Fed: ASIO gets wide-ranging powers to fight terrorism

AAP General News (Australia)
12-18-2001
Fed: ASIO gets wide-ranging powers to fight terrorism

By Krista Hughes and Sharon Mathieson

CANBERRA, Dec 18 AAP - Australia's spy agency ASIO will be given wide-ranging powers
to fight terrorism, including throwing suspects into solitary confinement for up to two
days without being charged.

Cabinet today signed off on ASIO's new powers and tougher anti-terrorism laws after
two days of meetings in Sydney, the last for the year.

Attorney-General Daryl Williams said the new measures were recommended by a top-level
security review following the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US, although there
was no specific threat against Australia.

Under the plan ASIO officers will be able to hold terrorist suspects or sympathisers
for up to 48 hours, with a warrant from a magistrate.

"For example, a terrorist sympathiser who knows of a planned bombing on an embassy
could be held incommunicado for questioning so authorities could close in on the would-be
perpetrators," Mr Williams said.

"This power will have strict safeguards and I anticipate will be used only rarely."

Cabinet also agreed to make terrorism and terrorist fundraising punishable by 25 years
jail, and to crack down on financial transactions and give agencies the power to read
unread e-mail.

Labor supported most of the measures but said it would move for a parliamentary inquiry
into the new ASIO powers, which the Australian Democrats and Greens labelled draconian.

"The opposition believes there should be a balance between giving security agencies
the appropriate powers to do their job properly, and maintaining legal protections for
Australian citizens," Labor home affairs spokesman John Faulkner said.

Democrats justice spokesman Brian Greig said the laws should have a use-by date of
two to four years, as he was afraid they could be used against ordinary citizens in the
future.

"I'm very wary and very cynical of any government which uses times of uncertainty ...

to introduce draconian laws that they would be unlikely to get away with under normal
circumstances," he said.

The announcement came as the Australian Defence Force said Australian troops in Afghanistan
had not exchanged fire with anyone.

Defence spokesman Brigadier Gary Bornholt said HMAS Kanimbla and HMAS Adelaide arrived
in the Gulf today to join the multi-national force policing the United Nations' sanctions
against Iraq.

The only gaps in Australia's promised commitment now are two 707 refuelling planes
and two P-3C Orion surveillance aircraft, and no date has been set for deployment.

Brigadier Bornholt said he had no information about media reports that a second Australian
captured in Afghanistan was a former soldier discharged for psychological reasons.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the government was still trying to verify the
report that the man was left behind in a Kandahar hospital with other Taliban wounded.

His office said Australian missions in Islamabad, Tehran and Moscow were trying to
locate a 25-year-old Australian man reported missing in Afghanistan by his family, but
did not know if it was the same man.

Mr Downer will travel to London tomorrow to discuss world security with his UK counterpart.

AAP kmh/daw/mg/mo

KEYWORD: TERROR AUST NIGHTLEAD

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