c

Australia)and)the)Threat)of)Global)Terrorism:)
Domestic)and)International)Dimensions
Carlyle Thayer

Hostage Escapes from Linz Caf Siege, Martin Place, Sydney, December 15-16,

Paper&delivered&to&International&Conference&on!
Australia"Asia%Relations%under%Prime%Minister%Tony%Abbott!
sponsored(by(National(Cheng(Chi(University!
Taipei,'Taiwan,'March'31"April&1,"2015!

Australia)and)the)Threat)of)Global)Terrorism:!
Domestic)and)International)Dimensions!
!
Carlyle'A.'Thayer!
Introduction!
This!paper!reviews!Australia!and!the!threat!of!global!terrorism!in!two!periods.!The!first!
period!focuses!on!Australian!participation!in!the!war!in!Afghanistan!from!2001!to!2014.!
The! paper! discusses! the! changing! roles! of! the! Australian! military! in! Afghanistan! to!
address! the! threat! of! al! Qaeda! remnants! and! their! Taliban! supporters.! It! also! looks! at!
sporadic!incidents!of!domestic!terrorism!in!Australia!by!homegrown!militants.!Most!of!
these!incidents!were!identified!and!dealt!with!by!security!agencies.!The!second!part!of!
the!paper!focuses!on!Australia's!commitment!to!Iraq!in!light!of!the!threat!of!the!Islamic!
State! of! Syria! and! Iraq! or! ISIS. 1 !In! this! period! Australia's! domestic! front! witnessed!
homegrown! militants! travelling! to! Syria! and! Iraq! to! support! ISIS.! This! period! also!
witnessed! several! ISIS! inspired! terrorist! incidents,! most! notably! the! Linz! Cafe! siege! in!
Martin! Place,! Sydney.! The! paper! canvasses! legal! responses! by! the! Australian!
government! such! as! making! it! illegal! to! travel! to! proscribed! areas! where! terrorists!
operate! and! withdrawing! citizenship! from! dual! nationals! who! fight! abroad! with!
proscribed!terrorist!groups.!

Part%1%Australia)and$Afghanistan!
In#September#2001,#Prime#Minister#John#Howard#paid#an#official#visit#to#Washington#to#
mark%the%50th!anniversary)of)the)ANZUS)Treaty.)He)was)physically)present)in)Washington)
when%the%terrorist%attacks%on%The%Pentagon%and%the%Twin%Towers%in%New%York%City%took%
place.'On'return'to'Australia'Prime'Minister'Howard,'with'support'from'the'Opposition,'
led$the$Parliament(on(September(14,(2001(to(formally(invoke(the(ANZUS(Treaty(for(the(
first&time.&!
Australia) became) one) of) the) main) allies) in) the) U.S."led$ Global$ War$ on$ Terrorism.$ It$
dispatched* military* forces* to* Afghanistan* in* 2001"02# and# joined# the# United# States# and!
United'Kingdom'in'the'Iraq'War'in'2003.!
Operation*PALATE*II!

Operation! PALATE! II! refers! to! the! Australian! Defence! Force! (ADF)! contribution! to! the!
United! Nations! Assistance! Mission! to! Afghanistan! (UNAMA).! UNAMA! is! a! political!
mission!that!was!established!on!March!28,!2002!by!UN!Security!Council!Resolution!1401!
to! promote! reconciliation! and! rapprochement,! and! manage! humanitarian! relief,!
recovery,! and! reconstruction! in! Afghanistan.! Two! Australian! Army! Officers! were!
1

!Also!known!as!the!Islamic!State!in!Syria!and!the!Levant!or!Daish.!

seconded! to! serve! as! military! advisers! within! the! UNAMA! Military! Adviser! Unit.! Their!
duties! included! maintaining! contact! and! liaison! with! all! military! forces! throughout!
Afghanistan!on!behalf!of!UNAMA.!The!ADF!officers!were!based!in!Kabul!and!Kandahar.!
Operation*SLIPPER!!

In!late!2001,!the!ADF!was!ordered!to!Afghanistan!as!part!of!the!Global!War!on!Terrorism.!
The! Australian! commitment! was! given! the! name! Operation! Slipper! until! it! was!
terminated!on!December!31,!2014.!The!size!of!Australias!military!deployment!and!the!
scope!of!operations!varied!over!this!thirteen"year!period.!
Operation!Slipper!also!included!ADF!army,!naval!and!air!force!personnel!deployed!to!the!
Persian!Gulf.!Taken!together,!the!ADF!deployments!to!Afghanistan!and!the!Persian!Gulf!
were!part!of!a!coalition!led!by!NATO!countries,!including!the!United!States!and!United!
Kingdom.! Australian! forces! contributed! directly! to! combat! and! combat! support!
operations.2!
The! history! of! Operation! Slipper! may! be! broken! down! into! three! phases.! During! the!
initial! phase! the! ADF! forces! in! Afghanistan! comprised! a! Special! Forces! Task! Group.! In!
November!2001,!the!Special!Forces!deployed!to!Camp!Rhino,!a!forward!operating!base!
southwest! of! Kandahar.! The! initial! ADF! commitment! in! Afghanistan! concluded! in!
December! 2002! when! the! Special! Air! Service! Task! Group! was! withdrawn.! Between!
December! 2002! and! 2005! Australias! contribution! to! the! Coalition! on! Afghanistan!
amounted! to! only! two! officers! attached! to! the! United! Nations! and! the! Coalition! land!
mine!clearing!force.!
Royal! Australian! Air! Force! (RAAF)! C"130! Hercules! transport! aircraft! provided! logistic!
support!for!deployed!forces.!Two!RAAF!Boeing!707!air"to"air!refueling!aircraft!operated!
from!Kyrgyzstan!and!provided!support!to!coalition!aircraft!operating!in!Afghan!airspace.!
Two!RAAF!AP"3C!Orion!aircraft!flew!maritime!patrol!missions!in!the!Persian!Gulf.!!
The!second!phase!of!Australian!commitment!commenced!in!August!2005!when!a!Special!
Forces! Task! Group! was! re"deployed! to! Afghanistan.! The! Task! Group! was! comprised! of!
elements! from! the! SAS! Regiment;! 4th! Battalion,! Royal! Australian! Regiment!
(Commando);!the!Incident!Response!Regiment!and!logistic!support!personnel.!!
A! detachment! of! two! CH"47! Chinook! helicopters! from! the! 5th! Aviation! Regiment! was!
deployed!to!Afghanistan!in!March!2006!to!support!the!Special!Forces!Task!Group!until!
its! withdrawal! in! September! 2006.! The! Chinook! helicopters! were! withdrawn! seven!
months!later.!
The!ADFs!third!phase!was!marked!by!the!deployment!of!a!Reconstruction!Taskforce!to!
2

