NSW:Alleged attack on defence base was imminent:NSW police=2

AAP General News (Australia)
08-04-2009
NSW:Alleged attack on defence base was imminent:NSW police=2

Asked what timeframe was meant by imminent, Mr Scipione said it did not matter "whether
it was minutes or whether it was months" because the threat no longer remained.

The commissioner said he believed the increase in the security level at Holsworthy
and all other military bases in southwestern Sydney in April was also linked to this threat.

It had been reported at the time that the rise in security levels was due to a threat
posed by outlaw motorcycle gangs.

Mr Scipione insisted NSW residents should feel safe.

"This threat never sleeps, so we never sleep," he said.

"We know that we need to stand ready to deal with it.

"The community should feel safe. This is not the first time where we have interdicted
and stopped an attack, and it won't be the last unfortunately."

Assistant Commissioner Peter Dein said the information he had received indicated that
Holsworthy Barracks was the only planned target for the attack in NSW.

He said it was hard to estimate just how many people could have been killed if an attack
had taken place.

"The number is hard to estimate ... but this could have been a very catastrophic result,"

Mr Dein said.

AAP nr/evt/mmr/cdh

KEYWORD: TERROR VIC SCIPIONE 2 SYDNEY

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