Australia declares 'permanent' terror threat

[link to www.timescolonist.com]

SYDNEY - Australia will start taking face scans and fingerprints from visitors from 10 "high risk" nations in an effort to prevent potential terrorists from entering the country.

Unveiling a government white paper on counter terrorism, Kevin Rudd, the prime minister, said the country had become a target for terrorists and it was under "permanent" and increasing threat.

The paper, commissioned after the Mumbai terrorist attacks in November 2008, found that any success in fighting terrorism in Pakistan and Afghanistan had been offset by the rise of movements in Yemen and Somalia. "Terrorism continues to pose a serious threat and serious challenge to Australia's security interests. That threat is not diminishing," Mr Rudd said.

"In fact, the government security intelligence agencies assess that terrorism has become a persistent and permanent feature of Australia's security environment. These agencies warn that an attack could occur at any time."

Mr Rudd said $69 million would be spent on the new biometric facilities over the next four years and a national control centre would be set up to co-ordinate efforts to fight extremism.

The security measures will be phased in over the coming months. The information from fingerprinting and facial scans taken when visitors enter Australia will be used to prove their identity, in part by matching it against details on the databases of other nations.

The list of high risk countries has not yet been released, but it was reported to have been selected in consultation with the British Government and on the basis of the risk posed to national security and fraud.

As well as Somalia and Yemen, experts said visitors from Pakistan, India and Indonesia may also be subjected to the checks.

Face-scanning technology is already used in several countries including America and Britain.



Here we are, permanent scare mongering, permanent war, or as Rumsfeld ``predicted`` a 100 years war on terror.