!In! mid"2014,! Australian! naval! and! logistic! support! forces! in! the! Persian! Gulf! were! re"designated!
separately! as! Operation! Accordion! and! Operation! Manitou.! By! 2010,! 800! Australian! logistic! personnel!
were! based! in! the! Middle! East! in! support! of! Operation! Slipper.! Maritime! patrol! and! transport! aircraft!
supported!operations!in!Iraq!and!Afghanistan!from!the!United!Arab!Emirates.!
!

Orzgn! Province! in! southern! Afghanistan! in! September! 2006! as! part! of! a! Dutch"led!
Provincial!Reconstruction!Team,!operating!as!part!of!the!Dutch"led!Task%Force%based!at!
Forward! Operating! Base! Ripley! outside! of! Tarin! Kowt.! The! Reconstruction! Taskforce!
comprised! 1st! Combat! Engineer! Regiment;! protective! elements! from! the! 5th/7th!
Battalion,!Royal!Australian!Regiment;!the!6th!Battalion,!Royal!Australian!Regiment;!and!
2nd!Cavalry!Regiment.!!
In! April! 2007,! a! Special! Operations! Task! Group! of! three! hundred! personnel! was!
deployed! to! support! the! Taskforce.! The! Task! Group! included! a! Commando! company,!
elements!of!the!SAS!Regiment,!a!combat!service!support!team!as!well!as!radar!crews,!
logistics! and! intelligence! officers,! and! security! personnel.! The! size! of! the! ADF!
commitment!steadily!rose!from!950!by!mid"2007,!to!1,000!in!mid"2008,!1,100!in!early!
2009!and!1,550!in!mid"2009.!!
In! early! 2009,! the! Reconstruction! Taskforce! was! re"designated! the! Mentoring! and!
Reconstruction! Task! Force! with! the! standing! up! of! Operational! Mentoring! and! Liaison!
Teams! embedded! into! the! Afghan! National! Army! in! Orzgn! Province.! In! 2010,! the!
Taskforce! was! renamed! the! Mentoring! Task! Force! consisting! of! a! battalion"sized!
combined! arms! battle! group! (motorised! infantry,! cavalry! force! elements,! engineers,!
including! Coalition! artillery! and! aviation).! Australia! continued! to! provide! support! for!
counter"insurgency!operations!in!cooperation!with!the!Dutch,!U.S.!and!other!Coalition!
forces.!In!addition,!the!Rotary!Wing!Group!flying!CH"47D!Chinooks,!the!Force!Logistics!
Asset!and!an!RAAF!air!surveillance!radar!unit!were!also!based!in!Kandahar.!!
Australia! withdrew! its! last! combat! troops! from! Afghanistan! in! mid"December! 2013.!
Approximately!400!personnel!remain!in!Kandahar!and!Kabul!as!trainers!and!advisers.!
On!July!1,!2014!Operation!Slipper!was!split!into!three!separate!operations:!(1)!Operation!
Slipper!now!included!ongoing!operations!in!Afghanistan!under!the!International!Security!
Assistance! Force! (ISAF)! and! totaled! 400! personnel;! (2)! Operation! Manitou! focused! on!
maritime! security! and! counter! piracy! in! the! Middle! East! and! the! Gulf! of! Aden! and!
totaled!250!personnel;!and!(3)!Operation!Accordion!provided!support!for!the!first!two!
operations!primarily!from!the!United!Arab!Emirates!and!totaled!550!personnel.!
Operation! Slipper! formally! concluded! on! December! 31,! 2014.! Forty"one! Australian!
soldiers!were!killed!and!256!wounded!in!Afghanistan,!the!majority!since!October!2007.!
These!were!the!first!Australian!combat!casualties!since!the!Vietnam!War.!
Operation*HIGHROAD!

Australia! continues! to! maintain! a! military! presence! in! Afghanistan! under! Operation!
Highroad.! ADF! personnel! have! been! assigned! to! "train,! advise! and! assist"! the!
Afghanistan! National! Army! as! part! of! the! NATOs! Resolute! Support! Mission. 3!
Approximately! 400! Australian! personnel! are! deployed! including! mentors! and! trainers,!
medical!personnel,!force!protection!and!logistic!support.!
3

!Resolute!Support!Mission!replaced!the!previous!NATO"led!ISAF!mission.!

