FED: Defence powerless to stop terrorists viewing military bases
By Miles GodfreyWed Aug 5 00:28:09 EST 2009
Subject: [Fwd: FED: Defence powerless to stop terrorists viewing military name="FED: Defence powerless to stop terrorists viewing military bases.eml" filename*0="FED: Defence powerless to stop terrorists viewing military b"; Subject: FED: Defence powerless to stop terrorists viewing military bases FED: Defence powerless to stop terrorists viewing military bases
SYDNEY, Aug 4 AAP - Defence chiefs have admitted there is little they can do to stop terrorists viewing military bases such as the one allegedly targeted by four men arrested in Melbourne on Tuesday.
Police say they disrupted the "likely imminent" suicide mission at Holsworthy Army Barracks, the outer-Sydney military base that is home to a major anti-terrorist unit, after arresting the men during early morning raids.
The alleged mission is said to have been planned over a number of months and would have involved the four Australian men, of Somali and Lebanese descent, using semi-automatic weapons to gain entry to the base and shoot personnel, according to prosecutors.
It is not known if websites or other information sources were used to plan the alleged attack.
However, the Department of Defence has told AAP it can do nothing to stop people looking at military bases on websites such as Google Earth.
Holsworthy Barracks is clearly visible on Google Earth, including its perimeter fence and vehicles within the compound.
"Defence is aware that the internet has freely available imagery that covers some Defence establishments," a department spokesman said in a statement.
"There are limits to the ability of Defence to limit or control the content and use of foreign owned commercial imagery, such as Google Earth.
"Defence does address the potential security risk such commercial imagery poses by focusing on the threat environment and enhancing both physical security and access controls as appropriate."
Military bases in other countries, such as Area 51 in the USA and the Royal Navy submarine base in Faslane, Scotland, are similarly viewable on Google Earth.
British defence sources said they also cannot stop people viewing some of its military establishments.
It remains unclear whether security at Holsworthy was upgraded in the wake of NSW police becoming aware of the terror threat in March.
A Defence Department spokesman said on Tuesday it was aware of the alleged plot but security levels were not raised.
However, NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said he believed there was a "close association" between the alleged plot and an increase in security at Holsworthy in April.
Experts say the attack, if carried out, could have been the worst terrorist atrocity on Australian soil.
AAP mg/jnb/apm =0A
FED: Defence powerless to stop terrorists viewing military bases