'A Regional Approach to National Security and Terrorism'
Commissioner Mick Keelty APM
National Security Australia 2004
Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre
Monday 22 March 2004
(Yet to be checked against delivery)
Brigadier General Paulus Purwoko, the Honourable Philip E Coyle, Sidney Jones, Dr Alan Du Pont, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.
I'd also like to acknowledge the traditional owners of this land, the Cadigal people.
It is a pleasure to be with you here today at this conference and to have an opportunity to share a few thoughts on the critical issue of building security through regional cooperation.
Each industry - whether it be government, business or law enforcement - is facing a unique set of challenges in the modern security environment. But each is also working toward a common goal of maintaining security for all.
It is great to see so many representatives from Australian industries here to contribute to discussion on this important issue.
I addressed this conference only last year when it was called Homeland Security 2003. But although less than 12 months have passed, much has happened in the world.
Similarly, much has also happened to boost Australia's capacity for responding to security challenges in the 21st century.
The theme of my speech today is 'A Regional Approach To National Security and Terrorism'. It is an important topic, which encapsulates the direction we are taking to secure Australia in a world where borders are rapidly becoming irrelevant, particularly in relation to crime.
In it, I will:
- Explore some of the new initiatives being employed to boost regional security;
- Provide you with an overview of how some 'tried and true' policing measures are evolving to better cope with new demands in the security environment; and
- Then look at some of the law enforcement challenges that lie ahead.
But firstly, I think it is important to take a quick look at the current state of the security environment in the Asia-Pacific.
Regional snapshot
We belong to a region confronting significant challenges that should be considered in the context of our own security and stability over time.
From a law enforcement perspective, countering terrorism continues to dominate the regional agenda.
Since this conference was last held, we've seen significant progress made in disrupting terrorist activities in the region, but there have also been some setbacks.
These included bombings in the Philippines and Indonesia - the latter killing 12 people and injuring more than 150 others - including one Australian - when a bomb was detonated in the foyer of Jakarta's J W Marriott Hotel last August.
Events such as these have served as disturbing reminders that a great deal of work still lies ahead to disable terrorist activities in our region. But, equally, we should not let these detract from the significant achievements made to date.
For instance, the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) network has been disrupted to a large extent in the region, with more than 200 members captured and detained.
This has included some key terrorist figures, including Hambali - mastermind of the Bali attack and the main link between Al Qaeda and JI.
Ongoing joint investigations involving the AFP and the Indonesian National Police have led to 37 arrests and convictions against 34 people specifically in relation to the Bali bombings. And 14 arrests and 3 convictions have been recorded over the Marriott bombings.
But as I've said on many occasions, the war on terrorism "is a marathon not a sprint" and, if experts are correct, terrorist groups will continue to pose a threat for some time to come.
Dr Rohan Gunaratna, from the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies in Singapore, told a National Press Club audience late last year that South East Asia was now considered a terrorism hub.
He was quoted as saying: "Today I cannot think of a region where there is numerically such a large number of (terrorist) groups; numerically such a large number of members, sympathisers and supporters of Al Qaeda and its network, than are based in South East Asia."
He added that while a largely successful campaign against Al Qaeda had been waged, many offshoot groups had become "ideologically infected."1
Assessments such as this highlight the importance of nations and law enforcement agencies working with their partners in a coordinated way, to stop terrorist groups using countries within the region to recruit, train and finance their activities.
Turning our attention to some of the other law enforcement trends in Australia's region. Instability - especially among some smaller nations in the South Pacific - presents an ongoing challenge.
Failing nations can pose a significant threat to our own security, as history has shown they become vulnerable to criminal activity - providing fertile recruitment grounds and environments that allow crimes to go unchecked and to spread offshore.
In South East Asia, transnational crime remains a major challenge, with groups known to be involved in drug trafficking, people smuggling, money laundering, identity and other fraud.
In relation to identity fraud, technological advances over recent years have created a range of options for obtaining or producing fraudulent identity documents that are high quality, low cost and increasingly easy to access.
Identity crime is a growing concern - not just regionally, but globally - because of its potential to threaten e-commerce, border security and counter terrorism responses.