5
External)Dimension!!Terrorism(in(Indonesia!

Australian* High* Commission* Singapore.! In! 2001,! the! terrorist! group! Jemaah! Islamiyah!
planned! to! bomb! the! diplomatic! missions! of! Australia,! Israel,! United! Kingdom! and! the!
United!States!in!Singapore!and!attack!their!staff.!The!plot!was!uncovered!by!Singapore!
security! authorities! in! December! 2001! and! many! if! not! most! of! the! plotters! were!
arrested.!This!was!the!first!known!terrorist!plot!directed!against!an!Australian!overseas!
diplomatic!mission.!
Jemmah! Islamiyah! comprised! four! major! division:! Mantiqi! 1! ! Singapore,! peninsula!
Malaysia! and! southern! Thailand;! Mantiqi! 2! ! Indonesia! (except! Sulawesi! and!
Kalimantan);! Mantiqi! 3! ! southern! Philippines,! Sulawesi,! Kalimantan,! eastern! Malaysia!
and!Brunei;!and!Mantiqi!4!!Australia!and!Papua.!Mantiqi!4!was!never!established!as!a!
proper!administrative!or!territorial!unit.!The!International!Crisis!Group!(ICG)!asserts!a!
mantiqi!based!in!Australia!was!never!a!going!concern.4!
Bali* bombings.! On! October! 12,! 2002,! a! Jemmah! Islamiyah! cell! carried! out! a! suicide!
bombing! on! a! tourist! area! on! the! island! of! Bali! in! which! 202! persons! were! killed!
including!88!Australians.!This!incident!marked!a!major!tipping!point.!At!the!request!of!
the! Indonesian! National! Police! on! October! 13! the! Australian! Federal! Police! (AFP)!
deployed! a! fourteen"member! response! team! to! Bali! to! assist! in! the! immediate!
investigation! of! the! bombings.! The! AFP! response! tem! comprised! specialist! victim!
identification! officers,! scientific! crime! scene! investigators! and! post"bomb"blast!
investigators.5!
On!October!17,!2002,!a!formal!joint!investigation!agreement!was!signed!by!Chief!of!the!
Indonesian!National!Police!(INP)!and!the!AFP!Commissioner.!An!AFP!Forward!Command!
Post! was! established! in! Bali,! which! included! Bali! based! investigators,! Disaster! Victim!
Identification,! Forensics,! Intelligence,! Media,! and! Post! Administration,! Security,! IT! and!
Communications.! At! its! height,! 500! AFP! members! were! tasked! with! investigating! Bali!
bomb!related!matters,!including!up!to!100!officers!based!in!Indonesia.!!
According!to!the!AFP,!its!support!to!the!INP!in!the!wake!of!the!Bali!bombings!was!one!
of!the!most!significant!and!resource!intensive!operations!the!AFP!has!ever!undertaken.!
As#a#result#of#joint#Indonesian"Australian*police*efforts'many'of'those'responsible'for'the'
Bali%bombings%were%identified,%arrested%and%brought%to%trial.%!
Similar'cooperation!ensued&after&the&bombing&of&the#Marriott#Hotel%in#Jakarta#on#August#
5,#2003.#Australia)also%provided(funds(for(standing(up(a!Counter"Terrorism(Center.(!
Indonesia) and) Australia) co"hosted' the' ASEAN' Bali% Regional% Meeting% on% Counter"
Terrorism!in#February#2004."At"the"37th!ASEAN%Ministerial%Meeting%held%in%Jakarta%in%July%
4

Indonesia*Backgrounder:*Jihad*in*Central*Sulawesi,!Asia!Report!No.!74,!Jakarta!and!Brussels:!International!
Crisis!Group,!February!3,!2004,!2.!
5

!Material!in!this!and!the!following!two!paragraphs!was!taken!from!Australian!Federal!Police,!Countering!
terrorism,! http://www.afp.gov.au/~/media/afp/pdf/c/countering"terrorism.pdf.! Accessed! March! 29,!
2015.!

2004,%ASEAN%reached%a%counter"terrorism(agreement(with(Australia.!
Australian* Embassy* bombing." On! September! 9,! 2004,! a! one"tonne! bomb! inside! a!
delivery! van! was! detonated! outside! the! Australian! Embassy! in! Jakarta.! Nine! persons!
were! killed! including! the! suicide! bomber,! and! over! 150! others! were! injured.! No!
Australian!was!killed.!IN!October!2005!there!was!another!terrorist!bombing!in!Bali!that!
killed!four!Australians.!On!both!occasions!the!AFP!assisted!the!INP!in!investigating!the!
attacks.!
Terrorism(at(Home!

Australias! first! recorded! modern! terrorist! incident! took! place! before! 9/11.! In! 2000! a!
small!group!of!al!Qaeda!and!Jemaah!Islamiyah!conspirators!plotted!to!bomb!Jewish!and!
Israeli! targets! in! Sydney! during! the! Olympic! Games.! They! were! arrested! before! they!
could!execute!their!plans.!The!second!recorded!terrorist!plot!involved!supporters!of!the!
Pakistan!terrorist!group!Lashkar!e"Toiba;!it!was!uncovered!before!it!could!take!action!in!
2003.!
Operation*Pendennis.!In!2005,!Australian!security!authorities!and!state!police!uncovered!
two!self"starting!terrorist!plots!involving!small!cells!in!Melbourne!and!Sydney.!!
In! 2004,! a! member! of! the! Muslim! community! in! Melbourne! tipped! off! police! about! a!
suspected! terrorist! plot.! ASIO,! the! AFP! and! Victorian! and! New! South! Wales! police!
carried!out!a!seventeen"month!joint!investigation!known!as!Operation!Pendennis.!This!
was! the! largest! counter"terrorism! operation! ever! conducted! in! Australia.! The! police!
uncovered! a! gun! cache,! ammunition! and! bomb"making! equipment! to! be! used! in!
terrorist!attacks!on!Australian!soil.!
The! eight"member! terrorist! network! in! Melbourne! was! headed! by! radical! Melbourne!
cleric!Abdul!Nacer!Benbrika.!They!were!arrested!in!2005!and!convicted!in!2009.!Among!
those!arrested!was!Mohamed!Ali!Elomar!the!uncle!of!Mohamed!Elomar.!Later!in!2005,!a!
nine"man!cell!in!Sydney!was!arrested!for!planning!a!terrorist!attack!following!a!tip!off!to!
police!by!a!suspicious!chemist.!Five!men,!Mohamed!Elomar,!Khaled!Cheikho,!Moustafa!
Cheikho,! Abdul! Hasan! and! Mohammed! Jamal,! were! found! guilty! and! sentenced! to!
imprisonment;!four!others!pleaded!to!lesser!charges.!!
Holsworthy*Army*Base.!On!August!4,!2009,!four!men!connected!with!the!Somali"based!
terrorist!group!al"Shabaab!were!arrested!and!charged!in!association!with!a!terror!plot.!
The! plotters! planned! to! attack! Holsworthy! Army! Base! in! southwestern! Sydney! with!
automatic!weapons.!Police!arrested!the!terrorists!before!they!could!execute!their!plan.!
In!December!2011!three!of!the!plotters!were!sentenced!to!18!years!in!prison.!
Raid%on%al#Furqan'Islamic'Centre!

