
Malaysia rejected on Monday the idea that Australia could
\nstage pre-emptive strikes or base counter-terrorism teams on
\nMalaysian soil, asserting that it would not allow its national
\nsovereignty to be violated.<\/p>\n
\"Malaysia has not been approached,\" Deputy Prime Minister
\nNajib Razak told reporters. \"We think we have the capability to
\ndeal with any threat of terrorism.\"<\/p>\n
Additional teams would be based in Australia ready for rapid
\ndeployment based on intelligence reports or requests from police
\nin neighboring countries, Howard said in the northern city of
\nDarwin, closer to Indonesia than to the capital, Canberra.<\/p>\n
Australia has not been hit by a major terror attack on home
\nsoil but 88 Australians were among 202 people killed in nightclub
\nbombings on the Indonesian island of Bali in 2002 that were
\nblamed on al Qaeda-linked Islamic militant group Jamaah
\nIslamiyah.<\/p>\n
Howard also pledged to spend A$50 million turning the Royal
\nDarwin Hospital, which treated more than 100 victims of the Bali
\nbombings, into a national center for critical care and trauma
\nready to cope with any further terror attacks in the region.<\/p>\n
The federal police would also develop a unit of highly trained
\noperational linguists to work on terrorism issues. Funding for a
\nfull-time bomb data centers in Jakarta, Malaysia and Singapore
\nwould be provided along with a region intelligence secretariat.<\/p>\n
Labor leader Mark Latham said his party would strengthen
\nAustralia's defense through measures including a review of
\ndefense capabilities and increasing the size of the army by
\nadding a light infantry battalion.<\/p>\n
\"(Southeast Asia is) a region where you can't take any risks
\nwhen it comes to Australia's security. You need to recognize the
\nimportance of a cooperative approach,\" Latham said.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, he said Labor would spend A$300 million to bolster
\nmaritime defense with a coastguard and sea marshals, and free the
\nnavy to fight security threats.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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