Australia Issues Warning Amid Security Review

[VolcanoJen]

Reuters World News

Mon December 22, 2003 12:11 AM ET CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia is reviewing its security and has issued new warnings for Australians traveling to the United States and Britain after Washington raised its terror alert to the second highest level.

Washington warned its citizens on Sunday that there was a high risk of attacks by militants during the holidays. The United States uses a five-level scale to define its security risk.

<snip>

Australians traveling to the United States and Britain were warned by Australia's foreign ministry on Monday to be alert, monitor news broadcasts and be aware of any public announcements on safety made by the U.S. and British governments.

What's the old saying... when America sneezes, the world catches a cold.

Sad days indeed... ho, ho, ho, everyone...

[aquart]

1. My heart goes out to anyone still in the travel and tourist industry.

[ConcernedCanuk]

2. America is killing it's own industries?

. . Korprate out-sourcing . .

. . Attacking nations NOT at war . .

. . etc..,

From the article:

"Australia -- a close U.S. ally -- has been on a medium level security alert, the second lowest of four levels, since the September 11, 2001, hijacked airliner attacks on the United States.

"It is something we have got under review given the American internal security alerts, but there is no intention to raise our security alert at present," a spokesman for acting Attorney General, Justice Minister Chris Ellison, said on Monday.

"We don't have information to indicate that our threat level should be changed at present."

/snip/

"Australia has never experienced a major terror attack on home soil but 88 Australians were among over 200 people killed in October 2002 when bombs ripped through nightclubs packed with foreign tourists on the neighboring Indonesian island of Bali.

The United States lifted its alert level on Sunday to orange from yellow, the fifth time the orange alert has been activated since the system began in March last year, and said militants could be planning an attack to rival the September 11 attacks. "

/snip/

. . Has anyone ever read ANYTHING regarding the other four Orange "alerts" as to the REASON for them ? other than the DoD's ambiguous consistent phrase "increased chatter" ?

. . And yah, as long as the US insists in meddling in the Middle East, I would figure that sooner or later the terrorists will "strike back".

(sigh)

[interupt]

3. This is news to me

Ive just checked the official website and nothing specific


http://www.dfat.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/TravelBulletins


However saying this it is a known fact that that the (CONSERVATIVE) Liberal Coalition will backpedal like hell on officially making declarations while leaking like a dunny on "happy hour" at the pub to the newspaper.