Howard warns of 'terrorist threat'

Australia has received specific information about a possible "terrorist threat" to the country, Prime Minister John Howard said Wednesday, but Australia's medium security alert remained unchanged.

News of the potential threat came as Howard plans to introduce a range of new anti-terror laws today following a review after the July 7 London bombings, although police shoot-to-kill provisions are expected to be watered down after opposition from state leaders.

The new laws, which have been criticized by human rights and civil liberties groups, will allow police to detain suspects for seven days without charge, and use electronic tracking devices to keep tabs on suspects. Supporting insurgents in countries such as Iraq would carry a seven-year jail sentence.

"The government has received specific intelligence from police information this week which gives cause for serious concern about a potential terrorist threat," Howard told reporters in Canberra Wednesday.

"I don't want to over-alarm people. I have said for a long time the possibility of an attack is there," he said.

Howard refused to give any details about the nature or location of the threat, but said the government would rush through changes to anti-terror laws to enable police to respond.

Australia, a staunch US ally with troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, has never suffered a major peacetime attack on home soil. The country has been on medium security alert since shortly after September 11, 2001.

Source: China Daily