On the technology front, the growth in e-crime - where criminals target computers and IT systems and use technology to commit traditional crimes online - continues to challenge law enforcement agencies seeking to keep abreast of, and police crimes, in the virtual world.
But at the same time, technological advances are also creating the means for law enforcement agencies to better detect, monitor and investigate these forms of crime.
In the social sphere, the outbreak of SARS and the bird flu virus in the Asia-Pacific, were sources of much social and economic instability over the past year.
SARS alone spread to 32 countries, killed about 900 people and hit Asian economies hard after a substantial drop in tourism and travel.
For us in the business of security, there is a valuable lesson in the impact of these natural disasters and how we respond, in order to better prepare ourselves for any similar attack which could be committed deliberately.
At the national level, Australia has remained vigilant and a range of measures to bolster our counter-terrorism response have been introduced.
New counter terrorism laws have strengthened our capacity for detecting and prosecuting those involved in terrorism-related activity. Numerous investigations are already underway as a direct result of these new laws.
The National Counter Terrorism Plan has also created new national alert systems and an overarching framework for managing the national response to terrorism.
The magnitude of Australia's response to date was underscored by Prime Minister John Howard last week, when he said that the Federal Government had so far committed about $3 billion to security related issues since September 11 and Bali.
Australia also continues to strengthen its commitment to peacekeeping and regional assistance, to promote greater security and stability across the region. This is now part of core business for the AFP.
And recently the AFP has invested a great deal of effort into reinvigorating 'old' law enforcement partnerships; forging new ones; and engaging in some innovative measures to combat terrorism.
This snapshot of recent developments illustrates the complexity of the environment in which we all now live.
It is an environment often characterised by change, new and evolving threats, uncertainty and instability - all powerful elements that can undermine traditional law enforcement responses. Just think how much has changed in our own lives in 3 short years since the turn of the century.
We live in an environment in which crime is becoming more sophisticated and unpredictable by the day, with rapid and far-reaching effects.
An environment that demands more strategic and coordinated responses, if we are to minimise risks to our own security.
So how are we, as a community, rising to meet these growing challenges?
Australia's multi-faceted approach to regional security is allowing us to tackle these problems on a number of fronts.
Partnerships and networks remain the cornerstone of our approach, but the recent adoption of some new crime-fighting arrangements will bolster our response over the longer term.
Among these, was the announcement of the new Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Cooperation, by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Alexander Downer.
At the Bali Regional Ministerial meeting on Counter Terrorism in February - which was in itself an indication of the level of cooperation on these issues - Mr Downer announced the Australian Government had committed $38.3 million over 5 years to develop the Centre.
The Jakarta Centre is the first initiative of its type specifically dedicated to enhancing the operational expertise of regional law enforcement personnel so they can better deal with transnational crime, particularly in relation to counter-terrorism.
The Centre will draw on expertise from the region and around the world, and promote cutting-edge training, technology and techniques in areas such as investigation, intelligence gathering, forensics and communication.
- Multilateral - open to all agencies.
- Will complement the academically-focused centre in Malaysia.
Outside the terrorism arena, the recent announcement of the establishment of an International Deployment Group within the AFP is another important law enforcement innovation.
The IDG, as it is commonly known, is a major step forward for us and it will greatly enhance our ability to collaborate with neighbours in the fight against transnational organised crime.
The IDG will be a permanent structure that will provide for more sustainable and coordinated delivery of Australian participation in United Nations missions or other negotiated Government to Government bilateral agreements for law and order, restoration and capacity building programs.
In the order of 500 personnel will be dedicated to strategic deployments - including AFP and Australian Protective Service members and negotiated staffing from State and Territory police services.
The IDG will improve coordination of arrangements for police deployments to regional assistance missions such as the Solomon Islands.
It builds on the achievements of the Law Enforcement Cooperation Program or LECP, which is successfully delivering mutually beneficial law enforcement outcomes and capacity building projects throughout our region.
At the strategic level, it gives us the opportunity over time to build the foundation for consistent best practice approaches in training, structures, and application of technology by law enforcement in the region. This foundation will vastly improve interoperability of law enforcement and create a bulwark against future transnational crime and security threats.
