CANBERRA, Australia, Sept. 27 (UPI) -- The premiers and chief ministers of Australia's states and territories have agreed to anti-terror laws that include house arrest for suspects.
The leaders met Monday with Prime Minister John Howard, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Howard called the anti-terror measures "unusual remedies for an unusual situation."
"In other circumstances I would never have sought these new powers," he said. "But we live in very dangerous and different and threatening circumstances."
The package includes house arrest for up to one year with no warning for suspected terrorists as young as 16 and preventive detention of up to 14 days. Suspects could also be forced to submit to electronic tagging and banned from traveling in certain areas or meeting certain people.
Howard was forced to agree to a 10-year sunset provision for the measures and a five-year judicial review.
Keysar Trad, an Islamic leader, said that the laws would drive another wedge between the Muslim community and the rest of Australia and possibly be used by militants to justify terrorism.