In! September! 2012,! Australian! police! raided! several! properties! associated! with! the! al"
Furqan!Islamic!Centre!in!Melbourne.!One!person!was!arrested!for!collecting!documents!
being!connected!with!the!preparation!for!the!engagement!of!a!person!in!or!assistance!in!
a!terrorist!act.!

7
Hyde%Park%riot!

Shortly!after!the!police!raid!on!al"Furqan,!a!few!hundred!Muslims!gathered!in!Hyde!Park!
in!Sydney!to!join!global!protests!against!an!anti"Muslim!film,!The!Innocence!of!
Muslims.!Some!held!placards!calling!for!the!beheading!of!anyone!who!insulted!the!
prophet.!Other!placards!bore!derogatory!references!to!Coptic!Christians,!a!minority!
group!in!Egypt.!The!peaceful!demonstration!turned!violent!when!a!small!group!of!young!
men!assaulted!the!police!and!damaged!some!property.!The!police!made!several!arrests!
that!day!and!later!including!Ahmed&Elomar&who&slashed&a&policeman&during&the&riot.6!
The!Hyde!Park!riot!made!a!major!impact!because!such!Muslim!violence!had!not!
occurred!before!in!Australia!and!the!violence!itself!was!totally!unexpected.!As!Andrew!
Zammit!argues,!the!event!is!not!in!itself!an!example!of!jihadism,!but!does!demonstrate!
a!small!but!deeply!discontented!extremist!subculture,!which!has!the!potential!to!feed!
into!other!cases!of!extremism!and!alleged!jihadism.7!
Australian*terrorists*abroad!

During! the! period! from! 1999! to! 2007,! small! groups! of! Australian! jihadists! left! the!
country! to! fight! mainly! in! Afghanistan! and! Pakistan! (1999"2003)! but! also! Lebanon!
(throughout!the!2000s),!Somalia!(from!2007)!and!Yemen.!Australians!were!also!arrested!
for!terrorism"related!activity!in!Iraq,!Kazahkstan!and!Kuwait.!!
Australian*terrorism:*Summary*Overview!

Zammit!has!identified!seven!major!features!of!Australian!terrorist!groups!prior!to!2012:!!
First,!Australias!jihadist!scene!is!very!small.!The!most!serious!activity!has!involved!a!
few!dozen!people!out!of!a!476,000"strong!Muslim!population!
Second,!Australias!jihadist!scene!is!highly!interlinked.!For!example,!the!early!plots
the! 2000! al"Qaeda/JI! [Jemaah! Islamiyah]! plot,! the! 2003! LeT! [Laskar! e"Toiba]"guided!
plot!and!the!two!2005!Pendennis!cellseach!involved!one!or!more!people!from!the!
first! clusters! of! travellers! who! had! attended! either! an! al"Qaeda! training! camp! in!
Afghanistan!or!an!LeT!camp!in!Pakistan!
Third,! while! Australias! first! two! jihadist! plots! were! guided! by! established!
organisations,!after!2003!they!have!been!self"starting!
Fourth,!Australias!jihadist!scene!has!been!closely!monitored.!
Fifth,!Australias!jihadist!scene!has!been!quite!low"tech.!In!the!four!major!plots,!the!
jihadists! do! not! appear! to! have! first! met! each! other! online,! communicated!
extensively!online,!or!partaken!in!technologically!sophisticated!plots.!Their!main!use!
6
7

!Ahmed!Elomars!brother!Mohamed!is!currently!fighting!in!Syria.!!

!Andrew! Zammit,! Australian! jihadism! at! the! end! of! 2012,! part! II:! key! events! in!2012,! December! 27,!
2012.! http://andrewzammit.org/2012/12/27/australian"jihadism"at"the"end"of"2012"part"ii"key"events"
in"2012/.!!

of! the! internet! appears! to! have! been! to! download! massive! amounts! of! extremist!
videos!and!documents!(including!instructional!material)!
Sixth,! Australian! jihadists! have! demographic! characteristics! that! are! similar! to!
jihadists!in!other!Western!countries!in!several!ways:!they!tend!to!be!young!Muslim!
men,! to! not! have! had! strongly! religious! upbringings,! and! generally! have! a! low!
employment! status.! However,! they! also! differ! in! some! ways,! in! that! they! are!
somewhat!more!likely!to!be!native"born,!be!married!and!have!children!than!jihadists!
in!Europe.!They!are!also!disproportionately!poorly!educated!(compared!both!to!other!
Australian!Muslims!and!to!jihadists!in!Europe!and!North!America)!and!are!more!likely!
to!be!of!Lebanese!heritage!
Finally,! Australian! jihadism! has! not! been! occurring! over! a! long! time! period.! It! is!
largely! a! post"2000! phenomenon,! unlike! the! US! and! France! which! experienced!
jihadist!plots!during!the!1990s.!
The!above!seven!features!led!Zammit!to!conclude:!
before!2012!Australia!had!a!very!small,!interlinked,!closely"monitored,!low"tech,!and!
apparently! declining! jihadist! scene,! involving! young! men! of! somewhat"similar!
backgrounds!to!jihadists!in!other!Western!countries.!It!manifested!itself!in!four!major!
plots,!many!attempts!to!train!or!fight!in!Afghanistan,!Pakistan,!Lebanon,!Somalia!and!
to! lesser! extent! Yemen,! and! a! range! of! other! actions.! Their! activities! tended! be!
externally"guided!at!first!but!after!2003!were!self"starting.8!
As! noted! in! the! account! of! domestic! terrorist! incidents! above,! there! were! no! major!
terrorist!incidents!in!Australia!between!2012!and!2014.!Zammits!findings!for!the!period!
up!to!2012!appear!equally!valid!for!the!years!2012!and!2013!as!well.!

