Learning from the best, teaching the master

Updated December 15's Toronto Globe & Mail says that

Australia plans to enforce a maritime security zone more than 1,750 kilometres out to sea, far beyond its territorial waters, in a move to boost defences against possible terror attacks on its soil and offshore oil and gas facilities, Prime Minister John Howard said Wednesday.

Under the new plan - due to begin in March - all vessels that enter within 1,840 kilometres (1,150 miles) of Australia's shores will be required to present information to defence and customs authorities about the ship's identity, crew, location, speed and intended port of arrival, Howard said.

Australia's territorial waters extend to about 230 miles (370km), so the "security zone" is five times further out than the territorial limits.

Legal experts warned that Australia could be breaking international law if it tried to take further action against ships in the new security zone.

Sydney Center for International and Global Law director Don Rothwell said the government was free to monitor ships beyond the 370-kilometre limit but could be violating the law if it attempted to intercept ships in international waters.

Actually, I don't see any "could be" about it. But then again, worrying about things like international law, safe passage, crap like that, that's so September 10^th, isn't it?

Oh, and what did the opposition have to say?

Australia's opposition Labor Party said the scheme relied too heavily on trusting the ships' crews to tell the truth and not enough on physical inspections.

Labor recommended the government follow the United States' lead by introducing sea marshals empowered to board ships.

There ya go! The hell with those wimps who just want to break international law in a small way! We'll go all out!

Updated by way of The Independent (UK), which says that the requirement is only aimed at ships heading for Australia but it would be done by a new joint command

comprising the Australian Defence Force, the navy and customs. It would be given powers to board suspicious ships and inspect their cargo and crew

if it deemed them "suspicious," even if the ships are in international waters. There definitely is no "could be" here.