Overnight bombings in Istanbul Kevin Rudd - Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs

Doorstop Interview

Transcript - Queensland Parliament House - 21 November 2003

Rudd: The Federal Opposition condemns unreservedly this barbarous terrorist attack in Istanbul. This is callous, it is barbarous, it has targeted civilians both foreign nationals and Turkish. We send our condolences to all the families of those affected. In particular, I would express our condolences to the family of Roger Short, the British Consul-General, who appears tragically to have lost his life in this horrendous terrorist attack.

This attack is a stark reminder of the central importance of eliminating Al-Qaeda root and branch from the face of the Earth. Al-Qaeda is an organisation which is determined to launch terrorist attacks against civilian targets around the world.

The lesson from this attack, as with the lesson from Bali, and the lesson from September 11, is that al-Qaeda and its affiliated organisations must form the absolute focus of our campaign against terrorists worldwide.

We cannot relinquish this campaign. We cannot form that view that somehow this campaign has become less important. Al-Qaeda remains front and centre a fundamental threat to security across the world.

The other thing that I would say about this attack is that because of its targeting of British sites in Turkey, and because of its particular targeting of the British Consulate-General in Istanbul, I think the time has come for Australia to review afresh and comprehensively the protective security for all diplomatic and consulate posts around the world.

I think that it is important that this is done. I know very well that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, having worked there myself in the past, would be conducting rolling reviews of their security arrangements around the world. But given the enormity of this blast in Istanbul, and given the fact that the British Consulate-General has been targeted directly, I think it is now time for Australia to formally afresh and comprehensively review protective security for all of our diplomatic establishments abroad.

Reporter: Do you think that now would also be the time to review our home security?

Rudd: Certainly this is a national security matter for the entire nation - whether we are talking about our diplomatic establishments overseas or whether we are talking about our security at home. You see, with these sorts of matters we cannot afford to take this threat lightly. Whether it refers to security of our diplomatic establishments around the world, or security at home, we believe that we can spare no effort in terms of enhancing the security of Australians in our country and the security of our airports, the security of our visa arrangements, as well as the security of our diplomatic and consular premises around the world.

Reporter: I think that it would be fair to say that the Coalition of the Willing has never taken these kinds of threats lightly in the past, so how do you think that this will affect the effectiveness of the war on terrorism so far?

Rudd: This has been a significant attack in Istanbul. Significant because of its size; significant because of the number of casualties involved; and significant also because of the deliberate targeting of British installations - both commercial and diplomatic.

I think it is therefore important to look at this with fresh eyes and to realise that we once again have to tighten our security precautions, and the protective security for our 80 or 90 Australian diplomatic and consular offices around the world.

Reporter: Inaudible.

Rudd: I don't believe that we can ever say that terrorism has defeated us. I believe that when attacks like this occur, we must put our shoulder to the wheel yet again and heighten our protective security arrangements both at home and abroad. When it comes to our diplomatic establishments aboard, which I believe are particularly vulnerable from these sorts of attacks, it is important that we ensure that maximum protective security arrangements have been put in place.

I say again that I am confident that the Department of Foreign Affairs, being a professional organisation, has these matters on a continuing daily basis well in hand. But given the intensity of the attack and the magnitude of this attack and the fact that the British Consulate-General has been in particular targeted in Istanbul, the time has come to look afresh at a comprehensive review at the adequacy of our protective security arrangements around the world.

Ends. E & OE - PROOF ONLY