4 Years On...........

FOUR years ago this morning, Australians woke to a new reality, as both the horror and significance of the previous night's attacks on the US began to sink in. At first, all concern focused on the human tragedy. The death toll for the three co-ordinated terrorist incidents - the attacks, using hijacked airliners, on the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon building in Washington, along with the hijacking of United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in a field in Pennsylvania - was 2749 innocent lives lost. But as the initial shock gradually faded, the realisation set in that the world had changed, possibly forever, and that a new symbol, "9/11", had entered all the languages of the world to signify the change.The full extent of the Islamist threat to the security of people everywhere was not apparent at once: it took Bali, Madrid, Jakarta and finally London two months ago to bring home the full danger to Australians. It is in this context, of all that has occurred during the past four years, that the Howard Government's new security proposals, announced last week, must be considered. Specifically, the laws build on what London has taught us about the modus operandi of home-grown Islamist terror cells in multicultural Western nations. Acknowledging the malign role of the radical clerics who take vulnerable young men and brainwash them with hatred for the secular democracies that have nurtured them, the new laws impose a jail term of up to seven years on the boosters of terror: those who incite others to violence against the community then sit back and watch it happen. The second wave of attacks in London also showed the danger of allowing the close confederates of the terrorists to remain at large in the days following an attack. The new laws would allow Australian Federal Police to detain suspects for two days after a terror incident, with state police being given a full fortnight. Police would also be given stronger surveillance and stop-and-search powers, and there would be time for extended checks on visa holders before they become eligible for citizenship.
Make no mistake: these are tough measures and involve a curtailment of civil liberties. For that reason, a regime of independent oversight is crucial, and the laws must be reviewed regularly, with a view to their speedy abolition when the situation allows. But claims such measures will turn us into a "police state" are alarmist and unjustified. The laws closely mirror those that will apply in Britain, but those who are claiming such laws did nothing to stop 7/7 are wrong. Many of Tony Blair's measures, including the right to deport fanatics and the power to detain suspects without charge, were struck down by the High Court, but will now be reintroduced. Our own new ASIO laws, introduced after Bali, were snarled up in the political process for 18 months - something we cannot afford this time around.
Muslim leaders are wrong to say these laws are an attack on their community, and would be better advised to use their energy to win back the hearts and minds of all young Muslims from the fanatics in their midst. Australia is now spending about $1 billion annually in response to the global challenge posed by Islamist terror groups, including an enormous expansion of our major intelligence agencies. In normal circumstances, these precious resources could be better spent educating our children or caring for our elderly; but through no fault of our own, circumstances since 9/11 have been anything but normal. In terms of attacks at home, we have been incredibly fortunate. But with an estimated 70 to 80 Muslim extremists living in Australia, we must take whatever measures are necessary to minimise the chances of waking to an even greater horror than on that morning four years ago.