PM Gives $Aus 232m for the 'Fight of our Lives'

A $Aus 232 million intelligence boost for "the fight of our lives" against Terrorism has been announced by Prime Minister John Howard. Additional funds to expand Australia's undercover spy network across the globe were also be revealed in last week's budget.

Mr Howard detailed the new funding inside ASIO headquarters when announcing a new Joint Intelligence Threat Assessment Centre.   more > >

Ausssie Terror Suspect Faces New Charge

A Sydney supermarket stacker accused of planning a Terrorist act is facing a fresh charge of threatening to seriously harm an undercover Federal Official.

Zeky "Zak" Mallah, appeared at Central Local Court via videolink from Goulburn jail, where he has remained in custody since his arrest in December.

Mallah, from Condell Park in South-West Sydney, already is charged with planning/preparing a Terrorist act, an offence which carries a maximum life sentence.

But the 21-year-old is facing a second charge of threatening to seriously harm a Commonwealth Official, court documents tendered said.   more > >

Former Pro-Indonesian Militia Caching Weapons

The Indonesian Military is investigating reports that Pro-Jakarta Militiamen are stockpiling weapons along the border between East and West Timor, an officer has revealed.

"We don't know how many are stashed. We suspect that the weapons were from past unrest," said Indonesian Army Col. Moeswarno Moesanip, who is in charge of security in the region.   more > >

Replacement Troops Off To Iraq

Another 86 Australian soldiers left for Baghdad today to replace troops protecting Australian diplomats in Iraq.

Soldiers from the 5th/7th Royal Australian Regiment and the 2nd Cavalry Regiment were farewelled at a ceremony at Robertson Barracks in Darwin.

"These troops will be providing security protection for the Australian Representative Mission in Baghdad and throughout Iraq," Defence Minister Robert Hill said.

"The troops are highly trained and motivated and will play a very important role in ensuring the security of the Australian Government staff."

"They will work to ensure the security of Australian personnel, allowing them to conduct their business safely while maintaining the flexibility to travel throughout Iraq in support of Australia's national interests."   more > >

Muslim Groups Blast Bashir Arrest

Muslim groups in Indonesia have denounced Police for the brutal re-arrest of a Muslim cleric accused of heading the al-Qaeda linked Jemaah Islamiah Terrorist network.

Stone-throwing protesters clashed with Police as Abu Bakar Bashir, 66, was whisked away for questioning - the day he completed an 18-month term for minor immigration offences.   more > >

Schooling in Terrorism

Muslim extremists in South-East Asia are sowing the seeds of Terror by financially backing Mosques and schools that espouse their radical brand of Islam, the US Government has warned.

A day after Militant Islamic cleric Abu Bakar Bashir was rearrested for his role in the deadly Bali bombings that 202 people, including killed 88 Australians in 2002, details of a US State Department Terrorism report have emerged.   more > >

Latham the Big Risk to Alliance with US

Australia has moved into that shortlist of countries that any US President quickly consults in any crisis. The only real threat to Australia's new status would come not from a victory in November's presidential election by John Kerry over George W.Bush, but if Labor leader Mark Latham won the Australian election and decided to downgrade the alliance.

That is the considered assessment of Richard Haas, head of the Council on Foreign Relations. Haas is an important figure in US foreign policy. He was for a time, at the start of the Bush administration, the head of policy planning under Colin Powell at the State Department.

That has traditionally been the key intellectual position at State, held by a series of luminaries. Haas would not discuss the reason he left the Government but it is widely believed that, as a Powell-like moderate, he got sick of losing all the policy arguments to the Pentagon, intellectually dominated by Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz.   more > >

Taliban 'Poisoned Schoolgirls'

Three Afghan schoolgirls are in critical condition after being poisoned in the south-eastern Afghan town of Khost in what officials said was a Taliban attempt to discourage female education in the region.

The girls, aged between 10 and 15, ate poisoned biscuits offered to them by a man, said the spokeswoman for the provincial department of Women's Affairs, Shahina Sharif.

The Military commander of the province Khialbaz Khan said the ousted Taliban Militia were behind the poisoning to "deter girls from going to school."   more > >

Australia's Secret Bio-Terror Defence Plan

Australia has secretly planned for the possibility of a horrific attack in which suicide Terrorists infect themselves with deadly germs and then spread the disease through the population.

Although intelligence agencies say they know of no specific threat to launch a BioTerror attack, the possibility has been treated seriously enough to trigger planning within Government and emergency services.

'Yes, it is a scenario that has been considered and, yes, there has been some planning done with it,' a spokesman for Attorney-General Philip Ruddock told The Weekend Australian.   more > >

al Qaeda and Converts to Islam

Charles Colson writes about evidence that Western converts are playing an increasingly important role in Islamic Terrorist efforts. (Thanks to Jihadwatch.org" target="_blank">Jihad Watch for the link.)

Anyone who has flown since September 11 has experienced the heightened security put into place as a result of the attacks. Most of us have adjusted to the new realities. And we’re not the only ones adjusting. The people responsible for the heightened security - al Qaeda - have also adjusted.   more > >