"This is the problem with the Filipino decision, you see," he said.
"They've acceded to the demands of terrorists and within a day or so of the Filipinos doing that six more people were taken hostage in Iraq.
"We ask you to leave Iraq," the message said. "If not, we will turn your homeland into a bloodbath. ... We will shake the ground under your feet as we did in Indonesia, and the car bombs will not stop coming, God willing."Your fate will be like the Americans if you don't answer our demands. We will turn your day and night into hell.
"We can harm your interests in Islamic and Arab countries. Follow the path of the Philippines and Spain. This is the path that will give you security."
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer on Sunday said Canberra was taking the threat seriously, but would not be backing down.
"What it (the threat) does is, it reminds us we have to be absolutely determined in the face of the threats of terrorists to make sure we don't give in to those threats," Downer told Nine Network television.
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.
"It is very important we send a strong message that we will not be threatened by terrorist groups. Terrorist groups will not determine the policy of the Australian government or the Australian people," he said.
Spain pulled its 1,300 troops from Iraq last month. Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the deadly terror attacks on commuter trains in Madrid that killed 190 people and wounded 2,000 in March.
Spain and the Philippines have provided the terrorists with improved morale.
They (the terrorists) now believe, rightly, that they can take hostages and threaten murder, and will be rewarded for doing so.
Thanks Spain and the Philippines! You've done a bang-up job!
Anyway, Australia looks likely to be the next target of these brutal savages. I suspect either Melbourne or Sydney will soon find itself the victim of horrific civilian carnage.
PM Howard, however, will not bend nor break. And the Australian people are (hopefully) made of tougher stuff than those in Spain.
Give us your worst, terrorist scum. And we will respond with our best.
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.