Anti-terror plan on Sep 21, 2004

Howard unveils anti-terror plan

PRE-EMPTIVE PROGRAM: The opposition slammed the Australian prime minister's overseas strikes idea as counterproductive

AFP , SYDNEY

Prime Minister John Howard unveiled a plan for "flying squads" of police to stop terrorist attacks in the region yesterday, stressing he would not hesitate to order a pre-emptive strike overseas if needed to protect Australia.

The idea was condemned as "clumsy foreign policy" by opposition leader Mark Latham, who said it would make Australia less safe, rather than more safe.

With security one of the top issues for the Oct. 9 election after this month's bombing of Australia's Jakarta embassy, Howard pledged nearly A$100 million (US$70 million) to the plan if re-elected.

"We will not wait for a terrorist threat to eventuate before we take action," he said in an official announcement.

"In close co-operation with our regional neighbors we will ensure that we take every measure possible to disrupt and destroy the terrorist networks at their source," Howard said.

The six new teams of officers from the Australian Federal Police would include two based outside Australia, he said.

Under the five-year plan, the teams would have state of the art equipment at their disposal, including mobile secure communications, portable surveillance equipment, facial identification technology and chemical trace equipment. Indonesia and the Philippines were named as "high priority" countries.

Earlier, in comments likely to worry Australia's neighbors, Howard said he would not hesitate to launch a pre-emptive strike on a terrorist base overseas if it was necessary, repeating a threat made two years ago after the Bali bombings killed 202 people including 88 Australians.

"I've said that if there were no alternative other than to do something ourselves to prevent an attack on Australia from a terrorist group, I would do it," Howard told national radio.

Asked yesterday about the chances of another terrorist attack, he said it was "a near inevitability" but that he did not think one would take place on the Australian mainland.

Latham said Howard's idea was counter-productive and said Australians would be outraged if the reverse happened and a neighboring country unilaterally planned pre-emptive strikes on Australian soil.

"Imagine if a country in our region said they were prepared to launch unilateral strikes on targets in Australia, our sovereign ter-ritory, without the cooperation and involvement of the Australian government," he said.

"Imagine the outrage in this country. As Australians we would feel absolutely appalled," he said.

Latham said the reaction among Australia's neighbors would likely be as bad as that two years ago. He unveiled his Labor Party's own A$373 million defense policy including a review, more troops in northern Australia and a host of benefits for soldiers.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said, however, the government plan would be welcomed in the region and he and Justice Minister Chris Ellison would visit Australia's neighbors to talk about it if re-elected.

Other measures would include the creation of two counter-terrorism criminal intelligence teams, which could be deployed in the region, and two counter-terrorism surveillance teams.

The federal police would also develop a unit of highly trained operational linguists to work on terrorism issues. Funding for a full-time bomb data centers in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore would be provided along with a region intelligence secretariat.

Howard also announced nearly A$50 million for a critical care and trauma response center in Darwin, prompted by the key role the city played after the Bali bombings.

No thaw likely until spring

The Chinese Communist Party's third generation leader Jiang Zemin resigned as chairman of the Central Military Commission at the Fourth Plenary Session of the party's Central Committee. This move put an end to his leadership and will enable his successor, Chinese President Hu Jintao, to take full control of the party, administration, and military. In his willingness to step down, Jiang avoided any bloody misfortunes like the Cultural Revolution and the Tiananmen Square massacre. This peaceful transfer of power in China was a relief to the international community.

Does this mean that Hu's time has arrived? It is still too early to say.

Hu's rise has been shrouded in mystery. When he took over the presidency and the position as party leader, international media could not pin down his political beliefs. Even though he had already wielded considerable power, he was careful not to impinge on Jiang's power. He did not pronounce his policies, probably because he was prudent. What he did was a likely necessary political calculation during a leadership change in an authoritarian regime.

