Terrorism in Australia

Terrorism in Australia is defined as "an action or threat of action where the action causes certain defined forms of harm or interference and the action is done or the threat is made with the intention of advancing a political, religious or ideological cause" [cite paper | author = Commonwealth of Australia | authorlink =Government_of_Australia | title = Transnational Terrorism: The Threat to Australia | version = 1.0 | publisher = Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade | date = 15 July 2004 | url = http://www.dfat.gov.au/publications/terrorism/transnational_terrorism.pdf | format = PDF | isbn = ISBN 1 920959 04 1 | accessdate = 2008-04-12] . Australia has known acts of modern terrorism since the 1960s, while the federal parliament, since the 1970s, has enacted legislation seeking to penalize those who commit, or conspire to cause, acts of modern terrorism.

Legislation

Prior to the 1960s, there had not been any act in Australia that could accurately be deemed "terrorism" in the modern political and strategic sense of the word. Politically motivated violent incidents were rare, usually isolated, and for the most part driven by issues arising from political legislation, greed, or individuals being singled out, such as the attempted assassination of Australian Labour Party Leader Arthur Calwell in 1965 over his Vietnam War stance. Likewise the 1968 attack on the US Consulate in Melbourne was also regarded to be an isolated incident protesting the US involvement in Vietnam. The two exceptions to this state of affairs would be the assassination attempt on the Duke of Edinburgh in 1868 by an Irish Nationalist named O'Farrell, who was later executed for his crime, and an attack in Broken Hill in 1915 by Afghan supporters of the Sultan of Turkey.

Although it had known sporadic acts through its history, and examples of modern terrorism for almost a decade, Australia did not introduce terrorism specific laws into Parliament until the late 1970s. In 1977, after a three year inquiry into Australia's intelligence services, Justice Robert Hope delivered his Royal Commission on Intelligence and Security (RCIS). THe RCIS recommended amongst other things that the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation(ASIO) areas of investigation be widened to include terrorism. A further Protective Security Review by Justice Hope in 1978 following the Sydney Hilton bombing designated ASIO as the government agency responsible for producing national threat assessments in the field of terrorism and politically motivated violence.

Since then, successive governments have reviewed and altered the shape of both legislation and the agencies that enforce it to cope with the changing face, threat and scope of terrorism. It was not until after the attacks of 11 September, 2001 however, that Australian policy began to change to reflect a growing threat against Australia and Australians specifically. Until then the view held from the 1960s had been that terrorist actions in Australia were considered as a problem imported from conflicts overseas and concerned with foreign targets on Australian soil.

As of March 2008, the latest legislation to be bought into effect is the Anti-Terrorism Act (No. 2) 2005 [cite paper | author = Commonwealth of Australia | title = Anti-Terrorism Act (no. 2) 2005, No. 144, 2005 | date = 2005-02-16 | url = http://www.comlaw.gov.au/ComLaw/Legislation/Act1.nsf/0/4ED7D914ED94BAC9CA2572960010BEF8/$file/1442005.pdf | format = PDF | accessdate = 2008-04-12 ]

Timeline

* 26 February, 2006, Joseph 'Jack' Thomas convicted of receiving funds for a terrorist organisation.cite web|url=http://www.ag.gov.au/www/agd/agd.nsf/Page/Nationalsecurity_DavidHicks,JosephJackThomasandothercases|publisher=Attorney General's Department, Government of Australia|title=Counter-terrorism and related cases|accessdate=2008-08-24]

Organisations

In September 2007 there were 19 organisations designated and banned, by a court or a government department, for active involvement in terrorism. All but one of those organisations are Islamic. Identification of terrorist organisations may result from a prosecution for a terrorist offence, or from a listing determined by the Attorney-General of Australia. [cite web | url = http://www.nationalsecurity.gov.au/agd/WWW/NationalSecurity.nsf/Page/What_Governments_are_doingListing_of_Terrorism_Organisations | title = Australian National Security - Listing of Terrorist Organisations | accessdate = 2008-03-11 | author = | authorlink = | coauthors = | date = September 27, 2007 | work = What Governments are Doing | publisher = Australian Government (Attorney-General's Department) | quote = ...two ways for an organisation to be identified as a 'terrorist organisation' ... prosecution for a terrorist offence [or] the Attorney-General must be satisfied on reasonable grounds... ]

Notable persons

Faheem Khalid

Faheem Khalid Lodhi is an Australian architect accused of an October 2003 plot to bomb the national electricity grid or Sydney defence sites in the cause of violent jihad. He was convicted by a New South Wales Supreme Court jury in June 2006 on terrorism-related offences, [ [http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19517154-2,00.html Lodhi guilty on terror charges] [http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/lodhi-gets-20-years/2006/08/23/1156012586528.html Lodhi 'deserves' 20 years] [http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20225106-601,00.html Lodhi jailed for 20 years over terror plot] ] namely:

*Preparation for terrorist attack, by seeking information for the purpose of constructing explosive devices
*Seeking information and collecting maps of the Sydney electricity supply system and possessing 38 aerial photos of military installations in preparation for terrorist attacks
*Possessing terrorist manuals detailing how to manufacture poisons, detonators, explosives and incendiary devices

