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Australia won`t change terror warning despite al-Qaida threat
Canberra, Nov 17: Australia won`t change the level of its terrorism alert in response to the latest statements attributed to terrorist network al-Qaida that name Australia along with other us allies as potential targets, the government said today.
Canberra, Nov 17: Australia won't change the level of its terrorism alert in response to the latest statements attributed to terrorist network al-Qaida that name Australia along with other us allies as potential targets, the government said today.
In separate statements sent to two Arabic language
newspapers over the weekend, the terror group claimed
responsibility for car bomb attacks that killed 23 people in
two Istanbul synagogues in Turkey on Saturday.
As well as a direct warning to US President George W Bush, al-Qaida also threatened Bush's allies.
"We tell the criminal Bush and his Arab and non-Arab followers (especially Britain, Italy, Australia, and Japan) that cars of death will not stop at Baghdad, Riyadh, Istanbul, Jerba, Nasiriyah or Jakarta," one of then statements said, referring to past attacks in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Tunisia and Indonesia.
A spokesman for attorney-general Phillip Ruddock said the statement appeared similar to several previous threats allegedly made by al-Qaida.
"Unless we get information that suggests there is something new or different the advice we are getting is that there is no need to change the threat level," said Steve Ingram, adding that Australia remained on medium terror alert level.
Speaking to reporters in the southern city of Adelaide, foreign minister Alexander Downer said it was too early to judge the statement's authenticity.
Bureau Report
As well as a direct warning to US President George W Bush, al-Qaida also threatened Bush's allies.
"We tell the criminal Bush and his Arab and non-Arab followers (especially Britain, Italy, Australia, and Japan) that cars of death will not stop at Baghdad, Riyadh, Istanbul, Jerba, Nasiriyah or Jakarta," one of then statements said, referring to past attacks in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Tunisia and Indonesia.
A spokesman for attorney-general Phillip Ruddock said the statement appeared similar to several previous threats allegedly made by al-Qaida.
"Unless we get information that suggests there is something new or different the advice we are getting is that there is no need to change the threat level," said Steve Ingram, adding that Australia remained on medium terror alert level.
Speaking to reporters in the southern city of Adelaide, foreign minister Alexander Downer said it was too early to judge the statement's authenticity.
Bureau Report