Australian police commissioner backs 60 terror suspects figure

CANBERRA - Around 60 suspected Islamic extremists are operating in Australia, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty said today.

Mr Keelty confirmed the figure after former Australian Security intelligence Organisation (ASIO) officer Michael Roach said yesterday that up to 60 extremists were living in Australia in terrorist cells, with an attack on home soil inevitable.

Mr Keelty said the number would always change and no one could be precise about the exact figure.

"He (Mr Roach) is close to the figure that I am aware of," he told ABC radio.

Mr Roach, who recently retired from ASIO after a 30-year career, said Australia must adopt extreme counter-terrorism measures -- such as targeting men of Middle Eastern appearance.

He said Australia was hosting a terror network based in Sydney and Melbourne, with most of the extremists known to ASIO.

Mr Keelty said authorities remained focused on those known to have a propensity to do something wrong.

But he was concerned the entire Islamic community would be labelled.

"One of the things I fear is that we are marginalising the Islamic community by broad-brush stereotyping," he said.

"We are focused on the people who we are aware who have trained overseas.

"We are not focused on the Islamic community per se. There are a lot of very, very, very good people in the Islamic community and they are the ones who will identify, in my view, where the problems are in the first instance."

Mr Keelty said the claim of 60 terrorists suspects was not news to intelligence agencies or the AFP.

"We have been aware for some time roughly the number of people who have trained overseas and they have been the focus of the attention of both ASIO, the AFP and also the state police in our joint operations," he said.

Those of interest had received considerable attention over the last few years and their movements were monitored in Australia and overseas.

There was various amounts of information known about each one which he would not detail.

"We are steadily keeping on top of it. But we also rely heavily on information from the public and that is why we have the national hotline, the 1800 123 400 (number).

"There wouldn't be an operation that I am aware of that we have conducted where someone hasn't used the hotline at some stage. It is pleasing to see that the public in Australia is aware of the potential dangers and are willing to speak up."

Mr Keelty said some of those people had been charged and were before the courts.

"Certainly there are others out there who remain the focus of our attention," he said.

"We have one person convicted who trained overseas. We know some of them have trained in Afghanistan, we know some of them trained in Pakistan."

Mr Keelty said the AFP was considering the adequacy of current counter-terrorism powers after the debriefing of officers who observed the investigation into the London bombings.

"We have been discussing with the Attorney General's department some further reforms that the government might consider," he said.

"The reality is that this is a moving feast. We are challenged by different moves by the terrorist groups each and every time they attack and we have to increase our understanding and we have to appropriately respond."

- AAP