Howard steps up anti-terror armoury

By GREG ANSLEY

CANBERRA - Prime Minister John Howard has again raised the prospect of Australian forces striking deep into neighbouring countries as the major parties try to strengthen their credentials in the war on terror before the October 9 election.

Howard's readiness to hit terror bases on foreign soil - which alarmed Southeast Asian countries when he first expressed it two years ago - came as he announced six new anti-terrorism "flying squads" of investigators to help solve outrages throughout the region.

Howard also announced a A$50 million ($53 million) plan to create a national centre for critical care and trauma at Darwin, able to accept large numbers of casualties from terror attacks.

"A lesson from [the Bali bombings] is that Darwin, because of its location on the edge of an arc of instability to Australia's north, needs to have the standing professional capacity and infrastructure to handle and treat mass casualties as effectively as possible," he said.

The Prime Minister's latest moves have come in what is emerging as almost a bidding war on responses to terrorism after the bombing two weeks ago of the Australian embassy in Jakarta.

On Sunday Labor Leader Mark Latham announced revamped plans for a separate coastguard, operated by three new ocean-going patrol vessels - similar to New Zealand's planned new warships - five smaller patrol boats and three helicopters.

"A dedicated coastguard is critical in the war on terror," he said.

Yesterday Latham said a Labor Government would also increase the size of the Army with another infantry battalion, move parachute troops from Sydney to Townsville, in north Queensland, and launch a new defence white paper.

But Howard yesterday went further, repeating his 2002 support for United States President George W. Bush's policy of pre-emptive strikes against terrorist bases in other countries that threatened national security.

"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," he told ABC radio. "I have criticised [Latham] for not saying the same thing because the first responsibility of a prime minister is to ensure the defence and the protection and security of his country."

Howard's initial advocacy of pre-emptive strikes raised alarm in Southeast Asian nations such as Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand, and comes as Indonesia's fledgling democracy struggles with an election and continuing terrorism.

But he said yesterday that although his first responsibility was to the people of Australia, he did not expect any consternation from neighbouring countries.

"If there were it would not be reasonably based, because what I've said is in no way directed at our friends in the region," Howard said.

Asked what action could be taken against the terror group Jemaah Islamiyah, largely based in Indonesia and blamed for the Bali and Jakarta embassy bombings, Howard said Jemaah Islamiyah was as much an enemy of Indonesia as Australia.

"This idea that in some way taking effective action against a terrorist organisation is seen as an unfriendly act in the neighbourhood is nonsense," he said.

But Latham said Howard had learned nothing from the mistakes of Iraq, and was again raising the prospect of pre-emptive strikes only because of the election.

"This is clumsy foreign policy, high-risk foreign policy undeserving of the Australian Government in the circumstances in which we find ourselves."