Power Station Terror Warning For Australia

October 11, 2002

CANBERRA, Australia - Australia has been warned by U.S. authorities to be on guard against possible terrorist attack on power stations and electricity facilities.

There was no specific threat to Australia, Attorney-General Daryl Williams said on Saturday, adding that other countries had also received similar warnings.

"Recent statements by al Qaeda raise concerns about the possibility of another major terrorist attack and are another reminder that we cannot be complacent and are not immune to such threats," Williams warned.

Williams comments follow a warning earlier this week that an al Qaeda terrorist cell may have been set up in Australia with a brief to attack targets inside the country.

Al Qaeda expert Rohan Gunaratna says there is evidence the terrorist network's Southeast Asian arm -- Jemaah Islamiyah -- has a number of support cells operational in Australia.

Gunaratna warned the Australian government may not being doing enough to detect the "two or three" al Qaeda operatives sent there.

Gunaratna, who wrote the book Inside al Qaeda, said his information came from debriefings of a number of al Qaeda and Taliban fighters.

He said those discussion revealed two or three members of al Qaeda may already be in Australia, but he was unable to say what their targets might be.


High profile

Australia has boosted its anti-terrorism spending markedly since September 11

In Saturday's government warning, Williams said Washington warned Australia because of its role in the ongoing war against terror that includes the deployment of 150 Special Air Services troops to Afghanistan.

"We are a high-profile partner in the war against terrorism," Williams said.

Williams told Australian Broadcasting Corp. television that a high-level government security task force met immediately after the Washington communiquÈ and sent warnings to state governments and power generators across the country, the Associated Press reported.

Following September 11, the Australian government introduced tough new laws aimed at curtailing terrorist activities and boosted budget spending on anti-terror measures.

Last month, the government launched two new anti-terrorist units based in Sydney -- Australia's largest city and main business center.

The new units comprise a 300-person Incident Response Regiment trained in dealing with chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive incidents and a second Tactical Assault Group (TAG) to handle direct terrorist threats such as sieges and hostage situations.

http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/auspac/10/11/australia.terror/index.html