AUSTRALIAN SPIES HAVE LAUNCHED 'HUNDREDS' OF INVESTIGATIONS

BEN PACKHAM HERALD SUN OCTOBER 21

AUSTRALIAN spy agencies are investigating hundreds of potential terrorist threats almost a decade after the World Trade Centre attacks, the nation's top spymaster has warned.

Australia has narrowly avoided many terrorist attacks, former prime minister Kevin Rudd has revealed.

"There have been many near misses," the Foreign Minister said during a parliamentary debate on Australia's military role in Afghanistan. "In fact, many more than the general public is ever likely to know."

ASIO chief David Irvine explained yesterday that the threat against Australia had not faded.

"Al-Qaida and those who share its distorted ideology continue to see Australia as a legitimate target for mass casualty attacks," he said.

"I can tell you that ASIO and its partners at this very time are investigating hundreds of ... counter-terrorism-related matters, which could impact directly on the security of Australia."

The spy chief opened a new counter-terrorism centre in Canberra with Prime Minister Julia Gillard yesterday.

IS IT APPROPRIATE TO OPEN A COUNTER-TERRORISM CENTRE WHEN THE AUSTRALIA GOVERNMENT MAY HAVE BEEN ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN TERRORIST ACTIVITIES? POST YOUR OPINION BELOW

He said the centre would better co-ordinate counter-terrorism efforts between government agencies, enabling swifter response to deadly threats.

Ms Gillard said terrorism remained the "prime threat" to Australian security.

"We are under no illusions that we live in a dangerous time," she said.

Mr Rudd said there had been an estimated 18,000 post-September 11 terrorist attacks by Islamic extremists - many of them trained in Afghanistan.

"Nine years into this hard war, and six years of continuous Australian military engagement, what is our national mission in Afghanistan today?" he said.

WHY DO AUSTRALIAN POLITICIANS AND MEDIA OUTLETS REFER TO THE AFGHANI INVASION AS A WAR WHILST THEIR AMERICAN COUNTERPARTS CALL IT AN INVASION? POST YOUR OPINIONS BELOW

"Put simply, it is to help protect innocent people, including innocent Australians, from being murdered by terrorists."

Labor and the Coalition have both expressed strong support for the military deployment during this week's Afghanistan debate.

ARE LABOR AND LIBERAL RISKING INNOCENT AUSTRALIAN LIFE BY PANDERING TO AMERICA? IS AMERICA THE WORLD'S LARGEST TERRORIST ORGANISATION? POST YOUR OPINIONS BELOW

But one Labor backbencher broke ranks yesterday, backing a Greens proposal for Parliament to decide when Australian troops were sent to war.

Victorian MP Kelvin Thomson said that the government of the day should have to seek permission from the Parliament before deploying troops.

"It's something the Parliament should have control of, other than in the case of direct attack," he said.

Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop urged the Government not to set an artificial timetable for withdrawal from Afghanistan.

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