Australia Gets 1st National Security Adviser

This news updete by www.zeenews.com



Canberra,: Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd appointed the country’s first US-style national security adviser on Thursday as part of a major revamp of counter-terrorism and national safety strategies.

But Rudd dropped previously announced plans to create a department of homeland security, saying that dragging several existing branches of government into one larger one would just add to red tape.

In his first national security statement, Rudd said terrorism, global warming and the global financial crisis were among a broad range of threats to Australia and outlined the government's general strategy for dealing with them.

"Terrorism is likely to endure as a serious ongoing threat for the foreseeable future,'' he told Parliament. "Extremism leading to violence or terrorism continues to pose a direct threat to Australia.''

Rudd said the government would release a major paper describing its counter-terrorism policy next year.

He appointed Duncan Lewis, a former commando and Vietnam War veteran who speaks Indonesian and commanded Australian peacekeeping troops in East Timor, as his first national security adviser.

While Australian leaders in the past have had advisers with responsibility for security matters, Rudd has broadened and elevated the position and given it a formal title.

Lewis will be responsible for making various arms of government involved in security more cohesive.

Rudd came to power in elections one year ago, ousting conservative leader John Howard who sent troops to join the US-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and was a close ally of President George W. Bush.

Rudd is committed to keeping Australia's forces in Afghanistan but has withdrawn combat troops from Iraq, and is a critic of Bush's decision to invade there.

Rudd said his strategies for responding to the security challenges included strengthening Australia's alliance with the United States as well as co-operation with regional partners Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.

He said he also wants to expand Australia's security relations with China and India.



News Via