AUSTRALIA: 2008 COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM

UNCLAS CANBERRA 000041 SIPDIS S/CT:RHONDA SHORE AND NCTC:RUEILB/NCTC WASHINGTON DC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER ASEC SUBJECT: AUSTRALIA: 2008 COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM REF: 08 STATE 124815 08 STATE 120019 ¶1. (U) The text of the report follows. The embassy POC is Virgil Strohmeyer, strohmeyervb@state.gov. Australia continues to maintain a regional leadership position in the fight against terrorism. Australia's trilateral cooperation with Japan and the United States addressed terrorist threats in South-East Asia. With its Japanese and US counterparts, Australia strengthened cooperation on border, transport and maritime security, and countering extremism. In April and May 2008, Australia conducted trilateral regional workshops to identify and disrupt terrorist cash courier operations and to respond to bioterrorism. These events were capped by the annual US-Australia-Japan Trilateral Strategic Dialogue in October ¶2008. In September 2008, the Government of Australia announced the appointment of William (Bill) Paterson as the country's new Ambassador for Counterterrorism. 2008 saw the government actively developing an improved national security structure through the appointment of a National Security Adviser (NSA). The NSA will help the Prime Minister on all policy matters relating to the security of the nation, including countering terrorism, and oversee the implementation of all national security policy arrangements. The NSA will improve the strategic direction within the national security community; support whole-of-government national security development and crisis response; and promote a cohesive national security culture. A National Intelligence Coordination Committee (NICC) chaired by the NSA will ensure that national intelligence efforts are fully and effectively integrated across governmental agencies. In February 2008, the Lombok Treaty between Australia and Indonesia (the world's largest Muslim majority country and largest nation in the region) came into full force and provides the framework for a bilateral relationship until ¶2013. Law enforcement cooperation includes police-to-police coordination, particularly in trafficking in persons, trade in illicit drugs and terrorism. The treaty continues capacity building projects such as the successful Jakarta Centre for Law enforcement Cooperation (JCLEC),which plays an important role in fostering cooperation among South-East Asian agencies involved in counter- terrorism, the commencement of joint legal training programs in July 2008, the renewal of the counterterrorism Memorandum of Understanding (MOU),and the holding of inaugural counterterrorism consultations in May ¶2008. The treaty marked increased bilateral cooperation in the fight against terrorism in areas such as law enforcement, border control, maritime and transport security, legal assistance, financial monitoring, defense, and management of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear terrorist threats. Australia's bilateral counterterrorism outreach and cooperation expanded again in 2008. In May 2008, Australia led high-level counterterrorism consultations with the Philippines. The consultations reviewed capacity building and operational collaboration, and agreed on broad priorities and directions for future cooperation. In June 2008, Australia extended for a further six months the assignment of an Australian official to strengthen the Cambodian Government's counter-terrorism capabilities. Bilateral counterterrorism talks in 2008 were expanded to include first round talks with Russia in June. In December 2008, Australia signed a counterterrorism MOU with Bangladesh, the 14th such bilateral agreement concluded by Australia. Following the September 2008 bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, Australia announced plans to expand its QIslamabad, Australia announced plans to expand its counterterrorism efforts with Pakistan, including possible provision of law enforcement assistance, counter-insurgency training, and technical assistance. Australian multilateral engagement continued in forums such as the United Nations, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN),the ASEAN Regional Forum, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Pacific Island Forum and the G-8 Counterterrorism Action Group, as well as in the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) received further funding to expand its investigative and specialist training, currently delivered to regional law enforcement partners through facilities like JCLEC. Funding was targeted toward: - conducting offshore exercises and training with regional partners, - increasing the number of counterterrorism advisers working in AFP's international liaison officer network, - introducing to high priority locations a custom-built Case Management and Information System developed for use in overseas jurisdictions, and - enhancing specialist forensic and technical training for law enforcement agencies in the region and in theaters of war, such as Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2008, hundreds of officers from AFP's International Deployment Group (IDG) were overseas, many in counterterrorism technical assistance and operational/liaison roles. The AFP Operational Response Group was designed to respond on short notice to emerging law and order issues and to conduct stabilization operations to head off lawless situations that terrorists could exploit. Australia continued to provide legal drafting assistance to regional states, including the South Pacific islands, seeking to adopt international conventions and protocols against terrorism, and to bring domestic laws into conformity with these conventions. The Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO) reports that within Australia, a small but significant minority of the Islamic community hold or has held extremist views. An even smaller minority is prepared to act in support of them--including by advocating violence, providing logistical or propaganda support to extremists, or traveling abroad to train with terrorist groups or participate in violent jihad activities. Under Australia's Criminal Code, 18 groups are on the Listing of Terrorist Organizations. The Attorney-General re-affirmed three in November--Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG),Jamiat ul-Ansar (JuA) and AI-Qa'ida in Iraq (AQI). During 2007-08 legal proceedings commenced against a number of individuals charged with terrorism offences, and in one trial, convictions were handed down by a jury in Melbourne. Yet, the nation has also required that the government review its 2005 terrorist legislation in 2010 in light of a need for protection of guaranteed rights. Because of the deportation of an innocent relative of a terrorist, there was felt a need to insure that the unwarranted deportation of the innocent would not occur again. The Australian Transaction Reports Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) which monitors financial transactions, serves as the national AML/CTF regulator with supervisory, monitoring, and enforcement functions over a diverse range of industry sectors. A new set of regulatory reforms, introduced in draft legislation made public in August 2007, is heading for legislative enactment in 2009. These include new regulations regarding real estate, precious gems and stones; and specified legal accounting, and trust services. Australia continued to seek and fund additional staff and technical capabilities, and establish identity security strike teams to investigate and prosecute people and syndicates involved in manufacturing false identities. Australia's active and ongoing interfaith dialogues encourage growing tolerance and understanding among the country's many immigrant communities. The Australian government has used a similar approach in at-risk communities of faith in Indonesia, especially among persons incarcerated in Indonesian prisons. Australia supported a range of activities promoting tolerance and mutual understanding among communities in the region, and countering extremist ideology and propaganda. In this context, it engaged with the Indonesian corrections sector, including hosting a successful visit to Australia in August 2007 of a high-level delegation of Indonesian police, prison officers and counter-terrorism officials. The New South Wales (NSW) Department of Corrective Services, in June 2008, provided targeted training in Australia for a range of senior Indonesian corrections officials. Australia also conducted QIndonesian corrections officials. Australia also conducted research in Indonesia on attitudes to issues such as democracy, politically motivated violence, extremist ideology and the acceptance of pluralism and facilitated visits by academics, journalists and community leaders to and from Australia within the region. Australia partners with the United States in exchanging information on known and suspected terrorists using the Terrorist Screening Centre as the operational hub for encounter management and with the United States in APEC's Regional Movement Alert System (RMAS). Both programs enhance our joint ability to disrupt travel by known and suspected terrorists. The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has some 1090 personnel in Afghanistan and 120 troops in Iraq. Their efforts support the Global War on Terror. In 2009 Australia will release a Counterterrorism White Paper describing the continuing threat to Australia from terrorism and suggest appropriate adjustments to its counter-terrorism policy. This is expected to include changes/additions to its bilateral arrangements and increased capacity building activities with regional countries. MCCALLUM