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Anti-terrorism laws - links update #8

By Jozef Imrich
Created 02/11/2005 - 03:01

Proposals to further strengthen Australia's counter-terrorism laws - 2005
E-Brief: Online Only issued 6 October 2005, * updated 27 October 2005
Background
On 8 September 2005, Prime Minister John Howard announced a number of proposed changes to Australia's counter-terrorism laws with the aim of enabling Australia to 'better deter, prevent, detect and prosecute acts of terrorism'. Drawing on overseas experience, particularly the London bombings in July 2005, the Prime Minister declared that the reforms 'will ensure Australia's counter-terrorism legislative regime remains at the forefront of international efforts to counter the global threat of terrorism'. - http://www.aph.gov.au/library/INTGUIDE/LAW/TerrorismLaws.htm [1]

Artists, journalists voice anti-terrorism laws concerns
ABC Online, Australia - 31 October 2005
Forty of Australia's leading artists and journalists have met to discuss their concerns about the Federal Government's proposed anti-terrorism measures.
The group, which comprises filmmakers, documentary makers, editors, writers and journalists, met at the offices of film director Robert Connolly. - http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200510/s1494747.htm [2]

Without answers, terror laws should be rejected (in the Age)
Tell us the how, not just the why, of new laws
Sydney Morning Herald (subscription), Australia - 31 October 2005 The Government has failed to explain in what way its anti-terrorism bill will prevent attacks, writes Hugh White.
We can all agree that terrorist attacks need to be prevented. And we can all agree civil liberties need to be protected. So deciding about the Government's proposal for extensive new detention and control powers involves striking a balance between two opposing risks. One is the possibility the new powers would be misused. The other is the danger that the Government will not be able to stop a terrorist attack without them. - http://www.smh.com.au/news/hugh-white/tell-us-the-how-not-just-the-why-of-new-laws/2005/10/30/1130607146850.html [3]

HREOC sees police state under terrorism laws
ABC Regional Online, Australia - 31 October 2005
Federal Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) president John Von Doussa says the proposed counter-terrorism laws are the first step towards a police state.
Mr Von Doussa says the legislation gives the executive extraordinary powers to detain people without charge, but there are no means by which the application of those powers can be checked or appealed. He says the Federal Government cannot be trusted. - http://www.abc.net.au/news/items/200510/1494760.htm?act [4]

Howard makes changes as states ask for time
Sydney Morning Herald
- 31 October 2005
Prime Minister John Howard will change new anti-terror laws in a bid to quell backbench concerns and secure state support to get the reforms into parliament this week. - http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/howard-makes-changes-as-states-ask-for-time/2005/10/31/1130720476462.html [5]
[Also note that in the right column there are links to other stories on the legislation]

Beazley's lost it on terror laws: time to lose Beazley
The Contrarian - 31 October 2005
Kim Beazley is trying to position himself as tougher than the prime minister, a posture that simply doesn't wash with the Australian public - http://blogs.smh.com.au/thecontrarian/archives/2005/10/beazleys_lost_i_1.html [6]

Doctors caution on terror laws
NEWS.com.au, Australia - 31 October 2005
ANTI-war demonstrators could be jailed for seven years under the Federal Government's proposed anti-terror laws, a doctors' body said today. ... - http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,17089385-29277,00.html [7]

Details of what is in the final draft
NEWS.com.au, Australia - 31 October 2005
THE details of the final draft of the Government's controversial anti-terrorism laws are below. ASIO can detain any person for seven ... - http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,17084428-2,00.html [8]

Jail for preachers of hate
Daily Telegraph, Australia - 31 October 2005
TERRORIST sympathisers who preach hate on the internet will be jailed for seven years under a final draft of Australia's ... - http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story/0,20281,17085524-5001021,00.html [9]

Anxious media look to law, not faith, to guard reporting rights
Sydney Morning Herald - 31 October 2005
By Tom Allard. The media are deeply worried that the proposed anti-terrorism laws will infringe on the work of journalists and substantially ... - http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/anxious-media-look-to-law-not-faith-to-guard-reporting-rights/2005/10/30/1130607152223.html [10]

Premiers demand more changes to anti-terrorism laws
ABC Online, Australia - 31 October 2005
If the Prime Minister was hoping to allay State and Territory concerns with his latest draft counter-terrorism laws, he'll be sorely disappointed. The Labor Premiers want more changes to the legislation, with one saying it's unlikely they'll be able to give their approval to the laws by tomorrow, as the Commonwealth had hoped. - http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2005/s1494135.htm [11]

Anti-terrorism negotiation enters final phase
ABC Online, Australia - 31 October 2005
Prime Minister John Howard is in final negotiations with the state and territory leaders to clear up the outstanding issues over the Commonwealth's latest ... - http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200510/s1493995.htm [12]

What you can do
Senator Bob Brown,
It is crucial that we all act now to stop these laws. You can:
    * Ring, write a letter or send a fax or email to your state premier and your local MPs to urge them to withdraw support from the laws. Make an appointment to meet them to explain your concerns.
    * Ring, write a letter or send a fax or email to your federal members of parliament in the House of Representatives and the Senate urging them to insist that the Bill is subject to proper public and parliamentary scrutiny. For federal MPs’ contact details go to: http://www. aph.gov.au
    * Call talk back radio and write to your newspapers.
http://www.bobbrown.org.au/300_campaigns_sub.php?deptItemID=30 [13]

