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ADF chief doubts Iraq link to terror risk
The chief of the Australian Defence Force, Peter Cosgrove, says he does not agree with Australian Federal Police commissioner Mick Keelty on the likelihood of a terrorist attack in Australia. On the weekend, Mr Keelty said Australia was a greater terrorist target due to its support for the US-led invasion of Iraq.Which means that Al Qaedaâs new agenda is to punish those who liberated Iraq, even though there was supposed to be no link between AQ and Iraq. One has to ask why this is so. But General Cosgrove, speaking at the launch of a new defence command structure in Sydney, says while he generally agrees with Mr Keelty, this is one occasion when he will differ. "I consider that theyâve declared war on us, theyâve killed our sons and daughters and now theyâre trying to divide us with words," General Cosgrove said. Couldnât agree more "It seems to me they started this and we are in to the end. We are not going to be divided off from the few nations in the world that are taking a really strong stand." Right on General Cosgrove says he has seen the same intelligence as Mr Keelty. However, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) says Australiaâs participation in the Iraq war may have made it a more attractive target for Al Qaeda. Why? They will attack on any excuse. What was their excuse in Bali? As Cosgrove says, they want to divide us with words. They only thing we should discuss with them is their preferred method of being killed. FBI assistant director John Pistole says he is not aware of any specific intelligence that indicates Australia is currently a target of Al Qaeda but he says Al Qaeda may take Australiaâs relationship with the United States into consideration. May, may, may "That is one factor that Al Qaeda may take into consideration but I think that that is in a range of dozens of factors that may be considered, including the ability to conduct an attack," he told a meeting of Australiaâs police commissioners in Sydney. The countryâs police chiefs are meeting to discuss counter-terrorism and national security. "The fact that Australia is an ally of the United States and works closely with the United States means that Australia may be targeted, just like any other country that has worked with the United States, or is an ally," Mr Pistole added. Mr Pistole says that if the intention of the terrorist group responsible for last weekâs Madrid bombings was to influence the result in Spainâs election, then the stakes have been raised. Or they may have just come up with an excuse AFTER the attack to try and justify their homicidal act. And the media has gone for it hook, line and sinker. "I would hate to give any terrorist group credit for influencing the election," he said. "If that was the intended outcome and that was what achieved, then that raises the stakes of the vulnerabilities and potentials that we must deal with." Or it could be that the terorists struck an unintended jackpot. New South Wales Premier Bob Carr has accused Prime Minister John Howard of being "cranky and prickly" in his reaction to Mr Keeltyâs comments about a possible link between the war in Iraq and Australiaâs level of terrorism risk. Mr Howard has rejected Mr Keeltyâs view that Australia is at greater risk of a terrorist attack because it helped the US in Iraq. Mr Howard publicly rebuked the police chief by questioning his credentials as an authority on the issue. Mr Carr says Mr Howardâs reaction was "very intemperate". "We can have a civil debate about this but it struck me the Prime Minister was cranky and prickly with the way he responded," Mr Carr said.
So whatâs the problem then. He says more evidence is needed to back up claims that Australia is at greater risk. "Iâm an agnostic, I simply donât know," Mr Carr said.
Posted by: tipper 2004-03-16 |
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