On December 1, 2002 Australia’s Prime Minister John Howard said that he is prepared to act against any terrorists in neighboring Asian countries and that the international law and the U.N. Charter should be changed to empower nations to strike in defense against terrorists who plan to attack them. Today Australia has one of the most powerful militaries in its region, which include a modified air force and phenomenal Special Forces. The main reason for Howard’s comments come as Australians wait nervously and watch how Southeast Asian countries to its north deal with Islamic militants in the wake of the October 12th bombings on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali. The devastating attack left almost 200 people dead and close to half of them Australian tourists.

The people that have been blamed for the terrorist attacks are none other than the al Qaeda group led by Jemaah Islamiyah. Dozens of members of the al Qaeda group have been arrested and jailed but many more are still believed to be operational. Since the attacks the Australian government has increased security measures at their embassies overseas and have warned the people of Australia that the ter

rorists may even attack Australia. Prime Minister Howard was quoted by Channel Nine news on Monday about why he feels empowered nations should strike back against terrorists who plan to attack them “It stands to reason that if you believe that somebody was going to launch an attack on your country, either of a conventional kind or a terrorist kind, and you had a capacity to stop it and there was no alternative other that to use that capacity, then of course you would have to use it.”(CNN News pg2).

Howard’s comments this week brought about an immediate reaction in Jakarta. Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman Marti Natalegawa said Australia did not have the right to launch military strikes in other countries. Australia and the United States have been allies for a long time and Australia has proven its military capabilities. For instance in 1999, Australia sent thousands of troops into East Timor as peacekeepers when Indonesia’s army and its militia proxies killed hundreds of people after the territory voted in a U.N. sponsored referendum for independence. It also deployed special forces to Afghanistan last year to help U.S. troops root out Taliban and al Qaida odds and ends. Howard says that the U.N. Charter should be changed to allow member countries to defend themselves if terrorists strike. He later says “All I’m saying, I think many people are saying, is that maybe the body of international law has to catch up with the new reality.” (CNN News pg2).

Asian countries should not be so upset with Howard he hasn’t sent troops to any neighboring countries and he hasn’t done any damage to any country and no innocent people have been killed. Howard is just trying to protect his fellow Australi

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