Sydney prepares for attack

CANBERRA - Police have begun planning for the evacuation of downtown Sydney in the event of a terror attack as Australia faces new claims that Iraq has made the nation a bigger - and inevitable - target.

The Sydney central business district evacuation plan also comes as the Defence Force prepares to move a helicopter squadron to the city to work with special counter-terrorism forces, part of a A$1.3 billion ($1.4 billion) anti-terror buildup since the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

Sydney, Australia's leading potential target because of its international profile and assemblage of national icons such as the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, is already subject to tight security and strict state laws.

But in the wake of the London bombings, the New South Wales Government began considering a range of new measures, including comprehensive security camera monitoring of the CBD and transport systems.

Yesterday, NSW police counter-terrorism commander Andrew Scipione proposed even more search and seizure powers, such as random bag searches and wider use of sniffer dogs, and said police intended to ask new Premier Morris Iemma for the power to shut downtown Sydney.

Mr Scipione told the Sydney Morning Herald that under plans being drawn up, police would be given overall authority in the event of a terror attack, overriding other services such as the Premier's Department or the Fire Service.

He said this would allow for the evacuation of city streets, either by moving people out of the area or ordering them to stay in places of business until order and transport systems were restored.

"The evacuation plan doesn't necessarily mean you need to move thousands of people out," he told the newspaper.

Detectives from almost 100 stations across Sydney have been told to wear uniforms or fluorescent vests to patrol vulnerable areas for an hour a day.

Meanwhile, the Army's 171 Aviation Squadron will move from Townsville to Holsworthy on Sydney's southern fringe to work with special forces at the base.

Holsworthy is home to the 4th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment - which includes the east coast tactical assault group - and the incident response regiment, formed to deal with nuclear, chemical and biological attacks.

"The tactical assault group's primary role is to respond to terrorist threats against Australia," Defence Minister Robert Hill said.

Yesterday, a transcript obtained by the Australian newspaper of an Indonesian police interview with the man who led last year's bombing of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta indicated that an attack on Australian soil was more likely because of the nation's involvement in Iraq.

The alleged terrorist, known as both Rois and Iwan Dharmawan, said he had been given Australian currency in a parcel from Osama bin Laden to carry out the attack in revenge for the Iraq deployment.