AUSTRALIA: Australia wants to base counter-terrorism teams in south-east Asia, including in Indonesia and the Philippines, the government said yesterday, as it laid out its security plan ahead of an October 9th general election.
Centre-left opposition Labor pledged to spend A$373 million (€213 million) to strengthen Australia's defence as the two parties argued over the best way to combat terror.
Prime Minister John Howard, whose conservative government has edged ahead of Labor in opinion polls, said two teams of Australian police would fight terror at the source and stop it reaching Australia.
"We will not wait for a terrorist threat to eventuate before we take action," Mr Howard told reporters.
He said the A$100 million plan (€57 million) would likely include Indonesia and the Philippines as bases for the two 10-man teams of police.
"If you are there and you are working in an increased way with the locals, you have a far greater capacity to bring about, or achieve, the prevention of a potential attack," Mr Howard said.
The plan drew a lukewarm response from the Philippines, which said existing treaties meant the teams would not be able to go beyond intelligence gathering and technical expertise.
"I believe the agreement with Australia does not call for any joint operations," said Ms Ignacio Bunye, a spokesman for Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in Manila.
Australia has not been hit by a major terror attack on home soil, but 88 Australians were among 202 people killed in nightclub bombings on the Indonesian island of Bali in 2002.
Labor leader Mark Latham said his party would strengthen Australia's defence through measures including increasing the size of the army.