Australia on Bin Laden's Hit List

[Oz]

Source: The Mercury

 

AUSTRALIA is on an international terrorist hit list, according to United States ambassador Tom Schieffer.

 

In an exclusive interview with the Herald Sun, Ambassador Schieffer said Osama bin Laden had listed Australia for terrorist attack.

 

In a wide-ranging interview he also said America was running out of patience with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

 

Mr Schieffer will today tell a Melbourne business lunch that a war with Saddam can be averted by a strong united stance by the international community, backed by the threat of war.

 

But yesterday Mr Schieffer revealed Australia's support for East Timor had made us a terrorist target.

 

"It has not been given much publicity but Osama bin Laden put out a whole laundry list of countries that needed to be attacked or subject to attack and he listed Egypt and he listed Saudi Arabia and he listed Jordan because of their government's stance," Mr Schieffer said.

 

"He also listed Australia not because it was a friend of the United States, not because it had done something in the Middle East but because it had done something in East Timor.

 

"Because the East Timorese were largely a Catholic population inside a Muslim state.

 

"The fact that Australia aided the East Timorese in establishing their independence got Australia on Osama bin Laden's list of potential targets."

 

Mr Schieffer also said there was concern over the growth of Islamic fundamentalism in South-East Asia and specifically Indonesia.

 

"By and large governments in this region are concerned about it," he said. The recent arrests of al-Qaeda terrorists in Singapore who were planning to bomb the Australian High Commission was a real credible threat to Australia.

 

"I think terrorists could exist in any society anywhere in the world and there's no reason to believe Australia would somehow be immune to that," he said.

 

"None of us had figured out a way that we can guarantee that they are not among us."

 

When asked if there was any evidence of terrorists in Australia now or in the past he would only say "there's no reason to believe that there's any place terrorists have not been.

 

"They have been in a lot of places we wouldn't have expected them to be including the United States.

 

"To say there is no terrorist threat in Australia would be making an assumption that there would be a lot of risk with."

 

Mr Schieffer said the United States was concerned terrorist organisations such as al-Qaeda would try to acquire nuclear weapons from countries such as Iraq.

 

He said Iraq had continually ignored UN resolutions but he was hopeful the United Nations would pass a new tough resolution for weapons inspections in Iraq.

 

He refused to speculate on a date for an invasion of Iraq, saying United Nations negotiations had to run their course.

 

"Bin Laden targets Australia" By Nick Papps

[RobbieGanjaSeed]

The face of war has certainly changed.

 

I grew up in this country assuming a great level of safety, and rightfully so as history has shown. Only a vague threat has ever been on us, and that was in the form of Indonesia, and even then probably was more paranoia than substance.

 

But no-where's safe anymore, and I believe that's why we have to be so much more careful of what we do and say regarding political policies, and foreign affairs with other countries, and organisations.

 

The quote in that article that Bin Laden has us targeted because of what happened in East Timor, and not because of any involvement with the USA, was made by a yank. What would you expect him to say. Non the less, we went to East Timor by and large as a favor to the yanks I think from memory. The yanks wanted something done in East Timor, and Johnny obliged them. So if Bin Laden has the shits on us over East Timor, then it is in effect due to our involvement with the USA.

 

However, we should have been involved, and should have been sooner than we were. I am too young to have first hand knowledge of what the East Timorese did for Australia during the Second World War, but I believe they lost a lot of lives helping us. It's a pity that wasn't enough to motivate Johhny, but Yanks asking us to go was.

 

If Bin Laden has us on his hit list for that, then it's only a matter of time before he has us and everyone else on his hit I guess.

 

But I do wish that Johnny would sit and think a bit before he puts his mouth into gear with the way the world is currently. Shooting his mouth off in emotion to impress America could get us in real strife. Mind, if the propper thing for us to do at some time is an upset to the likes of Bin Laden, then to hell with him. But I think things have taken a turn for the much more serious, and propper thought and planning should be applied to each and every situation.

 

cheers

rob

 

oh, and drug laws should change

[Guest navsat1NON-MEMBER]

Hey robbi,

At the time the East Timor commitment happened I had just discharged from the Army.

 

The truth of the matter is that we (Australia) asked for some help from the Yanks, but because there was nothing for them, i.e. oil/ resources etc. They couldn't be bothered...

