A new policy statement examining the dimension and character of international terrorism will be released to the public within months, Australian Prime Minister John Howard said yesterday.
His announcement of a new white paper came a day after Australia stepped up its war on terror, with plans to introduce to parliament this week new laws boosting police powers to detain suspects and expand key intelligence agency ASIO with 150 new recruits.
The new laws, allowing police to question suspects for up to 24 hours instead of for an initial period of four hours, are guaranteed passage through parliament after the Labor opposition announced its support yesterday.
Howard told ABC radio the White Paper was part of the process of keeping the public up to date, adding: "I would hope that as work on it has begun already that it will be available within the next few months."
The document is expected to be released ahead of the election due at the end of this year in which terrorism and Australia's commitment to the reconstruction of Iraq are looming as key issues.
Howard said there was no information to suggest the presence in Australia of the al-Qaeda terrorist network.
"It's just another element to what the government is doing," Howard said. "I don't think you can ever know enough about the character of this sort of threat and it's all part of the responsibility of a government to do better and further inform the Australian public."
"The purpose is to analyze and go into more detail about the character and the origins of the terrorist threat, where it has struck, where it might strike, what the responses ought to be and overall to develop further public understanding and public awareness," he said.
He said that, particularly in the wake of the Madrid bombings, the world was engaged in a protracted struggle that required many different techniques.
"We do not want to be sending signals to anybody that there's any weakening of resolve," he said.
He also intensified his attack on opposition Labor leader Mark Latham over his unilateral decision to join Spain in withdrawing Australian forces from Iraq if Labor wins government in the next election.
Latham criticized the new white paper and said the public wanted action against terrorism, not more studies and reviews.
"Two-and-half years after September 11, the Australian people want action," he said.
He said the government should adopt Labor's policy of setting up a homeland security portfolio and of upping security at regional airports.
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