Top cop backs Canberra's actions in Pacific

Ben McDevitt

Australian sensitivity about its Pacific image has been underlined with top policeman Ben McDevitt making a spirited defence of his country's "humanitarian" agenda during a counter-terrorism conference in Wellington.

Federal Agent McDevitt, honoured for his work investigating the Bali bombings, said Australia was aware of the sensitivities of sovereign South Pacific nations.

That was why the 2003 military and police intervention in the Solomon Islands was known as Operation Helpen Frem - pidgin for Helping a Friend - "and not Operation Thunderbolt", he said.

The mission was sanctioned regionally, included 10 nations, and was in response to a request for help from the Solomon Islands.

Mr McDevitt, the Australian Federal Police national manager of counter-terrorism, rejected any notion Australia's action in the Pacific was driven by self-interest or fears of a terrorist strike.

"We see it from a humanitarian perspective," he said.

"Australia is not looking at the Pacific through a terrorism prism. We want our neighbours to be safe and secure. Obviously that has dividends for ourselves.

"Is terrorism an issue? Perhaps. Is terrorism the key issue? No it's not."

Australia has long been sensitive about how it is perceived in the region, but that has been highlighted by interventions in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea since the September 11 terrorism attacks in the United States.

Australian academic John McFarlane suggested to the conference the approach to the Pacific had changed since John Howard met US President George Bush in 2003.

Last year Australia dedicated 40 per cent of its more than A$2 billion annual aid package to the Pacific and tied it to issues of good governance and stability.

The joint Police-Victoria University counter-terrorism conference had earlier heard Massey University lecturer Dr Beth Greener-Barcham compare the more forthright language of Australia towards the Pacific with that of New Zealand political and academic leaders.

She said that the risk of terrorism in the Pacific was low but could not be discounted and that attempts to secure the region needed to be cooperative and not coerced.

Mr McDevitt said the Australian viewpoint she presented was jaundiced.

He said Australia was entitled to know how its aid budget was being spent - it now spends A$492.3 million in PNG - and to know if it was being siphoned off or failing to deliver programmes for those in need.

He said policemen were seeing problems of money laundering, drug running, arms and people trafficking in the South Pacific.

"Are we seeing terrorists? No we're not."

Mr McDevitt, who did not want to be interviewed, on Monday gave a closed briefing to delegates about counter-terrorism.

Australia this year withdrew 140 police officers from Papua New Guinea after a court removed their immunity from prosecution, driven by sovereignty concerns.

That intervention is expected to be a core topic for the Pacific Islands Forum meeting in PNG in October. Melanesian nations are also expected to put forward another proposal for the establishment of a regional police or peacekeeping force.