 

They did however eventually send a Signals element for backup.. WOOPTY FUCKING DOO, i thought at the time... The Brits however sent over their best.

 

While I was in we were getting update briefings at the escalation of horrors that were taking place by the Millita's AND INDONESIAN ARMY... Yes contrary to what the general public was being told the Indo Army was arming the Milita's as well as killing civie's..

 

These Allah loving bastards were raping Woman, cutting slogans on the bodies of the woman while still alive before killing them.. The photo's/ slides we were seeing made us all want to rip their (Milita/ Indo Army soldiers) fucking throats out... Besides them arseholes sent out the challenge didn't they???..

Quote, (we will cut the hearts out of Australian soldiers and eat them).. piss ant bullies...

 

What really pisses me off about these so called warriors of Allah is that during WW2 where were these Muslim bastards to help the Allies defeat the Nazi German War Machine in Africa????????... Nowhere to be seen hey,, well well...

[ickyjimmy]

just remember that we are included in the 10 percent of the worlds population that uses 90 percent of the worlds resources

ps dont beleive the propaganda-read Orwells 1984-

[Budizbud]

It is just propaganda cos the general population dont want Iraq bombed. Little do they tell us that different sites are still being bombed weekly in Iraq. I personally think it is time for Mr Sheen (Johnny) to stop being right up Bushes arse. Everyone says "but we need the yanks to look after us incase there is a war" but if the yanks are being bombed the same time as us who are they going to look after... there own country first. I think all middle easterners should stay in there own countrys cos they do not have the same beliefs as us, we Australians are brought up with manners and respect. I also feel like an inferior in my own country for gods sake. I cant go down the street and there are more forgieners than Aussies. What makes me cringe even more is when you see an Aussie guy/girl walking down the street holding hands with one of them. Dont get me wrong i aint racist i have friends who are Viets i smoke cones with them but i tell you now they all know how i feel. It is the truth anyway we are a lost race, i have veered off the track abit but anyway i have had my whinge for the day. Back to the subject of Al Queda Would they be really interested in doing terrorist attacks here, i think even more so now thanks to Mr Sheen sprouting off to the world how we stand by America through thick and thin. If we get attacked i will personally thank Johnny and that other toss pot Downer. But as i said this is probably just scare tactics by the media and the goverment to scare us into supporting another war with Iraq.

 

Cheers

[navsat1]

Budizbud.. I really think you need to read up on history mate, who pulled our arse out of the shit in the Pacific??? during WW2, it was the Yanks...

 

If it weren't for them fellers you wouldn't be sitting on your arse in front of a 'puter spouting off!, get a clue mate.. Sometimes debts have to be repaid..

 

I do understand however your meaning of feeling like a stranger in your own country.. Especially when you see the news and all you see are either white European, or Anglo Saxon/ Celtic faces?? where's all these so called proud refugee Australians??..

[Budizbud]

The islands the yanks saved in World War 2 were not Australian anyway and the island that was threatened that was Australian was Papua New Guinea and good old Aussie diggers fought the Japs off there by themselves and it was not until the Japs bombed Pearl Harbour that the yanks gave a stuff about the rest of the world anyway. So i can assure i do read up on history, maybe you wanna go study the history books a little more closely.

 

Cheers

[navsat1]

Well, well who was threatening the Pacific???.. How far is PNG from Aus??...

 

Who bombed Darwin??, were American troops ever in Aus??

 

Switch on mate..

 

Maybe if you served as a soldier in the ADF you'd have your eyes opened and your head full of facts.....

 

I don't know what history books you been reading mate.. ... But a unit I served with did see active service on the Kokoda track ..

 

Cheers

[Tom]

WW2 was a war of defence, the US wants to invade Iraq for its oil. I think that any real or imagined debts we had with the US were more than paid back in the Vietnam debacle.

 

I am in no way putting down the Aussie soldiers that went to Vietnam, they had it hard there and are copping it hard now. Our stupid government should have stayed out of that war/conflict in the first place and should have damn well looked after the returned soldiers instead of ignoring them for so many years. :angry:

[navsat1]

Well we're all entitled to our own opinions.. given substance and credibility.......