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Canberra clampdown for Bush visit
SYDNEY, Australia -- Australian protestors will be out in force to mark the arrival of U.S. President George W. Bush in Canberra later this week but watertight security will keep them well away from the American leader. President Bush will fly into the Australian capital late Wednesday and address a joint sitting of the national parliament the following day. Australian air force fighter jets will escort Bush's plane into Canberra airport and fly patrols over the city as part of a security clampdown during his visit. The general public will not be allowed into the parliament to hear Bush's speech and protestors will not be permitted to come within 100 meters of the front doors of parliament house. Despite the restrictions, thousands of protestors are travelling into Canberra from Sydney and Melbourne for the Bush visit and will hold rallies attacking the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Protestors will demand that Australian and U.S. troops be withdrawn from Iraq. The Australian government has been a staunch supporter of the Bush administration's war on terror, contributing troops and military hardware to the actions in Afghanistan and Iraq and backing the U.S. position in international forums such as the United Nations. During his speech to the Australian parliament, Bush is expected to thank Prime Minister John Howard's conservative government for their support, and justify the use of military force in Iraq. Members of parliament opposed to the Iraq war had earlier threatened to snub the U.S. president by turning their backs during his address, but Opposition Labor leader Simon Crean has urged his party members to behave respectfully. Counter-terrorist unitsRoyal Australian Air Force F/A-18 Hornets, with permission to shoot down suspicious planes, will escort Bush's plane, Air Force One, into Canberra, Australian Defense Minister Robert Hill says. "While there is no known specific threat of terrorism in Australia, the government has a responsibility to ensure that visiting dignitaries are afforded appropriate protection," Hill said in a statement released Monday. The air force has set up a temporary radar station in a Canberra suburb and will enforce an identification zone within a 90-kilometer (55-mile) radius of the city, The Associated Press reports. Special forces counter-terrorist units will also be on standby. Security will be tight on Friday as well when Chinese President Hu Jintao will also address the Parliament in Canberra. The Chinese president arrives in Sydney on Wednesday but his path will not cross with President Bush. Canberra protests are also expected for Hu's visit from supporters of the Falun Gong movement, Free Tibet activists and critics of China's human rights record. Copyright 2003 CNN. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
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