Australian Prime Minister John Howard said Wednesday in Canberra that the government has received recently intelligence about a potential terrorist threat in Australia.

"The Government has received specific intelligence from police information this week, which gives cause for serious concern about a potential terrorist threat," Howard said at a press conference in Canberra.

"I do not intend, and can not, go into any of the operational details. We have seen material, it is a cause for concern," he said.

Howard made the statement at a time when an amendment to the country's anti-terrorism laws was introduced to the Parliament.

The statement also came just after Australian Security Intelligence (ASIO) in its annual report publicly outlined the threats to Australia.

ASIO said that some of the extremists it has been investigating were born in Australia.

Howard said the amendment to existing counter-terrorism laws would allow authorities to deal with the threat.

The federal government will press for its approval through Wednesday evening at the Parliament before recalling the Senate on Thursday to pass it into law.

After terrorist attacks in London last July, Australia became the only one in core countries in the US-led coalition forces in Iraq which has never experienced a major attack on home soil.

Source: Xinhua