Australian PM investigates Ashes terrorist report
Australian premier John Howard was not informed of any Ashes terror plot
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Monday, 09, Oct 2006 12:54
John Howard has today ordered an investigation into a media report claiming al-Qaida planned to target an Ashes Test match last year, a claim which has caused renewed safety concerns with the start to this year's series down under just a matter of weeks away.
The Australian prime minister admitted he had not been informed that officers reportedly uncovered a terrorist plot to spray the Australian and English cricket teams' dressing rooms with deadly sarin gas before the second Test at Edgbaston on August 4th 2005.
Speaking this morning, Mr Howard said: "We are investigating. Our people are talking to their British colleagues and if there is any further information then it will be brought to light."
The revelation, revealed in the Sunday Times, was made by an alleged family friend of Hasib Hussain, the 18-year-old suicide bomber who killed 13 people in London's Tavistock Square as part of the July 7th attacks.
While the report has not been commented on by police, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and its Australian counterpart, Cricket Australia (CA), have both indicated they were not made aware of the threat.
CA chief executive officer James Sutherland has attempted to allay any fears by insisting the safety of the two teams is always paramount.
He added that thorough security plans, conducted with the Metropolitan police, were put in place to counter any such attack and will be again for this coming series.
"The tragic terrorism attacks in the UK last year were a cause of great concern for us, our players and for the team management group travelling with the players during at that time," he said.
"Our long-standing approach is based on a fundamental principle that safety and security of players and team management is our priority. We.take expert security advice from a range of security agencies and specialists before we make decisions about whether tours should go ahead or not.
"At no stage then or since was there any specific issue relating to the Australian or England teams raised with us. We took detailed advice and acted on that advice."
Speaking from New Delhi where his team are currently preparing for the ICC Champions Trophy, Australia captain Ricky Ponting said the players have total faith in the security measures in place.
"With regards to this report, we were very comfortable with the security arrangements that were in place during the recent Ashes tour and we continue to trust the security information provided to us," he said.