Australia launches anti-terror ad campaign

Australia’s government launched an advertising blitz today, telling its citizens to be on the alert for suspected terrorist activity after the prime minister warned Australia could be a target for terrorists.

The campaign will run for three weeks in the media and on posters in trains, buses and other public transport, Attorney General Philip Ruddock said in a statement.

“The terrible attack on the people of London last week was a sobering reminder of the need to guard against complacency,” Ruddock said. “Our police and security agencies are working hard, but an alert public can help them complete the picture.”

The advertisements will run in up to 33 languages and will advise the public to contact a designated National Security Hotline if they “see anything that might be a sign of terrorism being planned, or something that doesn’t quite add up,” the statement said.

While there was no specific intelligence about a terrorist attack being planned against Australia, Ruddock said people should be vigilant, but not alarmed.

Prime Minister John Howard yesterday urged the public to remain alert, saying Australians “shouldn’t complacently imagine that there aren’t potentially suicide bombers in this country.”

Ruddock backed the prime minister’s assertion today, saying a terrorist attack could occur on Australian soil.

“We have intelligence that shows Australia has been the subject of interest to terrorists,” Ruddock said today, citing a number of people who have been charged or convicted of various terrorism-related offences.