The Australian federal government issued an official statement today in which it announced that it would conduct a thorough investigation with regard to claims made by the media that Southeast Asian suicide bombers are planning to attack Jewish citizens in Australia.

According to Human Services Minister Joe Hockey, the government is paying very much attention to media reports, which support information concerning the fact that hundreds of bombers have been sent around the world, having strict orders to attack countries that support Israel in its war in Lebanon. Some of these countries are Australia, US and Britain.

This massive operation, announced by the Asian Muslim Youth Movement, is believed to have been funded by donations from two undisclosed Australian-Indonesian businessmen. According to a report made by an Australian newspaper, the terrorist organization declared that it had dispatched around 200 jihadists to attack Jewish targets in countries that have manifested their alliance to Israel.

In an interview with Seven Network TV station, Hockey stated: "I can tell you that the minister for foreign affairs and the Department of Foreign Affairs are investigating what is reported in the papers today and we are treating it very, very seriously".
In spite of these unsettling rumors, Hockey admitted that they bring no news to Australian citizens, given the fact that it has been stated and proved in the past that Australia is a permanent target on the terrorists' list. "That has no impact in so far as these people have targeted us for a long period of time. You only need to look at Bali and that was before any major escalation of the conflict in Lebanon and Israel. We are a target, we always have been a target and we will be for a very long period of time", he pointed out.

However, opposition Foreign Affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd was of a different opinion with regard to this issue, highlighting that this new threat is of a different kind and deserves all the more concern: "I am concerned that this has sprung up without earlier evidence of action between the (Australian and Indonesian) governments".