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Us More Perilous Than Iraq, Say Australians Guess its all in the perspective.

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Posted 21 December 2003 - 12:52 AM

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/12/...1868697029.html

US more perilous than Iraq, say Australians
By Paul Heinrichs
December 21, 2003


More Australians are worried about the safety of travelling to US than going to war-torn Iraq, according to research.

Australians and New Zealanders appear to have become wary about the United States and Indonesia in the wake of the terrorist attacks.

According to recent Roy Morgan Research findings, 28 per cent of Australians and New Zealanders would like to visit the United States but half of them will not do so because they consider it unsafe.

Among Australians, 13 per cent of respondents said they considered the US to be unsafe, compared with 10 per cent who were wary of Iraq, while 11 per cent also thought Indonesia was not safe enough for travel.

The polling, taken from large samples in Australia, New Zealand, the US and Britain, showed virtually identical responses in Australia and New Zealand on questions touching attitudes to the United States.

The US does not figure on either of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs' lists warning against all travel or all non-essential travel. However, the advice tells Australians in the US to "be alert to their own security". It points out that the US Homeland Security Advisory System Threat Level has been at yellow since May 30 this year.


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The US Department of Homeland Security's website explains that yellow, the mid-point of a five-tier system of alerts, represents a "significant risk of terrorist attacks".

According to latest news reports, US authorities are concerned about the volume of terrorist threats to US interests at home and overseas, especially over the holiday period.

But counter-terrorism officials dismissed a report that there was credible information pointing to a possible, imminent strike against New York city.

Australian and New Zealanders' reluctance to travel to the US may also reflect anti-American feeling.This was reflected in answers to questions about which countries people would not visit because of their political beliefs (7 per cent said the US). Eight per cent of Australians surveyed also believed there was too much corruption in the US.

Indonesia, including Bali, is on the Australian Foreign Affairs list of places to which Australians should defer non-essential travel.

The department advises: "The 5 August attack at the JW Marriott Hotel in central Jakarta is a reminder that terrorist groups are active in Indonesia and that attacks could occur at any time.

"We continue to receive reports that further attacks are being planned against a variety of targets, including embassies, international schools, international hotels, churches, shopping centres, transport hubs or identifiably western interests, including businesses.

"Security at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta remains at a high level as a precautionary measure.

"Australians who remain in Indonesia should continue to exercise extreme caution throughout the country, especially in commercial and public places frequented by foreigners including - but not limited to - clubs, restaurants (including international fast food outlets), bars, places of worship, hotels, schools, shops, shopping centres, housing compounds, outdoor recreation events and tourist areas.

"The recommendation that Australians defer non-essential travel applies to Indonesia as a whole."

The department warns against all travel to Afghanistan, Burundi, Iraq, Liberia, Pakistan and Somalia, and against all non-essential travel to Algeria, Central African Republic, Colombia, Ethiopia, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkey and Yemen.

Despite such fears, the US was among the countries survey that Australians most wanted to visit. The most popular choices were Britain (29 per cent), US (28 per cent) and Canada (18 per cent), followed by Europe and New Zealand.


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