The overwhelming success of the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands since last July, has highlighted the importance of a well-planned and coordinated response to regional security and capacity building.
The mission - involving members of the Australian Defence Force, the AFP, Australian Protective Service, and law enforcement personnel from around the region - is restoring law and order in the Solomons.
Key ex-militants have been arrested, police posts set up around the archipelago, and more than 3700 firearms and 300,000 rounds of ammunition removed from the community - far exceeding initial expectations.
It is a place where confidence and freedoms are being revived; where important building blocks are being put in place to kick-start the local economy and build a better quality of life.
The achievements in the Solomons come on the back of long-standing Australian peacekeeping operations in East Timor - Timor Leste - and Cyprus.
In Timor Leste the AFP, Australian Defence Force and State and Territory policing personnel, have played a crucial role in restoring and supporting security. We also assisted with reconstruction and redevelopment projects and remain among the 43 nations still involved in peacekeeping operations there. The recent decision by the UN Security Council means that we are set to remain in Timor Leste for at least the next 12 months.
It is worth considering what might have happened if we had not undertaken these regional interventions?
From an AFP perspective, regional assistance and peacekeeping operations of this magnitude, represent significant new business and look certain to remain a fixture in our core operations for the future.
The complexity and growth in transnational crime, diminishing capacity of some nation-states to solve crimes in isolation, and Australia's regional security ties, have all emphasised the importance of partnerships in the modern law enforcement environment.
From a policing perspective, partnerships and relationships at the national and international level are now among the most powerful weapons in our collective crime-fighting arsenal.
Today, we are party to 9 Memoranda of Understanding arrangements with law enforcement agencies overseas, including countries in South East Asia, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand.
These arrangements are providing a cooperative approach to combating terrorism and other forms of transnational crime such as illicit drug trafficking; people smuggling; trafficking in women and children; child sex tourism, money laundering; corruption, firearms trafficking; environment and economic crime; cyber crime and identity fraud.
These MoUs are underpinned by the AFP's extensive overseas network, which provides crucial support in investigations, capacity building and regional assistance. We currently have 64 AFP members located in 32 cities in 26 countries, with six new offices recently opened in Chiang Mai, Ho Chi Minh City, Pretoria, Belgrade, and Dubai.
The importance of the AFP International network to core business is demonstrated by its involvement in 86 per cent of our very high/high/medium impact investigations during the December quarter.
The Law Enforcement Cooperation Program, which I referred to earlier, is also assisting to strengthen the capability of overseas law enforcement agencies to gather information and evidence against a range of transnational crime targets by establishing Transnational Crime Teams in Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea. It is also involved in providing training for new generations to be regional police.
Furthermore, the LECP is delivering intensive police intelligence training and support to the Timor-Leste Police Service (PNTL) to build a credible and effective community policing organisation in the fledgling nation. This is in conjunction with our regular Management of Serious Crime training.
At the national level, we are continuing to foster close working relationships with government, intelligence and law enforcement communities; and between federal, State and Territory policing agencies, as part of a whole-of-government response to the security environment.
This is helping to improve information flows, promote more efficient use of resources and a seamless response to combating crime on - and before it reaches - our shores.
An excellent example of collaboration that has boosted our crime fighting capacity in the current environment, is the formation of the Joint Counter Terrorism Investigation Teams.
We now have 11 teams located in Australia, with agreements signed by all State and Territory police services. The teams pool resources to investigate suspect terrorist activity and to prosecute those found to be involved in or supporting terrorist activity both within Australia and abroad. Where appropriate, they utilise intelligence from a range of sources and conduct investigations in partnership with other agencies including ASIO and AUSTRAC.
The teams are currently involved in a number of investigations within Australia, which have a strong prevention focus.
Today they will begin their first national test as part of a multi-jurisdictional exercise - Mercury 04.
Mercury 04 will test counter-terrorism arrangements in four jurisdictions - the Northern Territory, Tasmania, South Australia and Victoria - as well as Australian Government agencies.
A range of terrorism scenarios will be employed, testing new chemical, biological and radiological (CBR) equipment and critical infrastructure protection.
The establishment of the Australian High Tech Crime Centre last July, is another important new partnership arrangement - involving the public and private sectors.
