While Prime Minister Howard's claim to have received specific
information about a terrorist threat may be true, it is quite
possible that it is simply a work of fiction to give impetus
to the rush to pass "anti-terrorism laws", much like the 
earlier "Children Overboard" claims before the 2001 election.

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HOWARD WARNS OF TERROR THREAT
2.11.2005. 18:10:53

The Australian government has received specific information about a
terrorist threat on its soil and will rush an urgent amendment to anti-
terrorism laws through parliament to help counter it, Prime Minister
John Howard said.

In a press conference on Wednesday Mr Howard refused to give details
about the threat, saying only that the amendment to existing counter
terrorism legislation would help authorities deal with it.

"The government has received specific intelligence and police
information this week which gives cause for serious concern about 
a potential terrorist threat," Mr Howard said.

He said the attorney-general would introduce the amendment to
parliament later on Wednesday and the government would press for its
approval through the evening before recalling the senate on Thursday
to pass it into law.

"The government is satisfied on the advice provided to it that the
immediate passage of this bill would strengthen the capacity of law
enforcement agencies to effectively respond to this threat," he said.

"The government is acting against the background of the assessment of
intelligence agencies that a terrorist attack in Australia is feasible
and could well occur," he said, referring to a report by the
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), presented to
parliament on Tuesday.

"In ASIO's recently released annual report a warning is contained that
specifically cites the threat of home-grown terrorism. ASIO also
warned that attacks without warning are feasible," Mr Howard said.

The amendment will add further grounds for listing militant
organisations and "clarify that, in a prosecution for a terrorism
offence, it is not necessary to identify a particular terrorist act",
he said.

"It will be sufficient for the prosecution to prove that the
particular conduct was related to 'a' terrorist act."

The amendments are part of tough new anti-terror laws that the
government drafted in the wake of the London bombings in July in 
which more than 50 people were killed.

The complete package of new legislation will be introduced in
parliament soon and the government hopes it will be passed by
Christmas, Mr Howard said.

ASIO said in its report that "some of the more extreme individuals
ASIO has identified and investigated are Australian-born.

Some have participated in terrorist training overseas while others
have never travelled abroad."

The complete package of new laws, which includes detention without
charge for up to two weeks, house arrest and fitting suspects with
tracking devices, has been widely criticised as infringing on civil
liberties. 

[... ...]

Full article at SBS World News Australia...
http://www9.sbs.com.au/theworldnews/region.php?id=124386®ion=7

Cheers, Steve..

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