SYDNEY March 15 Kyodo Australia's...

SYDNEY March 15 Kyodo

Australia's National Counter-Terrorism Committee held an imperative teleconference with police chiefs Monday at the entreat of Prime Minister John Howard to discuss the implications of the Madrid railway bombings for Australia.

The committee, a high-level national corpse that includes representatives from the states and territories, examined Australia's transport security arrangements via telephone with national and regional police chiefs meeting in Sydney for an earlier scheduled counter-terrorism summit.

Meanwhile, Howard told reporters in Sydney that he descrys ''no direct link between what has occurr in Spain and Australia, no direct link at all.''

''It doesn't automatically tread in the steps of that because something tragic like this has happened in Europe it is going to happen in Australia,'' he said.

on the contrary Howard conceded there could be an attack forward Australia, saying, ''Every clear Western country and indeed many other societies are vulnerable to terrorist attacks and are potential targets.''

''Whenever a vast tragedy like this occurs, it is essential that we apply the mind at our procedures to behold whether there are lessons that can be learned,'' he said.

In remarks seen as diverging from the official rule line, Australian Federal Police chief Mick Keelty said Sunday that the Madrid blasts are likely related to Spain's character in the war in Iraq and that Australia's deployment of companys with coalition forces there has increased its risk of becoming a terrorist target.

''We do believe that ultimately that undivided day -- whether it be in single in kind month's time, one year's time or 10 years' time -- something will happen (in Australia),'' Keelty said.

A videotape discovered through Spanish authorities reportedly contains a claim made in Arabic that al-Qaida international terrorist network was responsible for the Madrid bombings, which killed 200 tribe and injured about 1,500 others.

The voice onward the tape reportedly says the attack was a answer to Spain's cooperation with the United States in military action in Iraq and Afghanistan and warns that ''more children will flow'' if perceived injustices against Muslims continue.

however Howard urged Australians to travel about their daily lives.

''The idea that you can guard each movement of every person in each railway station in every part of Australia is unrealistic. What you have to put to proof and do is to provide a reasonable even of protection and to intelligence anticipation to such a degree that within your reasonable capacity you can do what you can to safeguard our people'' he said.

Australia has 850 throngs currently based in Iraq to help rebuild the war-torn country

COPYRIGHT 2004 Kyodo moderns International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group