The man is believed to be Adam Yahiye Gadahn, a U.S. citizen from California purported to be an al-Qaida member and wanted by the FBI.

"Yesterday, London and Madrid. Tomorrow, Los Angeles and Melbourne, Allah willing," the man says on the 11-minute tape.

Melbourne, the capital of Victoria state, will in March host the Commonwealth Games, one of the world's biggest sporting events.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard, in New York for a U.N. summit, questioned whether Gadahn had the means to carry out his threats and predicted the terrorist threat would not deter Melbourne residents from supporting the two-week Commonwealth Games.

Attorney General Philip Ruddock, who is responsible for the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, its top spy agency, said the threat was being taken seriously.

Victoria state Premier Steve Bracks urged Victorians not to fear a terrorist attack, saying adequate security measures were in place for all the major sporting events scheduled in Melbourne in the coming year. State police assistant commissioner Kieran Walshe said no authorities in Australia had yet seen a full copy of the video.

ASIO and police launched raids on houses in Melbourne and Sydney in June hoping to foil Muslim extremists plotting attacks against the Sydney Opera House as well as landmarks in Melbourne. Ruddock confirmed the raids at the time but refused to reveal their purpose.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty said in August that up to 60 Islamic extremists were actively involved in terrorist cells in Australia.

The federal government is seeking support from state governments for tough new counterterrorism measures in response to the London rail and bus bombings that killed 52 people on July 7. They would ban public support of Australia's enemies and allow suspects to be monitored with tracking bracelets for up to a year.

The Japan Times Weekly: Sept. 17, 2005
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