Author: Brendan Nicholson, Farrah Tomazin
and Michael Gawenda
Publication: The Age
Date: September 13, 2005
URL: http://www.theage.com.au/news/war-on-terror/pm-says-video-proves-point/2005/09/12/1126377256832.html
A video claiming that Melbourne will be the
target of an al-Qaeda attack reinforced the need for tough terrorism laws,
according to Prime Minister John Howard.
But he said the man featured in the video
had made similar threats before and not delivered. He urged the people of
Melbourne not to be put off attending events such as the Commonwealth Games.
The State Government yesterday urged Victorians
to remain calm after Melbourne and Los Angeles were named on the video televised
on ABC News in America at the weekend as the next possible terrorist targets.
Attorney-General Philip Ruddock told Parliament that intelligence agencies
examining the video believed it was authentic, but he said that did not mean
its message was anything more than rhetoric.
The masked speaker on the video is believed
to be Adam Gadahn, of southern California, who threatens attacks on the two
cities, "Allah willing," and warns that the attackers will show
no compassion.
"Yesterday, London and Madrid. Tomorrow,
Los Angeles and Melbourne," he says.
"We love peace, but peace on our terms."
Gadahn, who apparently converted to Islam
at an Orange County mosque as a teenager, was believed to have been the young
American who appeared in another threatening tape about year ago.
Premier Steve Bracks said he was confident
that Melbourne was well equipped to deal with a potential attack - if the
video threat was genuine.
He also ruled out increasing security that
had already been planned for major events because the existing arrangements
were "second to none".
"This video is designed to instil fear,"
he said. "That's what it's designed to do, and of course, we would be
playing into the hands of the people who perpetrated this media exercise …
if all of a sudden, we said yes, we're fearful.
"The reality is we have very sound, secure,
security arrangements in place."
Federal Opposition Leader Kim Beazley said
the Government was wrong to rely on tougher laws when practical steps were
needed to stop terrorists launching an attack on Melbourne by hijacking aircraft
at regional airports.
In New York for the United Nations world summit,
Mr Howard said Australia had clearly been a terrorist target long before the
September 11, 2001, attacks. No Government could credibly guarantee there
would be no terrorist attack.
"But we can commit ourselves, as we have
done, to do everything we can to strengthen our domestic capacity to stop
terrorist attacks occur- ring in the first place," he said.
Mr Howard said such threats were not going
to stop the Commonwealth Games.
"The best response to things like this
is to redouble our protective efforts, which we are doing, but also to get
on with life, which we are also doing."
