Australia may deploy agents in Indonesia
Australia may deploy agents in Indonesia
Agencies, Canberra, Kuala Lumpur
Australia wants to base counter-terrorism teams in Southeast
Asia, including in Indonesia and the Philippines, the government
said on Monday, as it laid out its security plan ahead of an Oct.
9 general election.
Center-left opposition Labor pledged to spend A$373 million
(US$260 million) to strengthen Australia's defense as the two
parties argued over the best way to wage the war on terror.
Prime Minister John Howard, whose conservative government has
edged ahead of Labor in opinion polls, said two teams of
Australian police would fight terror at the source and stop it
reaching Australia .
"We will not wait for a terrorist threat to eventuate before
we take action," Howard told reporters.
He said the A$100 million plan would likely include Indonesia
and the Philippines as bases for the two 10-man teams of police.
"If you are there and you are working in an increased way with
the locals, you have a far greater capacity to bring about, or
achieve, the prevention of a potential attack," Howard said.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said, however, the
government plan would be welcomed in the region and he and
Justice Minister Chris Ellison would visit Australia's neighbors
to talk about it if reelected.
The plan drew a lukewarm response from the Philippines, which
said existing treaties meant the teams would not be able to go
beyond intelligence gathering and technical expertise.
"I believe the agreement with Australia does not call for any
joint operations. We will abide by our agreement," said Ignacio
Bunye, a spokesman for Philippine President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo in Manila.
Malaysia rejected on Monday the idea that Australia could
stage pre-emptive strikes or base counter-terrorism teams on
Malaysian soil, asserting that it would not allow its national
sovereignty to be violated.
"Malaysia has not been approached," Deputy Prime Minister
Najib Razak told reporters. "We think we have the capability to
deal with any threat of terrorism."
Additional teams would be based in Australia ready for rapid
deployment based on intelligence reports or requests from police
in neighboring countries, Howard said in the northern city of
Darwin, closer to Indonesia than to the capital, Canberra.
Australia has not been hit by a major terror attack on home
soil but 88 Australians were among 202 people killed in nightclub
bombings on the Indonesian island of Bali in 2002 that were
blamed on al Qaeda-linked Islamic militant group Jamaah
Islamiyah.
Howard also pledged to spend A$50 million turning the Royal
Darwin Hospital, which treated more than 100 victims of the Bali
bombings, into a national center for critical care and trauma
ready to cope with any further terror attacks in the region.
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 centers in Jakarta, Malaysia and Singapore
would be provided along with a region intelligence secretariat.
Labor leader Mark Latham said his party would strengthen
Australia's defense through measures including a review of
defense capabilities and increasing the size of the army by
adding a light infantry battalion.
"(Southeast Asia is) a region where you can't take any risks
when it comes to Australia's security. You need to recognize the
importance of a cooperative approach," Latham said.
On Sunday, he said Labor would spend A$300 million to bolster
maritime defense with a coastguard and sea marshals, and free the
navy to fight security threats.