Sydney: The police in Australia arrested 16 terror suspects, including a prominent radical Muslim cleric, in the early hours of Tuesday morning and said that they had foiled a major terror attack.
A suspect, who had been under surveillance was shot and wounded by the police involved in the raids.
"I am satisfied that we have disrupted what I would regard as the final stages of a large-scale terrorist attack or the launch of a terrorist attack in Australia," New South Wales Police Commissioner Ken Moroney said.
A lawyer for eight of the men said one among those arrested is a leading Algerian-Australian cleric. The cleric said that while he belived the killing of innocents was wrong, he would be violating his faith if he warned his students against joining the jihad, or holy war, in Iraq.
The swoop came just days after the government passed an urgent amendment to anti-terrorism laws making it easier for police to prosecute suspects believed to be involved in the early stages of planning attacks.
That prompted speculation that the police would move against suspects in Sydney and Melbourne who had reportedly carried out surveillance of targets such as the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, and rail stations and the stock exchange in Melbourne.
Prime Minister John Howard said, in a nationally televised news conference about the amendment to the legislation, that he had received credible information a terrorist attack was being planned but refused to provide further details.
When arrests did not follow immediately, Opposition parties accused the government of playing politics with national security and trying to scare Australians.
But Howard on Monday night rejected these claims, saying he had announced the changes to anti-terror laws because they were in the national interest.
On Sunday, Defence Minister Robert Hill said new laws allowing armed soldiers to patrol Australian streets in the wake of a terrorist attack would be passed in time for next year's Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
Hill said Australia's Constitution meant it was difficult to deploy the Australian Defence Force (ADF) on home soil to support police if a terrorist attack occurred.
He said legislation addressing the problem would be introduced to Parliament before Christmas and should be in force in time for next March's Commonwealth Games.
"The idea is if there is an event that is beyond the capability of the civil authority, the police, to handle, and a serious terrorist incident might fall within that category, we want to be able to use the ADF flexibly and effectively to protect the lives of Australian people," Hill said.
Hill said the change in the laws was not prompted by any specific threat regarding the Commonwealth Games.
Australia will station 1,200 troops in Melbourne for the Games, the largest security operation ever held in the country's second largest city.
A military tactical assault group supported by Black Hawk helicopters as well as chemical, biological and radiological response teams will form part of the security contingent.
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