Australian attack 'inevitable'

2004-03-16 09:34

Sydney - America's FBI disputed claims by the Australian government that its support for the US-led invasion of Iraq has not placed the country at greater risk of terrorist attack.

The FBI's executive assistant director of counter-terrorism, John Pistole, who is in Sydney to address a counter-terrorism summit, backed warnings by Australian police chiefs that an attack on Australia is more likely because of its alliance with the United States.

Prime Minister John Howard has disputed claims by federal police chief Mick Keelty and other experts that, if Islamic extremists were behind the Madrid bombings, it was probably because Spain, like Australia, supported the invasion of Iraq.

But, asked if Australia's support for the Iraq invasion made it more of a terrorist target than other Western nations, Pistole told a commercial radio station here: "I think it does, clearly from the perspective of being a good target in Iraq.

"But whether they take the fight to the homeland, for example here in Australia, remains to be seen.

"I would agree with the statement that an attack is likely inevitable."

Responsibility

But he also believed that any Western nation is a target for the al-Qaeda terrorist network, which has purportedly claimed responsibility for the Madrid bombings in which around 200 people died and 1 500 were injured.

Pistole's statement comes amid warnings that Howard, who is facing an election this year, could suffer the same fate as Spain's conservative government, thrown out in the weekend elections in what appeared to be a voter backlash over its support for the Iraqi conflict.

Among those predicting Howard may pay the ultimate political price for supporting Bush is Doug Bandow, a senior fellow at Washington's Cato Institute and a former special assistant to former US president Ronald Reagan.

He said in an article published by The Australian newspaper that other US allies, including Australia's John Howard, might eventually meet the same fate as Spain's prime minister Jose Maria Aznar.

"Alas, they are likely to pay the price for Washington's misguided policies that have made brutal murderous terrorism more, rather than less, likely," he said.

Howard told reporters Australia's involvement in the Iraq war would be just one thing voters would take into account at the upcoming election.

But he added: "I don't have any regrets about the attitude that we took in relation to Iraq, it was in my view the right thing to do."

He also rejected suggestions that Australia should change its foreign policy under threat from terrorists.

- SAPA