Al-Qaeda threatens Australia

By John Masanauskas
September 12, 2005

A VIDEOTAPE televised yesterday purportedly from a US member of al-Qaeda threatened Melbourne and Los Angeles on the fourth anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

The threat came as it was revealed Australia's anti-terrorist air marshal program would be boosted with more recruits and new international routes.
ABC News in the US said it had received a tape in Pakistan showing a masked speaker who threatened attacks on the two cities, saying "Allah willing".

The man warned that the attackers would show no compassion.

"Yesterday, London and Madrid. Tomorrow, Los Angeles and Melbourne," he said.

"We love peace, but peace on our terms."

The US network reported the man appeared to be Adam Gadahn, from California. Gadahn was believed to have been in another threatening tape about a year ago.
Victoria Police became aware of the threats yesterday.

"We are aware of the existence of a tape that allegedly contains threats to Melbourne security," Inspector Craig Walsh of the police media unit said last night.

"We are working in conjunction with our federal and international counterparts to obtain a copy. Once attained, the tape will need to be authenticated and its contents analysed and considered prior to making any further comment."

Meanwhile, up to 40 more air marshals will be trained early next year, bringing the total in Australia to about 170.

And the Federal Government is negotiating to extend the air security program to more South-East Asian destinations.

A Herald Sun investigation into the crack aviation squad has revealed:

UP to 10 armed air marshals at a time have flown together on flights.

Marshals have been involved in one incident.

The chance of being on a flight with marshals is up to 18 per cent and could rise to 23 per cent when the program is expanded.

Marshals earn about $75,000 a year, with the program costing $26 million last year.

Canada wants to put its air marshals on flights to and from Australia.

About 130 armed marshals - officially called air security officers - patrol domestic flights and Qantas services between Australia and the US and Singapore.

The ASO program, introduced in response to the September 11 attacks is run by the Australian Federal Police and is based on US and Israeli operations.

Based on interviews with sources close to the program, the Herald Sun is able to divulge some details of how the anti-terrorist officers operate.

A minimum of two air marshals fly together, with flights chosen randomly or on the basis of intelligence reports.

But up to 10 officers have been assigned to international flights in response to suspicions about certain passengers.

"It takes it away from being a normal mission to being an operation," a source said.

Australian air marshals have been involved in only one security incident, when a 68-year-old man produced a Stanley knife aboard a Virgin Blue flight between Sydney and Cairns on June 10, 2003.

The officers helped the crew subdue the man without revealing their security role to passengers.
"Fingers crossed, if someone does try to hijack an aircraft and we're on it and we stop them, that's going to send a massive message to terrorists," a source said.

Another source said the program initially suffered many resignations, with up to 20 officers going to Iraq for highly lucrative security work.

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