Part%2%War%Against$Islamic$State$of$Syria$and$Iraq$!
Australia)commits)military)forces)to)Iraq!

In#mid"2014,"ISIS#armed&fighters&launched&an&offensive&from&Syria&that&swept&into&Iraq,&
capturing*key*cities*such*as*Mosul*and*driving*towards*Baghdad.*On*June*29,*2014*ISIS*
declared&a&caliphate&over&Syria&and&Iraq.!
In#June!2014,"Tony!Abbott%visited%the%United%States%for$his$first$substantial$meeting$with$
President)Obama)since)becoming)prime)minister.)The$Obama"Abbott%discussions%mainly'
touched(on(the(emerging&crisis&in&Syria&and!Iraq.&President&Obama&expressed&his&alarm&at&
the$number$of$Australians$jihadists$in$Syria$who$could$return$home$and$pose$a$security$
threat.'Media'reports'indicated'that'up'to'300'Australians'were'estimated'to'be'among'
the$ foreign$ fighters$ in$ Syria$ and$ Iraq.9!In# public# remarks# Prime# Minister# Abbott# said# he#
8

!Andrew' Zammit,' Australian* jihadism* at* the* end* of* 2012,* Part* I,* December* 22,* 2012,*
http://andrewzammit.org/2012/12/22/australian"jihadism"at"the"end"of"2012"part"i"before"2012/."!
!
9

!John!Kerin,!:!Obama!raises!Aussie!Iraq!militant!threat,!The*Australian*Financial*Review,!June!23,!2014.!

would&not&rule&out&the&option&of&military&involvement&to&assist&the&government&of&Iraq.10!
Abbott%also%met%with%Secretary(of(State(John(Kerry,(Secretary(of(Defense(Chuck(Hagel,(
General'Martin'Dempsey'Chairman#of#the#Joint#Chiefs#of#Staff#and#other#senior#officials#
including(intelligence(chiefs.!
In# mid"2014,& in& response& to& rising& violence& in& Iraq,& Australia& dispatched& twenty& Special&
Forces'troops'to'provide'security'for'the'Australian'Embassy'in'Baghdad'and'to"prepare"
for$the$possible$evacuation$of$embassy$staff.11!!
On# September# 5,# 2014,# Foreign# Minister# Julie# Bishop# announced# that# in# response# to# a#
formal'request'from'Iraq,'Australia'would'join'in'U.S."led$air$strikes$against$ISIS$forces$in$
Iraq.& On# November# 3,# 2014# Australia# became# a# member# of# the# Global# Coalition# to#
Counter(ISIL!(Islamic!State!of!Iraq!and!the!Levant).!
On#January#4,#2015#Prime#Minister#Tony#Abbot#met#his#Iraqi#counterpart#Prime#Minister#
Haider' al"Abadi& in& Baghdad.& Haider& called& on! Australia) to) make) a) greater) military)
commitment(by(increasing(armaments(and(speeding(up(the(training(of(local(forces.(Two(
weeks% later,% in% his% State% of% the% Union% Address,% President% Obama% called% for% a% greater%
international) effort) to) degrade) and) ultimately) destroy) ISIS) thus) putting) further)
pressure& on& Australia& to& up& its& commitment& to& Iraq.& At& that& time& Australia& had& 200&
Special(Forces(and(400(other(military(personnel(in(Iraq(to(advise(the(Iraq(security(forces(
and$ to$ conduct$ air$ strikes. 12!Australia) committed" six" Super" Hornet" aircraft," an" early"
warning'aircraft'and'a'refueller.13!The$Special$Forces$troops$were$assigned$to$Baghdad$to$
advise(and(assist(but(not(to(fight(alongside(the(local(Iraqi(forces.(!
In# January# 2015,# Foreign# Minister# Julie# Bishop# went# to# Washington( to( consult( with(
Administration+officials.14!She$met$with$Vice$President$Joe$Biden,$Secretary$of$State$John$
Kerry,& National& Security& Adviser& Susan& Rice,& National& Security& Agency& Director& Michael&
Rogers,( Director( of( the( Central( Intelligence( Agency( John# Brennan# and# Director# of#
National(Intelligence(James(Clapper.(Bishop(attended(the(State(of(the(Union(Address(as(
guest&of&the&Speaker&of&the&House&of&Representatives&John&Boehner&on&January&21.!
During' Bishops' visit! Australia) agreed) to) cooperate) with) the) U.S.$ to$ assist$ the$ Iraqi#
government) to) meet) the) ISIS) threat. 15 !Australias* Special* Operations* Task* Group,*
composed( of( 170$ commandos$ and$ Special$ Forces$ troops,! are$ currently$ assisting$ and$
10

!David!Crowe,!Abbott,!Obama!unite!to!confront!terror,!The*Australian,!June!14"15,!2014!

11

!John!Kerin,!:!Obama!raises!Aussie!Iraq!militant!threat,!The*Australian*Financial*Review,!June!23,!2014.!

12

!John!Kerin,!Bishop:!informed!and!troubled,!The*Australian*Financial*Review,!January!23,!2015.!

13

!Jared!Owens,!Terrorism!focus!must!be!broader,!warns!Bishop,!The*Australian,!January!23,!2015.!

14

!Joe!Kelly!and!Jared!Owens,!Well!hunt!down!terrorists,!The*Australian,!January!22,!2015.!!

15

!U.S.!Department!of!State,!Remarks!with!Australian!Foreign!Minister!Julie!Bishop!After!their!Meeting,!
January!
21,!
2015.!
Bishop!
met!
with!
Secretary!
Kerry!
in!
Washington.!
https://www.google.com.au/#q=%22Remarks+with+Australian+Foreign+Minister+Julie+Bishop+After+the
ir+Meeting%22.!!

