Therapy plan for terror suspects

A bit bizarre but treating Islamic terrorism as a mental illness has much to recommend it

TERROR suspects could be given taxpayer-funded counselling for being angry or having low self-esteem. Under the proposal, the Federal Government would provide psychological counselling and anger management support to terror suspects and those subject to control orders. But secrecy surrounds the initiative because the Australian Federal Police has refused to reveal the specifics of its proposal.

Scant details were released through a Federal Government question on notice. "Some of the options considered include religious education, psychological support and assistance with issues such as anger management, low self-esteem, social identity and family separation," the AFP said, responding to a question on voluntary education programs for terrorists. "The AFP continues to examine how education and counselling may be used within the context of control orders. "Programs developed overseas in countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia are also being examined as part of broader AFP considerations." The AFP refused to say how much the program would cost.

The Opposition has also demanded to know what research shows a link between terrorism and people with low self-esteem. The battle for answers started back in October when Opposition Justice Minister Senator Joe Ludwig asked about voluntary programs for terrorists. And during a Senate Estimates Committee on Wednesday, Senator Ludwig again demanded more details from the Government. "Labor was interested in whether there was a link between terrorism and these pathological and behavioural problems and we are looking forward to the AFP's response," Senator Ludwig said yesterday. "The other issue that Labor is interested in is whether or not these programs, which are constructed overseas, are appropriate for an Australian context."

It's understood counselling and education programs would not be forced upon alleged terrorists. In their answer provided last week, the AFP said it continued "to examine how education and counselling may be used with the context of control orders". "Any education and counselling which might be employed will need to be tailored to the individual circumstances of the person placed under the order." It said it would examine how education and counselling could be used within the context of control orders, which impose a range of restrictions and need the Attorney-General's approval

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Howard stands by Iraq policy

A defiant John Howard has refused to concede it was a mistake to invade Iraq as he battles political unrest over a war going from bad to worse. Speaking in Wellington, where Iraq has overshadowed annual talks with New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, the Prime Minister also defended his controversial attack on US presidential hopeful Barack Obama. "Do I have cause to withdraw or retract? No I don't," Mr Howard said yesterday.

Reflecting on his claim that al-Qaida would be praying for Senator Obama to be the next US president, the PM denied he had intruded upon internal US politics -- saying it wasn't as though he criticised the senator on, say, domestic housing policies for American cities. "I made an observation about a single view expressed by an aspirant for office in another country on an issue . . . which directly affects my own country," he said.

After a torrid week in which Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd has accused the Government's policies of keeping Australian troops in Iraq for decades, Mr Howard refused to concede that continuing deadly bloodshed in Iraq after four years indicated the decision to send Australian troops was wrong. "I do not resile in any way from the decision that Australia took," he said. "Like any other democratically elected politician, I am accountable for it before the bar of public opinion in my country. If you are asking me do I recant the original decision, no I do not."

He said the size of Australia's troop deployment was "about right" but he reserved the right to make modest variations from time to time. While Iraq surfaced only fleetingly in their official talks, the issue dominated the two leaders' subsequent media conference. New Zealand has joined Australia in the US-led military presence in Afghanistan but Ms Clark again refused to back Australia's involvement in Iraq, saying only that she respected the Howard Government's decision. "I respect Australia's decisions. I don't always agree with them," she said.

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Arrogant Greenies want it both ways

Even very flexible tax rules are not good enough for some of them

FIFTEEN environmental groups have been warned they could be stripped of their status as charities and be forced to pay taxes for engaging in political activity, amid claims the Howard Government wants to silence its critics. The warnings follow an Australian Taxation Office investigation into complaints that groups masquerading as charities are devoting their activities to campaigning against the Government. Documents obtained by The Weekend Australian under Freedom of Information laws also suggest right-wing church group the Exclusive Brethren is facing ATO scrutiny over political activities.

The Wilderness Society, which has clashed heavily with the Government over Tasmanian logging, said yesterday it had passed its most recent tax audit. But national strategic campaign director Virginia Young said her group had been the subject of a campaign by sections of the Government to remove its tax-deductible status. "It would be such an assault on civil society and democracy," Ms Young said.

In 2003, a tax office review established that groups wanting tax-deductible status were not banned from political activity provided their dominant purpose was charity.

The FOI documents show that last year, after complaints to a Senate estimates committee and in newspapers, the ATO cross-checked Australian Electoral Commission records on political donations with its register of tax-deductible organisations. It found 59 organisations were worthy of further investigation over possible breaches of their status as charities, which makes them exempt from income tax and eligible for fringe benefits and state tax concessions.

ATO deputy tax commissioner Mark Konza said he could not breach privacy by naming the organisations reviewed. But he said one group had lost its status as a charity because it was "only engaged in political activity". "It (the review) has resulted in another 15 organisations modifying their activity," he said. The review was a response to the Senate estimates committee hearing, not an attempt to target particular groups, he said.

Ms Young said the Wilderness Society had received no warning. "My feeling was that there was a campaign last year run by some sections of the Government and the Institute of Public Affairs to attempt to remove the Wilderness Society's tax-deductibility," she said. "But I can assure you we do not donate money to any political party. We try to get attention for environmental issues and our purpose is charitable because we are focused 100 per cent on environmental outcomes for Australia."

Liberal senator Brett Mason called for a review of charities. "I don't care whether they are political," he said. "But if they are, they should play by the same rules on tax as political parties."

Australian Conservation Foundation director Don Henry backed the claims of a campaign against green groups. But he said the ATO had established that environmental work was charitable and that lobbying governments was part of the charitable work. "The ACF was audited last year and we came out with a clean bill of health," he said.

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Pro-American Stand from Australian Left

LABOR frontbencher Peter Garrett today backed plans for a new US military communications base in Western Australia after being targeted over his silence on the issue yesterday. The Opposition spokesman for Climate Change, environment and the arts had refused to answer journalists' questions about the unmanned base, approved after three years of secret negotiations between the US and Australian Governments.

In his previous life as a rock star, Mr Garrett and his band Midnight Oil railed against US military might with songs such as US Forces, Hercules and When the Generals Talk. But today, Mr Garrett said Labor had not received a briefing on the proposal at the time he was questioned. "Subsequently, the defence spokesman (Joel Fitzgibbon) has made it clear that the Labor Party supports the joint facilities," he said. "I 100 per cent support the defence minister on that issue. "I want to make it perfectly clear that when I joined the Labor Party I accepted and understood what the policy was for Australian joint facilities ... and that is a policy I unreservedly accept."

The Government yesterday went on the offensive after Mr Garrett refused to endorse the new shared facility with the US proposed for Geraldton. Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Mr Garrett's silence betrayed his long-term opposition. "Let us be absolutely frank about this, (Mr Garrett) was always a supporter of the closure of American bases in Australia," Mr Downer told parliament. "There he was at Alice Springs in the 1980s with fellow travellers demanding that Pine Gap be closed - close all the joint facilities."

But Mr Garrett today said the Government was simply attempting political mischief by mocking him and was hoping to turn attention away from climate change. He said his position on the US military had changed from when he protested outside the Pine Gap base near Alice Springs in the 1980s. "Twenty-five and 30 years ago, like a lot of other Australians I was involved in actions and activities across this country," he said. "Of course you change your mind about some things over time. No one listening to this interview would expect otherwise."

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