He was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment with a non-parole period of 15 years. His intended targets were the national electricity supply system, the Victoria Barracks, HMAS Penguin naval base, and Holsworthy Barracks. Justice Anthony Whealy commented at sentencing that Lodhi had "the intent of advancing a political, religious or ideological cause, namely violent jihad" to "instill terror into members of the public so that they could never again feel free from the threat of bombing in Australia." [ [http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2006/s1722511.htm Sydney terrorism suspect jailed for 20 years] ABC 23/08/2006]

Mohammed Abderrahman

Mohammed Abderrahman is a French Islamist al-Qaeda recruit who resided with Faheem Lodhi while in Australia in 2003, during which time he married a former Australian Army signaller. [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200702/s1841824.htm Brigitte terrorism trial nears] ABC News] He was arrested by Australian immigration compliance officials in Sydney six weeks after the marriage [http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2004/s1132151.htm Testimony: Melanie Brown] Australian Broadcasting Corporation] and deported to France.

His wife said before a French investigating judge that at times he had 'bombarded' her with questions on the subject of her military knowledge and career. She reports that she rebuffed such questioning or responded minimally 'so that he would leave [her] in peace' and that she burned three of her notebooks originating from the period of her military service in East Timor as a precaution. She reported his anger about her taking such precautions, his presumption to forbid her from further similar actions, and she exactly confirmed his repeated statement of the opinion that "Allah and all Muslims need this information" in order to obtain information of a military character from her.

In December 2006, it was reported that a basis for French terrorism-related charges laid against him was the allegation that he aided the murderers of Ahmad Shah Masood by supplying them with false identity documents. [http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2006/s1815585.htm Brigitte claimed to be behind Masood assassination] The World Today]

He is presently in custody as a terrorism suspect in France where prosecutors have called for him to be sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment for his admitted involvement in a terrorist organisation. [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200702/s1844639.htm Brigitte 'pressured' over terrorism plot confession] ABC News]

Joseph T. Thomas

On 28 August 2006, following the quashing of his convictions, Joseph T. Thomas was the first person to be issued with a control order under the Australian Anti-Terrorism Act 2005 after written consent was provided by the Australian Attorney-General Philip Ruddock. [Michael Walton, " [http://www.nswccl.org.au/docs/pdf/Anti-Terrorism%20Bill%202005%20(consolidated).pdf A consolidation of the changes to the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth), Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) & Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979 (Cth) proposed in the Anti-Terrorism Bill 2005 (Cth)] ", NSW Council for Civil Liberties, 16 October 2005] [ [http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/curfew-for-jihad-jack/2006/08/28/1156617275236.html Jihad Jack wife's terror link] Sydney Morning Herald August 29 2006] In December 2007 a control order was issued against David Hicks to ensure that he was monitored upon his release. [ [http://205.188.238.109/time/world/article/0,8599,1698999,00.html Aussie Taliban Goes Free] Time Magazine Dec 29. 2007]

Incidents

There have been many Australians killed or seriously wounded as a result of terrorism, most of the victims were travelling or working outside of Australia. Australia has been a direct target most notably in the 2004 Australian embassy bombing, although all fatalities were Indonesian nationals.

ydney Hilton bombing

On 13 February 1978, a bomb exploded outside the Hilton Hotel in Sydney, which was hosting the first Commonwealth Heads of Government Regional Meeting. Two garbage collectors and a police officer were killed and eleven others were injured. Although the bombing has been described as a terrorist act, there is no consensus over the identity of the perpetrators. It highlighted corruption within the New South Wales Police Force and resulted in pressure on the federal government for increased support for the anti-terrorism activities of the intelligence services.

Turkish Consulate bombing

On 23 November 1986, a car bomb exploded in a carpark beneath the Turkish Consulate in South Yarra, Victoria, killing the bomber who failed to correctly set up the explosive device. Levon Demirian A Sydney resident with links to an Armenian terrorist group was charged over the attack and served 10 years. [ [http://www.tkb.org/Group.jsp?groupID=4036 Greek Bulgarian armenian Front] MIPT]

Future threats

In January 2008, head of the International Center for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at Nanyang Technological University, Dr. Rohan Gunaratna, said that a "New crop of home-grown jihadis, groomed to step up and replace the leaders of Australian terror cells who have been arrested or jailed, is almost "mature" enough to launch an operation".

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) reported it had 76 new counter-terrorism cases to investigate in the 2006-7 financial year, and they finalised another 83 cases. As of June 30 2006, the AFP had 83 cases being actively examined by its counter-terrorism unit. The "Mercury" newspaper reported that "intelligence sources" are aware of the new threats, but they deny there is any evidence that the groups may be close to planning an attack inside Australia.

In early 2008, AFP Commissioner Mick Keelty and NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said they are investigating new terrorist threats, particularly in NSW. [ [http://www.news.com.au/mercury/story/0,22884,23117991-421,00.html?from=public_rss New crop of Jihadis is "set to step up"] The Mercury 28 January 2008]

ee also

*Crime in Australia
*2002 Bali bombings
*2005 Bali bombings

References