Australia bans 6 "terror" groups
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Australia toughened its counter-terror laws after the Bali bombings.
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CANBERRA, Australia (Reuters) -- Australia has banned six more foreign Islamic groups from operating within its borders, putting them on a list of "terrorist groups."
Attorney-General Daryl Williams said Friday a list of major terrorist activities over the past few years had been reliably attributed to these six groups, which are based in Lebanon, Yemen, Egypt, Uzbekistan and Pakistan.
Under Australia's beefed-up counter-terrorism laws, anyone found belonging to a banned "terrorist group," training, funding or recruiting members, could be jailed for up to 25 years.
"The listing of these groups as terrorist organizations will serve to deter Australians from becoming involved in their activities," Williams said in a statement.
The groups are the Lebanon-based Asbat al-Ansar, Egyptian Islamic Jihad, Yemen's Islamic Army of Aden, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, and Pakistan's Jaish-i-Mohammed and Lashkar i Jhangvi.
All have already been identified as terrorist groups by the United Nations Security Council.
Australia toughened its counter-terrorism legislation following the September 11, 2001, hijacked airliner attacks in the United States and last October's Bali nightclub bombings which killed about 200 people include 89 Australians.
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