10

advising) three) battalions) from) the) Iraqi) Security) Forces) Special) Tactics' Unit,' an' elite'
unit% drawn% from% Iraqs% Counter"Terrorism( Service. 16 !Australia) also) dispatched) a) 600"
strong'contingent'from'the'RAAF!to#Dubai,#including#Super#Hornet#fighter"bombers,(an(
aerial& refueling% tanker% and% Wedgetail% command% and% control% aircraft.# In# March# 2015,#
Australia)committed)an)additional)300"strong'Army'Training'Team'to'Iraq'for'two'years.17!
According) to) the) head) of) the) ADFs) Joint) Operations) Command,) Vice) Admiral) David)
Johnston,(an(estimated(8,000(ISIS(fighters(had(been(killed(out(on(an(estimated(army(of(
20,000$to$31,000.$Most$of$the$deaths$were$caused$by$2,000$airstrikes$in$Iraq$and$Syria$
carried'out'since'August'2014.'About'13'percent'were'carried'out'by'the'RAAF'in'Iraq.18!!
On# February# 23,# 2015# the# Australian# Cabinets# National# Security# Committee' and' New'
Zealands)Cabinet)approved)a)joint)training)project)in)Iraq)involving)300)Australian)and)
143$New$Zealand$troops.19!This%marks%New%Zealands%first%commitment%of%troops%to%Iraq.!
Australian*Jihadists!in#the#Middle#East!

A" report" prepared" by" the" International" Centre" for" the" Study" of" Radicalisation" at" Kings"
College,' London' estimates' that' there' are' 21,000' foreign' fighters' in' Syria.' This' is' larger'
than%the%number%of%foreign%fighters%who%flocked%to%Afghanistan%in%the%1980s.%Tunisia%was%
identified'as"the"largest"source"of"foreign"fighters"with"their"number"estimated"at"1,500"
to#3,000.#This#report#estimates#that#there#are#between#100#and#250#Australian#fighters#in#
Syria.20!!
There%are%conflicting%reports%in#the#Australian#media,#based#on#security#sources,!about&
the$ number$ of$ Australian$ jihadists$ fighting$ in$ Syria$ and$ Iraq.$ For$ example,$ in$ late$ May$
2014% it% was% reported% that% more% than% 150% Australians% were% believed% to% be% actively%
involved( in( the( Syrian( conflict( fighting( for( either( the( Islamic( State( in( Syria! and$ Iraq$ or$
Jabhat& al& Nusra.21!In# September# 2014,! it# was# reported# that# up# to# 100# Australians# were#
believed' to' support' ISIS' militants' in' Syria' and' Iraq' with' a' further' 60' engaged' in' actual'

16

!Brendan!Nicholson,!RAAF!helps!half!jihadists!Iraq!drive,!The*Australian,!February!13,!2015!and!John!
Kerin,!RAAF!strikes!kill!;hundreds!of!militants,!The*Australian*Financial*Review,!February!13,!2015.!!
17

!John! Kerin,! PM! to! send! 300! more! troops! to! Iraq,! The* Australian* Financial* Review,! March! 4,! 2015;!
Brendan!Nicholson,!PM!denies!Iraq!mission!creep,!The*Australian,*March!4,!2015!and!Greg!Sheridan,!
Iraq!Training!Mission!Points!to!PMs!Strategic!Maturity,!The*Australian,!March!5,!2015.*
18

!Brendan!Nicholson,!RAAF!helps!halt!jihadists!Iraq!drive,!The*Australian,!February!13,!2015.!

19

!Associated!Press,!New!Zealand!to!send!troops!to!train!Iraqis,!The*Australian,!February!25,!2015;!Helen!
Clark,!New!Zealand!Considers!Role!on!ISIS,!The*Diplomat,!February!21,!2015;!Dennis!Shanahan,!Anzac!
spirit! alive! and! ready! to! kick! Islamic! State,! The* Weekend* Australian,! February! 21"22,! 2015;! and! Daniel!
Hurst,!Australia!to!send!300!extra!troops!to!Iraq!on!joint!training!mission!with!NZ,!The!Guardian,!March!
3,!2015.!
20

!Pajul!Maley!and!Cameron!Stewart,!Aussie!jihadis!winging!it,!The*Australian,!January!29,!2015.!

21

!Paul!Maley,!Muslims!too!lax!on!jihadi!threat,!The*Australian,!May!29,!2014.!

11

fighting. 22 !Yet$ in$ January$ 2015,! Australian* security* officials* estimated( that$ only% 75#
Australians* were* in* Syria* and* Iraq* fighting* alongside* militants* during' the' previous' year!
and$that$this$number$had$since$risen$to$90.23!!
In#February#2015#Prime#Minister#Abbott#stated#at#least#110#Australians#have#travelled#
overseas'to!join%the%death%cult%in%Syria%and%Iraq.%At%least%20%of%them,%so%far,%are%dead.24!A"
media&release&that&accompanied&the&Review&of&Australias&Counter&Terrorism&Mechanism!
stated:'There'are'at'least'90'Australians'fighting'with'and'supporting'terrorist'groups!in#
Iraq% and% Syria.% Over% 30% foreign% fighters% have% returned% to% Australia% and% at% least% 140%
people%in%Australia%are%actively%supporting%extremist%groups.25!
In# a# new# development# security) officials) estimated) that) up# to# thirty# Australian# women#
and$several$children#are#believed#to#have#travelled#to#Syria#and#Iraq#or#were!planning'to'
do# so# to# join# their# partners# or# to# become# brides# of# Islamic# State# fighters.26!Security)
officials( have( told( the( media( that( an# increasing# proportion# of# male! jihadists( leaving( to(
fight& overseas& are& self"radicalised) clean) skins) who) leave) Australia) unassisted) by)
established*jihadist*recruitment*rings*in*Australia.27!
The$Australian$Security$Intelligence$Organisation$(ASIO)!cancelled&the&passports&of&about&
ninety! local% extremists% to% prevent% them% from% travelling% to% the% Middle% East.! The$ most$
recent& reports& indicate& that& counterterrorism& security& officials& in& Australia& have&
prevented(200(suspected(jihadists(from(leaving(Australian(airports(for(the(Middle(East,(
including$teenagers.$Between$March$8$and$15,$for$example,&Australian&Border&Protection&
officials(intercepted(three(teenagers(aged(sixteen(and(seventeen(at(Sydney(Airport(and(
prevented(their(departure.28!
Estimates(on(the(number(of(Australian(jihadists(who(have(returned&to&Australia&are&not&
known%with%accuracy."It"is"known"that"over"a"year"ago"several"jihadists"who"fought#with#
Jabhat& al"Nusra& in& Syria! returned! to# Australia." But" ASIO" believes" no" Australian" fighters"
have%returned%in%the%last%eight%months.!The$number$of"Australians"identified"by"ASIO"as"
Islamic( State( supporters( has( continued( to( increase( despite( police( counter"terrorism(
raids.29!
22

