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Australia turns to TV terror alerts
Staff and wires
SYDNEY, Australia -- Australia's government has announced it will launch a multi-million dollar advertising campaign to educate the public about the threat of terrorist attacks. The television campaign, to be run over the Christmas holiday period, aims to increase public awareness in spotting potentially suspicious behavior and preventing an attack. Australian Prime Minister John Howard said Australians should be on the look out for parcels or bags left in nightclubs or bars as well as abandoned cars left near landmarks or busy areas. "We will be trying to give them some useful information about things that everybody can do to perhaps isolate a potential terrorist incident," Howard told Australian television on Sunday. The heightened security follows last month's nightclub bombings on Indonesia's Bali island which killed more than 180 people, including up to 90 Australians. Howard did however caution Australians, who have until now felt largely isolated from the terrorist threat, against overreaction. "I really want people to go on living their own lives," he said. "For my part I will still go to major sporting events as I do over Christmas and the New Year," he said. Summer is about to start in Australia and there is particular security concern over tourist attractions such as beaches and the Sydney Opera House, large outdoor events and sports fixtures, including Australia's Ashes cricket test series against England. Campaign concernsA terrorism analyst on Monday questioned the idea of a campaign on how to spot a "terrorist," warning innocent people could be targeted. "It's a symptom of the government not knowing exactly what to do," said Michael McKinley from the Australian National University. "I think it's a symptom ... of the sort of fear which gets engendered by the attacks which we've seen," he told Reuters news agency. Queensland state Premier Peter Beattie expressed concerns about the potentially divisive implications of any campaign that relied on racial stereotyping. "I don't want to see people judged on their ethnic background ... we've got to be careful we don't get any hysteria about this," he said. Howard's office said on Monday the television campaign was still in its infancy, so details and a timetable needed to be worked out. Last week, Australian security forces were put on heightened alert after the government said it had received "credible information" about a general threat over the next two months, believed linked to the radical Islamic al Qaeda network. Howard also flagged on Sunday a major upgrade of airport security, with luggage on domestic flights to be X-rayed. Australia currently X-rays luggage only on international flights, but Howard said on Sunday his government would extend the heightened security checks to domestic flights, irrespective of the possible expense. Reuters contributed to this report.
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