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Australia needs higher terror alert: report
By Grant Holloway
CANBERRA, Australia (CNN) -- Australia is still not taking the risk of terrorism seriously enough despite the October 12 Bali bombings, according to an independent report on Australia's defense needs. The government needs to increase Australia's state of alert from the current "medium" level to "high" and appoint a single "counter-terrorism supremo" to deal with the new threat environment, the report says. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute says Australians face an "unprecedented risk from terrorism", a situation which is not yet fully appreciated by the general public. "To respond to this changed threat environment, the government should develop a single, integrated national counter-terrorism campaign under unified direction, responsible for all aspects of Australia's counter-terrorism approach," the report says. Institute director Hugh White told media that Australia was in a structurally different situation post September 11 and faced a "sustained period" of risk from terrorist attacks at a higher level than ever before. The government faced a "genuine public information challenge" to inform people of the new risks without unduly alarming them, he said. Australia has been on an increased terror alert for more than a week, with international landmarks such as the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Sydney Opera House considered potential targets for attack. The Australian embassy in Manila has also been temporarily closed since Thursday because of "credible and specific information" regarding a terrorist threat to the mission. (Manila embassy closed) Australian Prime Minister John Howard said Friday the government was looking at proposals to set up something similar to the Homeland Department in the United States but was not yet convinced it was needed. "What works in America doesn't necessarily work in Australia and vice versa," he said. "Our security services do a very good job," he said. "I don't think there's anything fundamentally wrong or inadequate with the individual services. Whether they can be organized in a different fashion is obviously something that we're looking at," Howard told radio listeners. The institute report suggests Australia needs to increase resources dedicated to intelligence agencies and to integrate their counter-terrorism efforts. Australia also needed to "maximize its influence and presence in the (Asian) region" through the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, the Australian Federal Police and the embassies. Bin Laden warning
"The government needs to re-establish the sense that Australia and Indonesia have basic strategic interests in common, including Indonesia's territorial integrity," the report says. The Australian Defense Force also needs to improve its ability to evacuate Australians from regional hotspots. In particular, near neighbors Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu were "struggling to survive as functioning nations" and Australia needed to get involved in these nations' internal management to help them get back on their feet. Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer earlier this week told media that heightened travel alerts to Southeast Asian nations such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines would remain in place until it was clear that sufficient measure had been taken to reduce the terror threat in those countries. (Travel warnings to stay) More than 180 people were killed when terrorist bombs tore through an entertainment district on Bali on October 12. About half of those killed were Australian tourists. Australia was one of a list of U.S. allies named earlier this month as possible targets for terrorist attacks in a tape attributed to Osama bin Laden. The voice on the tape said Australia had been warned against participating in the assault on Afghanistan to hunt down bin Laden and punish his Taliban protectors but it had ignored the warning until "it woke up to the sound of explosions in Bali." Prime Minister Howard has been one of the strongest supporters of the U.S.-led war on terrorism.
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