The nation’s intelligence community believed there was “no evidence” Australian pursuits ended up being focused by international terrorist organisations just months ahead of the greatest decline of Australian life in a solitary terror assault in the Bali bombings.
Previously confidential files introduced on Sunday by the Countrywide Archives also expose the Howard government in 2002 was “not inclined” to commit substantial quantities of personnel to a long-phrase existence in Afghanistan as the interest of The united states and its allies turned in direction of Iraq.
Prime Minister John Howard visits Australian troopers in Iraq in 2007.Credit rating:Andrew Taylor
The 2002 cupboard papers expose the depth of terror-related issues confronted by John Howard and his governing administration next the former year’s September 11 attacks on the United States. They stretched from particular anti-terrorism regulations to counter-terrorism preparations with nations these types of as Indonesia.
Problems would come to a head immediately after the attack in Bali on the night of October 12, 2002, when 3 bombs were detonated across the popular tourist centre. The explosions killed 202 persons, such as 88 Australians, whilst hundreds a lot more were being wounded.
Carried out by terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah, it remains the major decline of Australian daily life in a terrorist assault.
Then Australian primary minister John Howard and then-prince Charles pray at Southwark Cathedral for the Bali bombing victims in February, 2003.Credit rating:Reuters
In February 2002, the cabinet’s nationwide stability committee pointed out it experienced gained a briefing from the head of ASIO who claimed there “remained at this stage no evidence of any concentrating on of Australian pursuits by global terrorist networks”.
The exact conference experienced also acquired a briefing from the director-basic of the Place of work of Countrywide Assessments about the situation in Afghanistan exactly where an alliance of forces, which includes Australia, experienced secured the capital Kabul.
The committee was told that with a huge range of lacking Taliban and al-Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan, it would acquire at least six additional months for the US military services procedure to “uproot them”.