!John!Kerin!and!Jamie!Freed,!Terror!threat!security!boost,!The*Australian*Financial*Review,!September!
11,!2014.!!
23

!Cameron!Stewart!and!Paul!Maley,!Fresh!fear!over!jihadi!growth,!The*Australian,!January!24"25,!2015.!

24

!Prime! Minister! Tony! Abbott,! National! Security! Statement,! Canberra,! February! 23,! 2015.!
http://www.pm.gov.au/media/2015"02"23/national"security"statement"canberra.!
25

!Prime!Minister,!Review!of!Australias!Counter!Terrorism!Machinery!for!a!Safer!Australia,!February!23,!
2015.!!
26

!Cameron!Stewart!and!Paul!Maley,!Fresh!fear!over!jihadi!growth,!The*Australian,!January!24"25,!2015.!

27

!Cameron!Stewart!and!Paul!Maley,!Fresh!fear!over!jihadi!growth,!The*Australian,!January!24"25,!2015.!

28

!Associated! Press! (Canberra),! 200! suspected! jihadists! prevented! from! leaving! Australia,! Manila*
Bulletin,!March!26,!2015.!!
29

!Cameron!Stewart!and!Paul!Maley,!Fresh!fear!over!jihadi!growth,!The!Australian,!January!24"25,!

12
Australias*first*suicide*bomber!

In# September# 2013# Ahmed$ Succarieh! was$ reported$ to$ have$ been$ involved$ in$ a$ suicide$
bombing'in'Syria$when$he$drove$a$truck$with$twelve$tonnes$of$explosives$into$a$Syrian$
army% checkpoint% killing% 35% people.% Ahmed% Succarieh% is% the% first% reported% Australian%
suicide'bomber.30!
Australians*killed*in*U.S.*drone*strikes!

In#November#2013,#two#Australian#citizens!travelling*with*five*militants*associated*with*
al#Qaida#in#the#Arabian#Peninsula#were#killed#in#a#U.S.#drone#strike#in#the#Hadramount#
area$in$eastern$Yemen.$This$is$the$first$known$example$in$which$Australian$militants$died$
as# a# result# of# Predator# drones." The" two" were" identified" as" Christopher" Harvard" (also"
known%as%Abu%Salama%al"Russi)!from%Townsville%and%Muslim#bin#John#or#Abu#Suhaib#al"
Australi.)The)latter)was)an)Australia"New$Zealand$dual$citizen.$Both$men$were$reported$
to# be# al# Qaida! foot$ soldiers$ after$ training$ in$ a$ terrorist$ camp.31!Harvard& converted& to&
Islam&and&moved&to&Yemen&in&2011.!
Australian*in*terrorist*leadership*role!

In#April#2014,#it#was#revealed#that#Abu#Sulayman,#an#Australian#sheik,!travelled(to(Syria(
and$ assumed$ a$ senior$ leadership$ role$ in$ Jabhat$ al"Nursa,' a' terrorist' group' banned' in'
Australia.!The$Sheik$featured$in$a$forty"five%minute%video%released%by%Jabhat&al"Nursa.32!
In# February# 2015,# Neil# Prakash# (who# uses# the# nom# de# guerre# Abu! Khalid' al"Cambodi))
was$ identified$ by$ western$ intelligence$ agencies$ as# one" of" the" top" ten" leaders" of" ISIS.33!
Prakash' has' been! in# Syria# since# October# 2013.# He# is# now$ considered) the) most) senior)
Australian* jihadi* on* the* Syrian* battlefield.* Prakash* was* associated# with# both# the# al"
Furquan'Islamic'Centre'in'Melbourne'and'Mohamed'Ali'Baryalei,'the'mastermind'of'the'
2005$plot$to$behead$an$Australian.$Baryalei$is#now#presumed#dead.#Australian#security#
officials( revealed( that( Prakash( is( in( contact( with( several( known( radicals' in' Australia!
providing) them) with) encouragement,) directing) them) to) listen) to) certain) religious)
lectures,)and)providing)them)with)advice)on)targets.!
Australian*jihadists*commit*atrocities!

In# 2013,# two# Australians,# Mohamed# Elomar# and# Khaled# Sharrouf,# left% Australia% to% join%
ISIS"state"militants."In"July"2014$the$Australian$Federal$Police$issued$arrest$warrants$for$
30

!John! Kerin,! Suicide! bombers! family! link! to! Brisbane! bookstore! arrests,! The* Australian* Financial*
Review,!September!11,!2014.!
31

!Paul! Maley! and! Mark! Schliebs,! Aussies! killed! in! US! drone! strike,! The* Australian,! April! 16,! 2014! and!
Aussies!killed!in!US!drone!strike!in!Yemen,!The*Australian,!April!16,!2014!
32

!Paul!Maley,!Star!jihad!role!seen!for!sheik,!The*Australian,!April!15,!2014.!

