Fed: Govt cracksdown on terror hoaxes and sends dogs to US

00-00-0000
Fed: Govt cracksdown on terror hoaxes and sends dogs to US

By Max Blenkin, Sharon Mathieson and Sandra O'Malley

CANBERRA, Feb 13 AAP - The federal government today moved to crack down on people whosend hoaxes through the mail - and gave 30 Labrador puppies to help in the US fight againstterrorism.

Attorney-General Daryl Williams introduced a bill which would ensure people who createdpublic fear and alarm by sending hoax material or dangerous substances faced tough newpenalties of up to 10 years in jail.

He said the laws, which would be retrospective to last October, followed a surge inhoax anthrax letters sent across Australia.

"Intimidating or frightening people into believing that they will be caused seriousinjury is reprehensible," Mr Williams told parliament.

"The new offence will send a strong message to those who may be tempted to make spuriousthreats that this behaviour is not acceptable."

Mr Williams also defended new legislation aimed at spies which also contains jail termsfor public servants and journalists who release unauthorised government information.

He said the new bills simply updated old legislation and were not an attempt to stiflewhistleblowers or target journalists.

"Nothing could be further from the truth," he said.

"That provision in that bill did not seek to change the law in any way, it simply soughtto change the form in which it was expressed."

The United States Ambassador to Australia, Tom Schieffer, received 30 Labrador pupsfor training in weapons and explosives detection.

Customs Minister Chris Ellison, who handed over the Melbourne-bred dogs, said theywere part of Australia's contribution to the war on terror.

"The dogs provide an essential weapon in the fight against terrorism and also againstthings such as drugs," Senator Ellison said.

Meanwhile, commander of the Australian troops in Afghanistan, Brigadier Ken Gillespie,said troops there had yet to fire a shot in anger.

He said the elite SAS troops in Afghanistan were mostly focused on reconnaissance missions,and becoming involved in a firefight would be counter-productive.

"If our fellows get involved in a firefight we have let ourselves down because thenature of the task that we have been undertaking is special reconnaissance," he said.

"We are not doing our job particularly well if we become engaged with enemy troops."

Brigadier Gary Bornholt, who replaces Brigadier Gillespie as Australian forces commandernext month, said distinguishing the good guys from the bad guys remained a problem.

"It is a really difficult issue," he said.

"The operations in Afghanistan are such that the opponents are normally part of the community."

AAP sw/daw/jmd/sb,

KEYWORD: TERROR AUST NIGHTLEAD