MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australia will not give in to threats of attack made by a group claiming to be the European wing of al Qaeda, but is taking the warning seriously, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says.A statement posted on a Web site by the Islamic Tawhid Group threatened Italy and Australia with attacks with "columns of rigged cars" if they did not withdraw their troops from Iraq.
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On Wednesday, the previous unheard-of group threatened Bulgaria and Poland with attacks if they did not leave Iraq.
"Australian people, if your government refuses to withdraw and respond to us, we will shake the ground beneath your feet as we did in Indonesia and columns of rigged cars will not stop," the group said in its latest threat.
"Follow the path of the Philippines and Spain. It is the correct path which guarantees you a safe and secure life."
Downer said the Spanish troop withdrawal and the Philippines decision to pull out troops to save the life of a Filipino hostage had encouraged terrorists to continue threats.
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Howard is adamant that Australia's 850 troops in and around Iraq will stay as long as necessary. A poll has shown two-thirds of Australians support his stand.
The Labor opposition has pledged to bring troops home by Christmas if it wins the next election, tipped for later this year.
Responding to demands by a recently surfaced terrorist group in Iraq that has threatened to turn Australia and Italy into "pools of blood" unless troops are withdrawn, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says Australia won't have its hand forced by threats.The Tawhid Islamic Group, which claims to be an al-Qaeda European branch, posted the threat online.
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"We call upon you to leave Iraq before your country turns to pools of blood," the most recent statement said.
"We will shake the earth under your feet as we did in Indonesia, and lines of car bombs will not cease, God willing," the statement said.
Mr Downer said the threats were the direct result of the success last week of terrorist threats that saw the Philippines government withdraw its troops after a terrorist group threatened to execute a truck driver.
The government of Spain, which bowed to terrorists when it withdrew its troops after the Madrid train bombings catapulted a leftist government into power, had also encouraged terrorists, he said.
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Article comments
1 - Jim Carruthers
So instead governments should behave more like the USA, UK and Saudi Arabia?
The USA released captured Saudi prisoners in exchange for UK and Belgian hostages, which the Saudis threatened to behead. One of the hostages, William Sampson was tortured for two years by the Saudis.
Or should we just run around waving our hands and yelling, "we're all gonna die!"
What is escalating the climate of fear in aid of?
And I would correct your slur of Spain, I assume you are referring to the Madrid bombings, which the former President of Spain blamed on ETA (Basque separatists). And the Spanish people booted the lying sack of shit out of office. And then the police arrested and are bringing to trial the perpetrators of the crime. Which is what democracies are supposed to do.