Doorstop interview with Radio 2GB and Radio 2UE and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Stephen Smith
Subject: Counter Terrorism White Paper
Transcript, E&OE
23 February 2010
QUESTION: Okay. Well firstly, why the release of the Counter Terrorism White Paper today when it's been due for so long?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well it hasn't been due for so long. When we released the National Security Statement in December 2008, we said that we would produce a White Paper within 12 months. So technically, the timetable was December last year. In the last quarter of last year, the National Security Committee of the Cabinet, Ministers and officials, gave the draft White Paper very serious consideration.
We came to the conclusion that we needed to do more work and more assessment on some potential emerging threats - Somalia, Yemen, so-called Al Qaeda in the Peninsula.
And as soon as we were satisfied that we had the most up to date assessments, we've published the White Paper. Of course over the Christmas period, we saw the so-called Christmas Day bomber. And as a consequence off that you've seen recently enhanced aviation security mechanisms.
It's going to be, regrettably, a feature of Australian political life into the future that this Government, future Governments will have to deal with terrorism and counter-terrorism matters.
One of the points that the White Paper makes is that this threat is real, it's persistent, it's evolving - and Governments, Australian Governments need to adapt as a consequence.
I make a more general point - the Australian public can carry two thoughts in their head on the same day. They can absorb the risks and the threats from terrorism and deal with the domestic political event of the day. And they will do that in the future, regrettably, because as I say, terrorism and counter terrorism will be with us for the foreseeable future.
QUESTION: With the insidiousness of the radicalisation of young Australians, how much of a threat is that home grown terrorist?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well since the last time we saw a terrorism White Paper which was 2004-2005, we've really seen two changes. One is whilst we've had some success against Al Qaeda - which remains the single central international jihadist threat - some success in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and also in south-east Asia, particularly in Indonesia through Jemaah Islamiah, we have seen Al Qaeda affiliates evolve - and Yemen and Somalia are the best examples.
The other feature we've seen regrettably emerge is the so-called home-grown terrorists, which we saw first in the United Kingdom.
That is a danger for us. And that is a strong feature of the White Paper.
Since 2001, in the Australian context, we've had nearly 40 arrests in Australia for terrorism reasons. We've had 20 convictions for terrorist offences, and we had about 40 Australians have their passports confiscated or denied as a consequence of terrorist reasons.
So whilst in the Australian context the numbers are small, it only takes one to get through.
So the so-called home-grown terrorists is a feature of the White Paper, and something that we have to watch very carefully.
The other feature which has emerged is the terrorist groups - Al Qaeda and the like - changing their techniques, not relying just on the sophisticated attack like September 11, but adopting the so-called lone wolf where they essentially seduce an individual, an alienated individual, who then goes on a jihad of his or her own.
So that's a very prominent feature of the White Paper. And it is a real threat so far as Australia is concerned.
QUESTION: How will you deal with the 10 countries that you're targeting. Will you ever release their names publicly?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well when the program for the enhanced visa arrangements is rolled out, those individual countries will become known. The system will require enhanced visa arrangements, biometric requirements, whether that's fingerprint or facial imaging or facial scanning, and the like.
QUESTION: Is that for all countries, or just the 10?
STEPHEN SMITH: It'll be rolled out to about 10 countries, and we will make public the individual countries as the program is rolled out.
The rationale is obvious, we have had real examples, both in the Australian context and generally, of terrorists engaging in identity fraud, in getting through borders using false identities. And this process will minimise that risk from eventuating.
We're doing it in close cooperation with some of our friends and partners, in particular the United Kingdom. We'll be using the same equipment and resources that the United Kingdom has used.
But the database is an international database, the database of suspected terrorists or known terrorists is one used by our international friends and allies, and we will be relying and utilising that.
QUESTION: Is this new level of cooperation there, is that going to take away any pressure in things like immigration…
STEPHEN SMITH: We cooperate very closely with a range of countries on counter terrorism measures.
We now have between 10 and 15 formal memorandums of understanding between Australia and other countries. We work very closely with some of our friends - the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand are all obvious examples.
But we work very closely with friends and partners in our region. We have very strong and close cooperation with Indonesia, who in very many respects has been the most successful country in our region, hunting down terrorists and terrorist suspects in the last half a dozen years or so.
So international cooperation is good. That's because most countries like Australia recognise the threat is real, it's persistent, and it continues to evolve.
[END]
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