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."