Blog Views

Artists, journalists voice anti-terrorism laws concerns
News on Terror
Artists, journalists voice anti- terrorism laws concerns ABC Online, Australia - 2 hours ago Forty of Australia's leading artists and journalists have met to discuss their concerns about the Federal Government's proposed anti- terrorism measures - http://tnews.panoptis.com/?p=478 [14]

Constipation politics
Rank and Vile
When I started this blog my intention was to give a personal views of a 'humble' rank and file member of the ALP. I felt that in the maelstrom of political debate, the rank and filer was totally disregarded, both by the commentariat and often by the hierarchy of the party itself. - http://rankandvile.dailyflute.com/?p=251 [15]

Why we need draconian terror laws...
The View From Benambra
I've gotten sick of saying it; it should be blindingly obvious to anybody with half a brain that terrorism is really a minor threat to Australia. So it's in some ways a relief to know that the Premiers of the various states do indeed have half a brain, according to this story in Kerry Packer's The Bulletin. http://benambra.org/benambra/?q=node/450 [16]

Round up all the Muslims and exterminate them
Opinion Dominion
The title is what letter writer Vincent Zankin in last Saturday's Sydney Morning Herald  thinks is John Howard's real agenda:
"It seems Muslims are neither welcome here, nor can they be trusted, because the Government's involvement in the war on terrorism means that this country is at war with the religion of Islam" - http://opiniondominion.blogspot.com/2005/10/round-up-all-muslims-and-exterminate.html [17]

A lesson for the infidels
ibntaymiya
On Monday, the spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, Abu Bakar Bashir spoke with The Bulletin correspondent Rin Hindryati inside Cipinang prison in Jakarta, where he is being held for conspiracy over last year's Marriott Hotel bombing. The full transcript: - http://ibntaymiya1263.blogspot.com/2005/10/lesson-for-infidels.html [18]

Our leaders lie
Antony Loewenstein
Robert Fisk examines the rhetoric of Bush, Blair, Iran...and Australia: " But for Bush, America is not anxious to withdraw from Iraq. Far from it. The United States is fighting enemies who want to establish a "totalitarian empire", he says, a "mortal danger to all humanity" which America will confro... - http://antonyloewenstein.blogspot.com/2005/10/our-leaders-lie.html [19]

Leadership Failure - Or, Getting Fooled, Again
Flaming Horses (Melbourne Cup pun? ;-)
The Partying On The Left Are Now Partying On The Right Kim Beazley says he wants to be even tougher on terror than John Howard. Is this man Kim Beazley congenitally stupid or what? IN a dramatic reversal in the debate over anti-terror laws, Opposition.. - http://flaminghorses.blogspot.com/2005/10/leadership-failure-or-getting-fooled.html [20]

Australia threatened by US state terrorism
Moreover Technologies - US sec...
By Dr Gideon Polya The Milli Gazette Online 29 October 2005 Melbourne:
After a 4 decade career as a scientist, I have almost finished researching and writing a huge book on global avoidable mortality. "State terrorism" has had massive complicity in global avoidable mortality (excess mortality) that now totals 1.3 billion since 1950. While "jihadist" and insurgent "non-state terrorists" have killed 5,000 Western civilians over the last 20 years, US state terrorism is complicit in a post-invasion avoidable mortality and under-5 infant mortality in Occupied Iraq and Afghanistan now totalling 2.1 million and 1.7 million, respectively. Please find below a summary of my informed and dispassionate assessment that AUSTRALIA IS UNDER SERIOUS THREAT FROM US STATE TERRORISM. Anyone has permission to publish this and otherwise inform all of their associates in the interests of humanity. - http://www.milligazette.com/dailyupdate/2005/20051029-terrorism.htm [21]

The Price of Feeling Safe
Check Raise
Australia has a new proposed Anti Terrorism bill which includes such draconian measures as:
- A 14-day secret detention without arrest by security services
- Shoot-to-kill "on suspicion" powers for police
- Imprisonment and fines for revealing an individual has been the subject of an investigation - http://spaces.msn.com/members/checkraise/Blog/cns!1pIvk06Hn0HfGrTV8TVaDyFQ!11976.entry [22]

India

'Top Pak army officials abetting terrorism'
India Monitor, UK - 31 October 2005
Pakistan may have been quick to denounce the Delhi blasts, but Indian Army and the intelligence believe that senior officials of General Pervez Musharraf's regime, especially top army men, are actively abetting terrorism. - http://indiamonitor.com/news/readNews.jsp?ni=9172 [23]

USA

Bush on the ropes
Public Opinion
In contrast Australia, where John Howard is still travelling well, President Bush is ensnarred in a political crisis and he is looking weak and on the defensive as becomes ever more mired in the swamp of scandal and investigations. - http://www.sauer-thompson.com/archives/opinion/2005/10/bush_on_the_rop.php [24]

UK

Is Blair losing his grip?
A Working Class Hero
The Observer Focus: ministers in revolt
With his cabinet growing restless, the Prime Minister is racing to establish his legacy before his time runs out. Political editor Gaby Hinsliff reports For a modest effort to lift the veil of secrecy draped over government, it succeeded more dramatically than Number 10 expected. - http://aworkingclasshero.blogspot.com/2005/10/is-blair-losing-his-grip.html [25]


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