Posted on 11/02/2005 3:34:31 PM PST by naturalman1975
FEARS terrorists are moving closer to an attack on Sydney and Melbourne have forced the Howard Government to rush through an emergency law to make it easier for police to arrest suspects.
John Howard said the Government had received "specific intelligence and police information this week which gives cause for serious concern about a potential terrorist threat".
The Australian has learned the intelligence relates to home-grown terror suspects in the country's two biggest cities who are believed to be building the capability to mount an attack.
The Prime Minister refused to divulge any details, stressing he could not talk about operational matters.
But the shock announcement had an immediate effect on financial markets, with the share market slumping 30 points soon after Mr Howard's announcement.
The serious nature of the threat allowed Mr Howard to secure backing from the States and Federal Opposition for the swift law changes. The Senate will be recalled today to pass the amendment, which Mr Howard said would "strengthen the capacity" of police to respond to the threat.
The change involves altering the wording in an existing law, with "a terrorist act" replacing "the terrorist act".
"I know that sounds pedantic but ... in order to prosecute people you've got to do it legally and you've got to have the law on your side," Mr Howard said. "We have seen material. It is cause for concern."
Yesterday's move followed months of intensive operations by Australia's top spy agency, ASIO, and the Australian Federal Police.
ASIO raided a string of homes in Sydney and Melbourne in June.
The Sydney raids, on at least three homes, were believed to have focused on two men who forged a relationship with others in Melbourne.
One of the men targeted in Sydney had been allegedly identified by a US terrorist informant who claimed to have met him at a military training camp run by the outlawed militia group Lashkar-e-Taiba. At the time of the raids, police and intelligence sources stressed the action did not indicate imminent arrests but rather the warrants were aimed at determining whether a criminal inquiry should be launched.
Members of the group had allegedly been filming Melbourne landmarks including the Australian Stock Exchange, and a suburban train station.
Despite yesterday's warning, ASIO did not change Australia's official threat assessment, which remains at medium.
The level would increase if there was credible information of an imminent strike against Australian citizens on Australian soil.
Kim Beazley, who received a briefing from ASIO boss Paul O'Sullivan on Tuesday night, immediately offered bipartisan support for the emergency laws.
But the Opposition Leader pushed for the Senate to be recalled immediately, saying there was no reason the amendment could not have been passed yesterday. "If it has extensive urgency, it ought to be capable of being passed ... we see no problem with it," he said.
The effect of the amendment will allow law enforcement agencies to prosecute even if a specific terrorist act is not identified.
"It will be sufficient for the prosecution to prove that the particular conduct was related to a terrorist act," Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said.
Law enforcement agencies have been seeking this legislative amendment for at least 18 months, amid concerns the existing law is too restrictive.
The AFP and other agencies have been engaged in systematic monitoring of several terror suspects in recent months, but under the current law they cannot arrest and charge suspects without firm knowledge of a specific planned attack.
Yesterday's amendment would allow police to apprehend "suspects who are building the capability for an attack", a senior Government source said.
The amendment was specifically removed from the broader counter-terrorism package. "Just to make it very clear - this does not alter the imperative of having passage of the remainder of the larger bill," Mr Ruddock said.
Several MPs and senators last night questioned the Government's motive in rushing the amendment into parliament, but Mr Howard denied security services and police were "doing the Government's bidding".
Yesterday's decision came as the Government was expected to reach agreement with the states on the main counter-terrorism package, which will see the introduction of preventive detention and tough control orders on terror suspects.
While some Coalition and Labor MPs continue to question the severity of the laws, Mr Howard said the Government was close to a final agreement.
"I'm actually quite optimistic now that we have reached agreement on all of the outstanding issues," he said.
Citing the ASIO annual report, Mr Howard said a terror attack against Australia was "feasible and could well occur". He said he could not "go into any more detail because if I do I might weaken the capacity of authorities to respond".
"I didn't set out to scare anybody," he said. "It's a question of you're damned if you do (reveal details of the threat) and you're damned if you don't."
Too bad no one in Australia has a firearm with which to protect themselves...(*ssh*les)...
Ah - we do.
I've been carrying to and from work since the London bombings.
The effect of Australia's gun laws have been greatly exagerated - there are some restrictions, but there are still millions of legally held firearms in private hands in Australia, and virtually any adult without a criminal record can get a firearm permit if they want to. Handgun permits and permits for semi-automatics and automatics are harder to get, but it can be done.
Careful That's America's best friend you're talking about.
Maybe if so many of his countrymen/women would stop bashing Americans they wouldn't be a target.
Ping!
Well said
Looks like everyone has'em, huh?
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