Australia bans four more militant

Canberra (Reuters): Australia added four more Islamic groups to its list of banped "terrorist" organizations on Thursday and said that anyone linked to the groups and living in Australia would be targeted by police and security forces.

Australia said the four groups, based in the Philippines, Pakistan and Algeria, were linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network which has been blamed for the Sept. II, 2001, attacks on the United States and a series of bombings in recent years.

"The effect immediately is that anybody associated with these organizations and doing anything on behalf of any of them will be committing serious offenses," Attorney-General Daryl Williams told reporters on Thursday.

The groups are the Philippine-based Abu Sayyaf, Pakistan-based Harakat ul-Mujahidin, Algeria-based Armed Islamic Group and its splinter group the Salafist Group for Call and Combat.

The banning of the Southeast Asian group Jamaah Islamiyah by Australia earlier in October sparked a series of raids on Muslim homes by Australian police and intelligence agencies, who used sledgehammers to burst in and question residents.

Williams declined to say whether the listing of the four new groups would spark similar raids, but said authorities believed terrorist sympathizers were present in Australia.

"(The banning of the groups) means the Australian intelligence and law enforcement authorities will be watching closely anybody who appears to be associated with such an organization," Williams said.

"There are sympathizers of overseas terrorist organizations within Australia."

Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand criticized the Australian raids on Muslims, which came just weeks after bombings on the Indonesian resort island of Bali killed more than 180 tourists, including about 90 Australians, calling them heavy-handed.

Under Australia's beefed-up counter-terrorism laws, it is an offense to belong to, direct, recruit for, train with or provide training for, and receive funds from or make funds available to a terrorist organization, whether in Australia or abroad.

Parliament also passed a law to allow murderers of Australians overseas to be tried in Australia, giving authorities the power to prosecute those responsible for attacks on Australians on foreign soil such as the Bali bombings.

The legislation has been backdated to Oct. I so it could be used, if necessary, to prosecute anyone involved in the Oct. 12 Bali blasts.

Meanwhile, the Australian Federal Police also said on Thursday it had reached agreements with law enforcement agencies in Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore to share information and jointly investigate criminal activities.

Police Commissioner Mick Keelty said the deals broadened existing cooperation on trans-national crimes like drug trafficking and people smuggling.

"There is a tremendous amount of goodwill and commitment among the international law enforcement community in the region toward combating terrorism," he said.