http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200605/s1630620.htm <http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200605/s1630620.htm>
Terrorism warning for hotels, restaurants The head of the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) has warned of the potential for terrorist attacks against Australian hotels and restaurants. ASIO director-general Paul O'Sullivan has told a food industry conference on safety and security, that tactics used in bombings at crowded venues overseas could be applied to food service venues in Australia. Mr O'Sullivan cites last year's second Bali bombing as an example of what could happen, and says any attack could be done to significant effect. "Or, one might hypothesise that crude contamination of foods might represent one of the simplest means to conduct an attack - and even a limited attack would likely cause considerable community anxiety," he said. He says from a security perspective the food sector is vulnerable on a number of fronts. "The most characteristic aspect of this sector, to my mind, is the extent of the interdependencies and the diversity of processes that are required to deliver food to the final consumer," he said. "It is perhaps also important to note that, in contrast to other critical infrastructure sectors such as electricity or communications, it is not the physical infrastructure of the food sector that is important. The food itself must be safe. "Even when the core business processes operate 'to spec', they remain subject to the influence and, at times, devastating impact of natural disasters, pests and disease, or malicious acts." Extortion attempts He cites previous criminal acts involving food such as the Mars and Snickers extortion attempt last year, and a similar attempt on Arnott's biscuits. "These events can have a wider impact on the community and, in extreme cases, have the potential to undermine the community's confidence in the safety and integrity of the food supply," he said. "It would not be surprising, therefore, if such an impact might hold appeal for a potential terrorist." He says such attacks would be simple to conduct yet cause considerable community anxiety. Mr O'Sullivan has called on the food sector to take precautions and work with governments to develop risk management plans. "Taking sensible precautions against such possibilities involves Government and business working together to factor all hazards into the development of policy and risk management plans, particularly in connection with protecting Australia's critical infrastructure," he said. "It is through this partnership that policy and practice remain properly aligned, relevant and effective." Threat constant He says that recent arrests in connection with suspected terrorist activity should not lead the Australian public to believe that the terrorism threat is abating. "The challenge for governments, agencies, businesses and communities is to ensure our understanding of the threat remains realistic and appropriate and that we shape our response to the threat in ways that are in proportion to the actual risks," he said. Attorney-General Philip Ruddock concedes the sector is vulnerable but says Australia's threat level remains at medium. "That means we have no specific intelligence of specific threats that are planned," Mr Ruddock said. The Minister this week launched a strategy to protect the food sector from terrorist attack but will not be making it public. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> You can search right from your browser? It¿s easy and it¿s free. See how. http://us.click.yahoo.com/_7bhrC/NGxNAA/yQLSAA/TySplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? 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