The Centre - hosted by the AFP - is tackling new and emerging crime types, conducting investigations into areas such as fraudulent banking web sites, online child pornography, hacking, denial of computer-based service activities and threats to national IT infrastructure.
Up to 20 agencies are involved in the Centre including the AFP, State and Territory police, the Australian Crime Commission, Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Australian Customs Service, the Defence Signals Directorate and the Australian Institute of Criminology.
We are also in very active discussions with the banking and finance sector and with a number of IT security hardware and software companies. The majority of the Centre's investigations are conducted in cooperation with national and international law enforcement agencies.
Among the key lessons learnt from our experience with partnerships in recent times, has been the importance of developing mutual trust and understanding and not imposing our will or vision.
Transnational partnerships require a sound understanding of different cultures and pressures in societies outside Australia, as well as regular contact and dialogue.
To this end, last week the 33rd Police Commissioners' Conference was held in Sydney and attended by a number of Commissioners from throughout the South-West Pacific and South East Asia. Delegates from Fiji, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Solomon Islands and Thailand joined counterparts representing all Australian police agencies at Federal, State and Territory levels.
The conference theme was "Terrorism and National Security" and we discussed a range of issues to further enhance regional arrangements for information exchange; intelligence and investigative methodologies; as well as complementary Commonwealth, State and Territory legislation, to further strengthen counter-terrorist responses.
I spoke earlier about the growing problem with identity crime, and one of the key conference outcomes was setting a national priority to develop best-practice protocols for combating fraud and identity crime following a terrorist incident or national disaster.
The Commissioners' Conference followed the success of the South Pacific Police Chiefs Forum held in Brisbane last November. Chiefs of Police from 21 South Pacific areas attended the forum under the theme: "Terrorism - The Wider Law Enforcement Context".
Together we formulated a Strategic Plan for the region until 2007. The Plan set a framework for better targeting organised transnational crime, and ensuring that South Pacific nations do not become transit points or safe havens for criminal activity.
In addition, the forum endorsed a strategy to combat the trafficking of Amphetamine Type Stimulants in the region - a crime that is having major social and law and order implications.
So what sort of challenges are we likely to confront in the region over the next 12 months, and in years to come?
Future challenges
One thing is for sure, many challenges lie ahead in the region.
A lot depends on what happens in the broader, global community in relation to social, political and economic developments.
However, it is clear that terrorism will continue to be a dominant focus for all of us. Terrorist groups will continue to evolve new methods and threaten us in new ways.
It is for this reason that when bombings occur in places like Riyadh and Madrid, that the AFP stands ready to deploy in an effort to assist, learn and build capacity in our own backyard.
Conflicts driven by religious, ethnic, economic and political disputes are also likely to continue to occur in the South Pacific and South East Asia.
And the impacts of globalisation will continue to play an important role in shaping our environment. Terrorism and other forms of transnational and local crime will be facilitated by rapid and largely unrestricted flows of information, capital, ideas, goods, services and people across borders.
Pressures on marginal economies are also likely to fuel instability; while changing trends in demographics, the environment and health, could also lead to substantial shifts in government priorities and resource allocations, with implications for law and order.
In the Asia Pacific alone, the urban population has doubled over the last 20 years and these trends are likely to continue.
Emerging crime types - such as identity theft, cyber crime, network invasions and system viruses - can also be expected to escalate, increasing the potential impact on business confidence.
Conclusion
As I've outlined, achieving regional security in the 21st century is a complex and demanding task.
As a nation we are facing new challenges in relation to protecting our own security, but we are also facing added responsibilities to assist those in the region who may be more vulnerable than us.
The security strategy we are pursuing allows us to address all these challenges on a number of levels. And through the adoption of increasingly innovative and collaborative responses our capacity to respond has been significantly enhanced to deal with what lies ahead.
One of the great strengths we can all draw from this process is that - regardless of the industries we represent - we are all striving for the same goals.
The power of a united front will ensure that future generations read about terrorism in their history books, rather than in their daily newspapers.
I'd like to leave you now with some images of our regional partnerships at work.
Thank you.
Footnotes:
1. UPI report on Address to the National Press Club 30 September 2003