The Australian government warned today that international terrorists were considering attacking the nation and that there would be no early end to the global war on terror.
The warning comes ahead of elections later this year. Polls show voters believe Prime Minister John Howard's conservative administration is tougher on national security than the opposition Labour Party.
"We know the terrorist threat to our nation is now higher than it has ever been," a government statement issued by Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said. "We know that some transnational extremist-Muslim terrorists have shown interest in conducting attacks in Australia."
"There will be no early, decisive defeat of this threat," it added.
Australia has never suffered a major terrorist attack. However, the October 12th, 2002, terrorist bombings in Bali killed 202 people, 88 of them Australians.
Earlier this year, a British-born Muslim convert was convicted for his role in an al-Qaeda plot to blow up Israel's embassy in Australia's capital, Canberra. The attack was not carried out.
Mr Howard was elected for a third term in office shortly after the September 11th, 2001 attacks in the US on a platform that included a strong national security commitment.
Canberra has recently pumped millions of dollars into South Pacific nations to bolster their crumbling economies, clamp down on corruption and shore up security.
AP