With the 'inevitable' catastrophic terrorist attack on Australian soil still on the horizon (just unclear whose horizon), and with Johnny Howard's 'tin hat' being used as a 'Bonzai tree pot' on his desk AND his body armour (with the 'this way forward' label on the back) back on the rack with those little 'essence of forest' smellies attached for that crisp refreshing fragrance when next time they pull the 'war toy chest' out, one has to wonder...

Are we REALLY GOOD at defeating terrorists or WHAT?

No terrorist attacks on Aussie soil thus far (touch wood, and excluding the IR reforms....and lots of other stuff the government has been up to since smokey haze of "the terrorist threat" was released from its canister).

So, are we bored of this "terrorist threat" thing yet or what?

Is it STILL inevitable, or should we maybe start thinking about shovling some funds back into the water crisis, health care, schools and taking that 4000 bucks away from the kids having kids scheme and giving young working families with a mortgage some financial relief in the way of subsidies for child care or tax breaks?.

While I am far from a Friend of this government I just can not believe the poster thinks like this.
In fact such thoughts are on their own a threat to Australia.
We have stopped a few threats but can never stop them all.
Against us are religious hatred and bigotry, and a refusal to except this country's culture.
Yes only from minority's but how can you tell we are safe?
It is true that truth has little value for some from the area that threatens us and lies are used without shame.
Such lies should shame those who use them.
Any government must keep ahead of such hate and not let those who refuse to see the truth stop us watching.
I hope if that dreadful day comes and lives are lost the poster will find that we should be accountable for what we say.

Ahhh the big unquestionable, unconditional green light from Belly.

Didn't we ALREADY have ASIO before Johnny Howard turned up the luminosity on the big bulls eye above Australia?. What were they doing before Johnny donned his tin hat (before it became a Bonsai pot) and "joined forces" with that Texan gunslinger with the itchy trigger finger and the irresistible urge to "make daddy proud"?.

Yes, I do believe there is some sort of threat of "incident of terror" from the 'hordes' of angry Muslims marching their way across the globe, but you've got to think that you can do only what you can do. If someone really wants to attack Australia with the use of guerilla warfare then it's very well known that nothing can really be done about it...apart from clean it up.

Who is REALLY being foiled in these raids on "terror cells"?, and who is REALLY a member?...international recruiting?, or home recruiting?.

Dear Stg, your last post had more sense in it than the first, but I feel you have missed some important developments in the anti terror laws which are key to a more robust response to such incidents.

Do I agree that the general momentum of this topic is being milked of every ounce of political benefit for the incumbents ? Yes, I do, just as I would agree that any Labor or other government has done, is doing and will continue to do over any issue where they see potential political benefit.

The same ramping up and hyping of the Terrorism issue by the Coalition, is only matched by the pooh poohing of the left and for the same reasons, "Political benefit".

I honestly think you would have more impact on your readers if you didn't "sound" like you had just emerged from a "Leftist factional strategy meeting where 'how can we bring down Howard' was the main topic of disussion"

When things are so overstated, they sound like rank propoganda, and we recoil from that.

We must not forget, that those arrested in Sydney and Melbourne, were allegedly (and I've been to the committal hearing and viewed some evidence first hand of the Melbourne crew) planning some high impact activities which could have wrought havoc hithertoo unknown in Melb (or Sydney)

What worries me, is that this evidence (of which there is a large amount) is being apprently ignored by such as yourself, for the bigger goal of simply 'damaging Howard' by proxy.

Damage Howard all you like, but don't do it at the expense of our safety. Do it on totally legitimate issues and the economy etc.
Don't mess with the one alliance we have, by which we would be saved from an otherwise ignominous and unimaginably awful fate.

ME?, attempting bring Howard down?...he's doing a fine job of that himself (think Icarus, and his wings being the job security of millions), and that reality has nothing to do with terrorism (well, government borne terrorism perhaps).

Acts of terror come in all shapes and forms. The "big bang theory" (re: the use of explosives for the purpose of most effective terror and spectacular statements) is purposefully proposed as the very real threat we face as a nation and we must stand and spy on each other and give the power to the government for the good of ourselves (we can trust them, can't we?).

We don't have a stomach for bodies on our streets (rightfully so), but we are responsible for bodies of other nationalities on their own streets and the bodies of our "allies" in the streets of foreign nations but we are VERY comfortable with that...because it's righteous, isn't it?...I mean, they came after us first, didn't they?.

Question their motives?...Belly stated that suggesting such things is tantamount to an act of terror in itself!! *GASP* is Belly suggesting I'm...I'm...UN-Australian?

I understand that with sites such as this if you don't support an issue, it is the same as being against the issue...

"If you don't support us, you are against us"

That very real sentiment (QED) is what really scares me about this issue...but by asking these questions, I HAVE to have an agenda, don't I?, I can't just be concerned.

I am from left of center and very proud of it! just as proud of the fact I find home in the right of my movement.
No hiding under a blanket for me the left of the left are as much my enemy as Howard's mob.
Content that they always number among the very few they constantly get stuck into my mob.
Just after the vote they never win they chant shame and drift of into a phone box to hold the annual general meeting.
A government who will not take the threat seriously should and will never be elected in this country.
The greatest fun can be had considering the very left think any enemy of the right is a friend of theirs.
Here our enemy if ever left alone would kill them as quick as anyone.
The freedom to post here would not exist if we lost this war we must win.
How could I understand the very left? I was as a child one of them, the dream was in truth a nightmare.
Only the ALP can change this country in the way needed and in government must spend what ever it takes to keep us safe from an enemy far worse than Nazi,s ever .

An unlimited credit card for preventing the "inevitable" when the rural fire brigade, the SES, the volunteer fire brigade etc etc have to fund raise to save "your" life is oxymoronic in the extreme.