Howard unveils new antiterrorism meassures

Howard unveils new antiterrorism meassures

Agence France-Presse, Canberra

Australian Prime Minister John Howard announced on Thursday a series of new counter-terrorism measures to deal with heightened threats to Australians at home and abroad following the deadly bombing in Bali.

The moves included creation of a National Counter-Terrorism Committee to oversee the "war on terrorism" and legislation making it easier to prosecute perpetrators of atrocities against Australians abroad.

Howard, calling it "a very sad day for the country," said the enhanced counter-terrorism drive reflected growing dangers for Australians from international terrorists.

"The terrorist attacks on the United States last year revealed that we are now operating in a new security environment. The Bali bombings tragically brought that directly and personally home to Australians," he said.

Howard said his office would take direct control over the battle against terrorism, effectively rejecting demands for the creation of a new Homeland Security Ministry modeled on the counter-terrorism department set up in the United States after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

The measures were announced following a national memorial service in parliament on Thursday for the 94 Australians killed or missing and dozens more seriously hurt in the Bali bombing.

No one has claimed responsibility for that attack, which killed more than 190 people, but it has been attributed to Islamic radicals linked to the al-Qaeda network.

Australia's main domestic intelligence agency, ASIO, issued its annual report to parliament on Thursday saying Islamic extremists posed the most significant threat to the country today.

"While al-Qaeda has suffered setbacks since 11 September 2001, the group retains the intent and capability to undertake terrorism worldwide," it said.

Howard unveiled the new counter-terrorism plans after meeting with his top security officials and the heads of Australia's states and territories.

He said the National Counter-Terrorism Committee would prepare a report for that group on further measures needed to deal with security threats.

But before that review, Howard announced several steps on Thursday, including the introduction of an "extra-territorial murder offense", retroactive to October 1, to give authorities more power to pursue and prosecute suspected terrorists.

"The government is committed to ensuring that Australia has every tool it needs to prosecute individuals who engage in heinous crimes like those in Bali," Howard said.

Other steps included the establishment of a standing reward of A$500,000 (US$275,000) for anyone providing information that leads to the conviction of someone for terrorist offenses.

That reward is in addition to a A$2 million reward announced earlier for help in tracking down those behind the Bali bombing.

But Howard cautioned that while Jamaah Islamiyah and al-Qaeda were the main suspects behind the Bali bombing, "the war against terrorism is not a war against Islam."

"The measures that I announce today do not target particular religions or racial groups," he said. "These measures are aimed at terrorists, whatever their faith, whatever their religion."