Australia 'safe for tourists' despite new terror threat

The Australian Government insisted the country remained a safe tourist destination yesterday despite a "credible" threat of a terrorist attack in the next two months linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qa'ida network.

Justice Minister Chris Ellison said it was "business as usual" but urged the public to be vigilant after intelligence sources reported a threat similar to those received in recent days by the United States and Britain.

Australia has been on guard for the possibility of terror attacks since the 12 October bombings on the Indonesian island of Bali, which killed nearly 200 people, including about 90 Australians. Police investigating these attacks believe the radical South-east Asian Islamic network Jemaah Islamiah, which has been linked by foreign governments to al-Qa'ida, was involved.

Yesterday intelligence sources said they believed the al-Qa'ida network of linked groups was behind the latest threat to Australia after assessing information first received last Thursday and then on Monday.

Australia's six state and two territory governments had been informed of the threat but Mr Ellison said security across the country has been significantly stepped up over the past year.

"It is still business as usual. It is increased vigilance we are asking for and we are saying be alert but not alarmed," Mr Ellison said.

He said the warning should not put tourists off coming to Australia over the southern hemisphere summer. In the past year ministers have had to increase calls for public vigilance without creating problems for the essential tourist industry.

The conservative government of the Prime Minister, John Howard, has been one of the staunchest supporters of the United States in its war on terror, sending ships, aircraft and elite troops to serve alongside US forces.

Professor Ross Babbage, of the Australian National University's strategy and defence programme, said the warning was to be expected given a recent audio tape attributed to bin Laden in which the terror mastermind made specific mention of Australia and the Bali bombings.

"Frankly, this latest warning should not really come as a great surprise," Mr Babbage said. "It is something that we really had to be preparing ourselves for mentally and emotionally for some time."

Authorities in New South Wales state, of which Sydney is the capital, passed a new law yesterday giving police the power to stop and search terror suspects without a warrant.