With Hu's replacement of Jiang, will there be a policy change? In the short term, Hu is unlikely to modify Jiang's policies too much. Beijing will continue to stay on good terms with the US. Not challenging Washington, it will however embrace policies that increase its presence and influence in the Asia-Pacific region and globally. Though Hu's proposal of "peaceful rising" for China was shot down by hawks like Jiang, the country's continued economic development will inevitably force Hu to downplay the intimidating force China represents. Hu's use of strategies is expected to be more flexible since he now does not need to worry as much about pressure from hawks in the military.

Jiang has held power for over a decade and has been a dominant influence on cross-strait relations. "Jiang's eight points" are on a par with Deng Xiaoping's "one country, two systems" as fundamental principles on which these relations are based. Now that Jiang has lost direct control over cross-strait politics, such hawkish posturing as the threat of invasion and "a timetable for unification" might be reined in. But China's policy to Taiwan will not change. China will continue to constrain Taiwan's freedom of movement on the international stage, and engage in the same verbal and military threats. Hu made clear in his speech at the Fourth Plenary Session that China is not suited to "Western-style" democracy, an indication that Hu has not departed from the authoritarian tendencies of communist party rule. Taiwan must not make the mistake of having unrealistic expectations of the new generation of leaders simply because Hu is younger and more flexible than Jiang.

In the two years that Hu has been in power, he has focused primarily on battling corruption and building up the economy. While Hu will, in the short term, assess the results of the US presidential election and Taiwan's legislative election, he will certainly not depart from Jiang's Eight Points. This does not rule out a more active posture in developing cross-strait trade as a means of using commercial pressure to bring about unification. This is something that Taiwan needs to guard against.

In his videoconference with the UN Correspondents Association last week, Chen sought to engage Hu in a dialogue. Taiwan recognizes that Hu is now established in power, but any thaw in the cross-strait relationship will probably have to wait till spring next year.

Chen urges realistic view of China

By Huang Tai-lin
STAFF REPORTER , WITH DPA

President Chen Shui-bian yesterday cautioned against wishful thinking and unrealistic expectations following Beijing's recent change of military leadership.

Chen's warning came one day after Chinese President Hu Jintao replaced former president Jiang Zemin as head of the Central Military Commission.

The transfer has led some people in this country to express the hope that Hu -- regarded as a moderate in comparison to his predecessors -- might take a less hard-line approach toward Taiwan.

"National security is in our own hands," Chen said while meeting model military personnel at the Presidential Office yesterday.

"We should never engage in wishful thinking, expect the enemy's goodwill or assistance from outsiders," he said.

"Although Jiang Zemin has resigned his position as military chief commander, we can never to harbor fantasies or have unrealistic expectations," Chen said.

"Only by constructing a firm and substantial defense can we prevent the enemy's sneaky attempts to attack us," the president said. "Only by deepening our feeling of unity can we consolidate our democracy, constitutional order and economic prosperity."

Chen warmed that China has a three-pronged strategy to destabilize Taiwan -- psychological warfare, use of the media and using its legal system to enact an unification law that would define Taiwan as a "special political region" under its jurisdiction.

During Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to Europe in May, he said that Beijing might write a unification law to serve as the legal basis for using military force against what it views as separatist movements.

"In view of the seriousness of Communist China's attempts to legalize its military forces against Taiwan, all military personnel and our compatriots should remain vigilant and alert," Chen said.

``Fearing war won't avoid or stop a war. The best way to avoid a war is to be prepared for a war,'' he said.

The nation needs to build up the military and buy arms, Chen said, not to have an arm race with China but in order to be prepared, to strengthen its security and protect its democratic achievements.

Meanwhile in Beijing, Jiang yesterday urged his successors to continue his policy of using military threat to persuade Taiwan to accept unification with China, state television said.

"Resolutely do not make a commitment to give up the use of force," Jiang was quoted as saying in a speech to Hu and others at the first meeting of the expanded 11-member Military Commission.

"This is a major political principle," he said. "Reunification is the big cause of the country."