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Howard defends anti-terrorism laws

Australian Prime Minister John Howard and senior ministers rallied to defend Canberra's tough anti-terrorism stance yesterday, saying laws by which a man linked to the failed UK bombings was held for 12 days before being charged were essential to protect its citizens.

The Australian Federal Police charged Indian doctor Mohamed Haneef, 27, on Saturday with recklessly providing support to a terrorist organization, after holding him since July 2.

Another doctor, Sabeel Ahmed, 26, who is Haneef's cousin, was charged in London on Saturday with failing to disclose information that could have prevented the attacks.

Howard said the terrorism laws, introduced in 2004, were necessary "to the very last letter," and opened the door to possibly strengthening them.

"I believe that the present laws are all necessary, I have an open mind as to whether they might need to be strengthened in the future," Howard told Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC) radio.

Civil rights groups had protested over Haneef's detention without charge.

Police investigating the case at the weekend said they had had to sift through the equivalent of 36,000 four-drawer filing cabinets of material in electronic form.

Haneef was remanded in custody until Monday when his bail application is to be heard in a Brisbane court. Police say he provided the group with his mobile phone SIM card, which one of the suspects used later.

Haneef's lawyer, Peter Russo, said Haneef was being treated unfairly under the tough laws because people charged with terrorism offences could only be granted bail in "exceptional circumstances," Australian Associated Press reported.

"The trouble is, he's being dealt with as if he's been charged with the most serious charge a person can be charged with under the legislation," Russo was quoted as saying.

In a related development, local media reported that police in Perth, the Western Australian state capital, had raided a suburban house in connection with the investigation of links between foreign-trained doctors and the British bomb plots.

ABC reported that police yesterday morning completed the search of the house where three or four Indian doctors lived and were starting to examine the evidence they had seized, to determine whether any charges would be laid.

Police began searching the townhouse on Saturday and removed several bags and boxes. Similar raids were made last week at Royal Perth Hospital and Kalgoorlie Hospital.

Meanwhile, Australia's foreign minister said yesterday that al-Qaeda had been "disrupted and degraded," disputing claims that the network had gained strength despite nearly six years of the so-called "war on terror."

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer was responding to reports in the US that a new intelligence assessment would show that Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda had rebuilt itself after being heavily targeted in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.

"I think it's fair to say that in general since 2001, al-Qaeda has been significantly disrupted and degraded," Downer told Australian television.

"But it's also true to say that al-Qaeda and al-Qaeda-related and linked organizations still remain a very serious threat."

The Washington Post said the new intelligence assessment found that al-Qaeda had established a safe haven in remote tribal areas of western Pakistan for training and plotting attacks.

The US Senate doubled the bounty on Osama bin Laden to US$50 million on Friday.
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