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Beat terror, the Australian way

November 25 2002

We can learn from American mistakes and apply our good selves to win this war, writes Hugh Tate.

In Bali on October 12 the very confidence of the Australian nation was rocked to the core. We are not friends with everyone any more. With the smell of the ashes still in the air, the Australian Government is moving into action and considering what needs to be done to confront the terrorist evil that now physically threatens our everyday lives.

ASIO raids and a quick arrest would seem to be the type of action warranted in the early days of our new war. Unfortunately, they also reveal the depths of the problem - that those who live among us may be our enemies. US President George Bush has called the terrorism war a "long war" and that description should not be lost on Australians as we consider the future.

Is Australia equipped to fight terrorism? The American experience should be studied closely; some unique scenes in the American community have occurred since September 11. Long lines at airports, traffic delays, mail problems, alerts, scares and rumours abounded. The military guarded airports and bridges with machineguns in hand. The American public initially understood and accepted these inconveniences as part of "their war".

But like all things American, the public wanted a quick fix without sacrifice. Afghanistan provided some relief in a visual fashion easily understood by a television-enthralled populace. At least that didn't interfere with their daily lives and they were "kicking butt" in retaliation. It was a world away and didn't interfere in their lives. Good guys 10, bad guys nil.

Public patience faded quickly and decisive action began to meet political roadblocks, law changes conjured up "big brother" images and terror alerts a blase "whatever". When Bush spoke about terrorism on television after September 11, all eyes were glued to the broadcast. Thirteen months later, when he spoke on the progress of the "long war", a soap opera won the ratings for the same timeslot.

Australia must take a two-pronged approach to its war and, based on the American experience, improve on some of its already well-established protocols.

Domestically there must be full acceptance that the fight will need to be waged by state and federal law enforcement. The infrastructure is already in place and, unlike the US, the lines of communication are not convoluted by myriad organisations all wanting their piece of the action.

Reporting procedures must be reviewed quickly and the sharing of information coordinated. Shortened chains of command will eliminate the loss of continuity that was often experienced in the early stages after September 11 in the US.

Victoria is very fortunate in the ability of its law enforcement and emergency services to respond to any incident in a highly efficient manner. It has been so for 20 years. The 1983 fires prompted a huge turnaround in response efficiencies.

The Victoria Police special operations group enjoys a tremendous reputation internationally due to its stringent selection and training standards. It has exceptional abilities and experienced leadership that far surpass similar groups elsewhere. It clearly should be given a lead role not only on the reactive side of the ledger but also on the proactive side.

The American experience also taught us that it is local law enforcement officers who know their community the best. They have now become the eyes and ears in leading the terrorism fight. Australian police officers should be trained to recognise the simple clues often presented to them in their daily duties. The use of local law enforcement in this way is obvious.

Most of the September 11 hijackers had some kind of local law enforcement contact before September, 2001. For the most part, these contacts were professionally handled. However, none of the officers they came in contact with had any training in recognising what may have been obvious clues. Worse still, if they had recognised some clue, there was no process for any information they had to be funnelled to the proper authorities. Coordinating information-gathering and analysis must take high priority in Australia.

The second part of the two-pronged approach would see the military joining our allies abroad in the hunt for the terrorist group leaders. This has been going on in Afghanistan, but it needs to become more global. Intelligence has shown us that sleeper cells are well ensconced in our society, but are controlled from abroad.

These cells are fanatically patient and disciplined and have strict controls placed on them. An example is the cell that spent 10 years organising the second Twin Towers attack. This is also one of the reasons we are yet to experience ad hoc terror attacks carried out by individuals. Cutting off the chain of command or even harassing and interdicting information exchange will see the sleeper cells stay dormant. It may also buy law enforcement and the civil authorities the much-needed time they require to weed out these groups.

While the Australian public has been warned to "be on the lookout for suspicious activities", this can only be seen as a political stop-gap measure. Unfortunately our images of terrorist activities are moulded in film and television. We see pyjama-clad, masked individuals running around waving weapons, acting crazy and conducting overt actions. Common sense dictates that this is just not the case.

While a member of the public may see some activity in the moments leading up to an actual incident, their chances of reporting their observations may be fleeting at the best. Chances are that the incident will become a reality within minutes.

The Australian public must be prepared to do what they do best. Be Australian. The need for the public to maintain their way of life in the "long war" is probably the greatest asset we can enjoy. Sleeper cells have the patience to outwait a nervous public and let things get "back to normal" before acting again. The public psyche must develop resolve for the long war, and not fall for the quick-fix syndrome that has gripped so many Americans. Such resolve could act as the biggest deterrent we have.

To this end the government needs to share information, issue alerts and warnings carefully and not use the process for grandstanding. Only in this way will the public appreciate the one tangible measurement a successful war can provide - a safe and non-eventful community.

Hugh Tate is a former member of the Victoria Police and is currently the training manager with the Costa Mesa Police Department in California.




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