3 May 2011

NZ on heightened alert

3:13 pm on 3 May 2011

Prime Minister John Key met national security officials on Tuesday morning as New Zealand went on heightened alert following the killing of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.

Mr Key says the United States and Britain have indicated there is a greater chance of terrorist attacks and they have to be more careful following the US military operation which killed the al Qaeda leader.

Mr Key says he wanted to make sure officials are taking all the precautionary steps they should be.

The United Nations Security Council has said bin Laden's death is a critical development in the fight against terrorism.

But Mr Key is less optimistic that it will make the world a safer place. He says bin Laden's death is more symbolic than anything.