Australia government plans counter-terror teams in Asia

4.40pm

CANBERRA - Australia wants to base counter-terrorism teams in South-East Asia, the government said on Monday as it traded blows with opposition Labour over the best way to wage the war on terror ahead of an Oct. 9 election.

Prime Minister John Howard, whose conservative government has edged ahead of centre-left Labour in opinion polls, said teams of Australian Federal Police would help to fight terror at the source and prevent it from reaching Australia.

"We have in mind the establishment of particular operations in certain countries, but obviously we will need to talk to the countries in question," Howard told Australian radio.

"If you are there and you are working in an increased way with the locals, you have a far greater capacity to bring about, or achieve, the prevention of a potential attack," Howard said.

Additional teams would be based in Australia ready for rapid deployment based on intelligence reports or requests from police in neighbouring countries, he said in the tropical northern city of Darwin, closer to Indonesia than to the capital, Canberra.

Australia has not been hit by a major terror attack on home soil but 88 Australians were among 202 people killed in nightclub bombings on the Indonesian island of Bali in 2002 that were blamed on al Qaeda-linked Islamic militant group Jemaah Islamiah.

Labour pledged on Monday to spend A$373 million ($398.33 million) to strengthen Australia's defence through measures including a review of defence capabilities and increasing the size of the army by adding a light infantry battalion.

"(South-East Asia is) a region where you can't take any risks when it comes to Australia's security. You need to recognise the importance of a cooperative approach," Latham told Australian radio.

On Sunday, he said Labour would spend A$300 million to bolster maritime defence with a coastguard and sea marshals, and free the navy to fight security threats.

Australian police have worked closely with their Indonesian counterparts since the Bali bombings. Canberra also sent a team of bomb experts and other police to Jakarta after a deadly car bombing outside its embassy there 11 days ago.

Howard alarmed Australia's Asian neighbours, including Indonesia, in December 2002 when he said pre-emptive action in another country was a legitimate response to terrorism and he criticised Latham on Monday for not making the same promise.

"I've said that if there were no alternative other than to do something ourselves to prevent an attack on Australia from a terrorist group, I would do it and I have criticised him for not saying the same thing," he said.

Latham has vowed to bring Australia's 850 troops in and around Iraq back home by Christmas if Labour wins office, saying resources would be better used to fighting the war on terror in Australia's own backyard -- Asia.

Howard is adamant Australia's troops will remain in Iraq until the job is done.

Australia's booming economy, national security and the US-led war in Iraq have been the main issues in the first half of the six-week election campaign, with the environment, education and health also emerging as concerns.

The election has attracted international attention because it precedes the US presidential vote on November 2 and a UK election, widely expected to be called in May or June. Both are set to be fought largely on security and the war in Iraq.

- REUTERS