Sky Marshals for Flights

[DBAHO]

ARMED sky marshals could be on board flights between Australia and the US as soon as tonight under an agreement signed between the two countries in Perth today.

 

The agreement, signed by Justice Minister Chris Ellison and US Ambassador to Australia Tom Schieffer, provides for armed undercover security officers on flights between the two countries identified as high risk.

 

"This is a significant step forward with an old and trusted friend and ally in the US in developing aviation security between our two countries," Senator Ellison said.

 

"This program can operate forthwith - from today."

 

Mr Schieffer said the agreement would assure Australian and American citizens that they could travel safely, and would provide a deterrent for terrorists.

 

"Terrorism is the scourge of our time," Mr Schieffer said.

 

"These steps that we take today will help to defeat terrorism and help to keep terrorists from plying their deadly trade."

 

It is the second international air marshal agreement the Australian government has signed.

 

Sky marshals have been on flights to and from Singapore since Christmas and have been operating on domestic flights since New Year's Eve 2001.

 

The Federal Government has repeatedly refused to reveal how many marshals travel on each flight, however, it's believed up to six could be on the Australia-US international flights.

 

Senator Ellison said funding for the new agreement would come from the existing air security officer program, which costs just under $19 million annually.

 

Costs of the air marshals would be shared with Qantas.

 

Senator Ellison said the marshals would be on selected flights only.

 

"We've never said that our air security officers would operate on every flight - we don't see the need for it.

 

"We think that it has to be on a risk assessment basis."

 

The government is negotiating with a number of other countries, including New Zealand, Indonesia and Canada, to put similar agreements in place.

 

Senator Ellison said the question of weapons carried by the marshals had been a sticking point in negotiations with New Zealand.

 

"We are negotiating with New Zealand - it's a question of the use of firearms (which) we're working through," he said.