‘No evidence’ of threat to Australia months ahead of Bali bombings

The nation’s intelligence community believed there was “no evidence” Australian interests were being targeted by international terrorist organisations just months before the largest loss of Australian lives in a single terror attack in the Bali bombings.

Previously confidential documents released on Sunday by the National Archives also reveal the Howard government in 2002 was “not inclined” to commit significant numbers of personnel to a long-term presence in Afghanistan as the attention of America and its allies turned towards Iraq.

The 2002 cabinet papers reveal the depth of terror-related issues faced by John Howard and his government following the previous year’s September 11 attacks on the United States. They stretched from special anti-terrorism laws to counter-terrorism arrangements with countries such as Indonesia.

Issues would come to a head after the attack in Bali on the evening of October 12, 2002, when three bombs were detonated across the popular tourist centre. The explosions killed 202 people, including 88 Australians, while hundreds more were wounded.

Carried out by terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah, it remains the largest loss of Australian life in a terrorist attack.

Then Australian prime minister John Howard and then-prince Charles pray at Southwark Cathedral for the Bali bombing victims in February 2003.Credit: Reuters

In February 2002, the cabinet’s national security committee noted it had received a briefing from the head of ASIO who said there “remained at this stage no evidence of any targeting of Australian interests by international terrorist networks”.

The same meeting had also received a briefing from the director-general of the Office of National Assessments about the situation in Afghanistan where an alliance of forces, including Australia, had secured the capital Kabul.

The committee was told that with a large number of missing Taliban and al-Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan, it would take at least six more months for the US military operation to “uproot them”.

The International Security Assistance Force, which Australia had contributed towards in the early stages of the war in Afghanistan, had made clear it believed a much larger force would be needed to secure the country from Taliban and al-Qaeda-supported forces.

But the government made clear it believed Australia’s contribution would be modest and only for a short period of time.

“Any request for an Australian contribution to the ISAF would be considered but ... the government was not inclined to commit significant Australian Defence Force assets or personnel to any medium-term or long-term stabilisation or peacekeeping force in Afghanistan,” it said.

Instead, Australia’s attention would soon turn to the invasion of Iraq that would be agreed upon by the Howard government in early 2003. Attention would not return to the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan until 2005 when an Australian special forces task group was sent into the country.

Australian combat forces finally left Afghanistan in 2014 while a small contingent of defence and diplomatic staff departed the country in 2021.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.