Fed: Ruddock says ASIO and AFP have never been closer

AAP General News (Australia)
04-21-2004
Fed: Ruddock says ASIO and AFP have never been closer

Attorney-General PHILIP RUDDOCK says the relationship between ASIO and the Australian
Federal Police AFP has never been closer.

In a speech to the Sydney Institute last night, Mr RUDDOCK took issue with a report
by the Rand Corporation suggesting a turf war between Australia's police and intelligence
organisations.

Rand, a conservative US thinktank, said ASIO had at times withheld information from
police on the basis of its own idiosyncratic assessment of the national interest.

The think tank also said ASIO ignored threat assessments which could have prevented
the Bali bombings, in which 202 people died.

But Mr RUDDOCK says he agrees with ASIO chief DENNIS RICHARDSON, who said in a speech
last year that the relationship between ASIO and the AFP had never been closer.

Mr RUDDOCK says the Rand report is disappointing, but it won't be investigated further.

AAP RTV smb/jo/rt

KEYWORD: INTELLIGENCE RUDDOCK (SYDNEY)

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