33

!Paul!Maley!and!Cameron!Stewart,!Australian!jihadist!in!Syria!calls!locals!to!rise!up,!plot!and!kill,!The*
Weekend*Australian,!February!7"8,!2015.!!

13

both%of%them.%Sharrouf!was!later!joined!by!his!convert!wife!Tara!Nettleton!and!their!five!
children.! In! 2014,! Elomar! and! Sharrout! gained! notoriety! after! they! posted! photos! of!
themselves! holding! up! decapitated! heads! of! Syrian! soldiers.! Sharrouf! had! his! seven"
year"old! son! hold! up! the! severed! head! of! a! soldier! in! the! Syrian! city! of! Raqqa.! In!
February! 2015,! ISIS! released! a! propaganda! video,! titled! Harvest! of! the! Apostates!
that!shows!Sharrouf!behead!a!victim.!That!same!month!several!women!from!the!Yazidi!
religious! minority! in! northern! Iraq! accused! Elomar' and' Sharrouf! of# genocide,# trading#
women&into&slavery&and&forced&marriage.34!
Australias*Muslim*Community!

According)to)Australias)2011)census)there!were!476,291!people,!or!2.25%!of!the!total!
Australian! population,! identifying! themselves! as! Muslims.! The! majority! are! Sunni.! The!
Muslim!community!is!highly!diverse!ethnically,!linguistically,!culturally!and!by!country!of!
origin.!
In#Australia,!at#both#federal#and#state#level,#a#core#element#of#counter"terrorism(policing(
involves( building( relationships( with( the( Muslim( community,( particularly) in) southwest&
Sydney,'counter"radicalisation,,and,counter,propaganda!effords.!
In#response'to#the#trend#of#increasing#number#of#Australian#men#going#overseas#to#fight#
in# Syria,# the# head# of# the# New# South# Wales# state# Counter# Terrorism# Squad,# Assistant#
Commissioner)Peter)Dein)publicly)rebuked)local)Muslim)leaders)for)not)doing"enough"to"
discourage+ young+ Muslim+ men+ from! joining& jihad& in& Syria.& Dein& stated,& Theyre& not&
openly' discouraging' fellow' community' members' from' travelling.' There' are' some' that'
do,$ but$ some$ community$ spokespeople$ who$ are$ well$ respected$ are$ not$ necessarily$
taking' an' active' role' in' trying' to' convince' the' community' not' to' travel' and' get'
involved.35!
Jihadist(Recruitment!

Australian* security* authorities* have* identified* several* paths* though* which* Australians*
have%been%recruited%to%become%jihadists.%One%path%is%the!influence(of(militant(religious(
leaders' at' mosques.' Another' path' is' via' the' internet' through' jihadist' websites' which'
carry% professionally% produced% propaganda% videos% and% other% social% media% such% as%
Facebook," Twitter," YouTube! and$ Ask.FM.! A" third" path" is" through" the" influence" of"
imprisoned*militants*and*their*networks.!
According)to)Prime)Minister)Abbott,)The)new)terrorist)environment)is)uniquely)shaped)
by#the#way#that#extremist#ideologies#can#now#spread#online.#Every#single#day#the#Islam"
ist$ death$ cult$ and$ its$ supporters( churn& out& up& to& 100,000& social& media& messages& in& a&
variety( of( languages.( Often,( they( are( slick( and( well( produced.( Thats( the( contagion(

34

!Mitchell!Nadin,!Jihadists!accused!of!trading!in!slaves,!The*Australian,!January!23,!2015.!

35

!Paul!Maley,!:Muslims!too!lax!on!jihadi!threat,!The*Australian,!May!29,!2014.!

14

infecting(people,(grooming(them(for(terrorism.36!On#February#23,#2015#Prime#Minister#
Abbott$foreshadowed$new$programs$to$challenge$terrorist$propaganda$and$to$provide$
alternate' online' material' based' on' Australian' values.37!Three% days% later,% the% Attorney"
General' announced' a' series' of' measures' designed' to' counter' terrorist' online'
propaganda.38!
Abdul&Nacer&Benbrika,&an&Algerian&self"styled'Islamic'preacher,'was'part'of'a'Melbourne'
terrorist' cell' arrested' in' 2005' for' planning' to' attack' Melbournes' Crown' Casino% and%
Melbourne)Cricket)Ground.)Benbrika)was)sentenced)to)jail)for)fifteen)years.""He"has!been$
able% to% use% his% notoriety% to% extend% his% spiritual% influence% among! ISIS# supporters# in#
Victoria.) Several) persons) who) visited) him) were) later) reported) to) have) left) Australia) to)
fight&in&Syria&and&Iraq.39!Authorities*have*since*transferred*Benbrika*to*Barwon!prison.!
In#another#example,#Mohamed#Ali#Elomar40!and$Khaled$Cheikho,$who$were$arrested$in$
2005$as$a$result$of$Operation$Pendennis,$are$now$serving$time$in$the$maximum"security)
prison'in'Goulburn,"NSW."Prison"officials"report"that"they"are"receiving"a"large"number"of"
visitors' including' ISIS' sympathisers.41 !This% conduit% is% used% to% recruit% a% new% younger%
generation)of)Australian)would"be#jihadists.!
Once%recruited%would"be#jihadists#are#able#to#utilize!well"established*networks*to*travel*
from%Australia%to%Syria,%generally%through%Turkey.%In%2015%Australian%security%authorities%
discovered,* however,* that* an* increasing* number* of* Australian* jihadis* were* bypassing*
traditional) networks) and) making) their) own) way" to" Turkey" with" nothing" more" than" the"
name%of%a%contact.%Once%in%Turkey%a%sophisticated%facilitation%network%takes%them%into%
Syria.'Securities'authorities'state'that'the'new'offshore'networks'make'it'harder'for'law'
enforcement)officials)to)prevent)would"be"jihadis"from"leaving"Australia.42!
Operation*Appleby!

In! 2014,! the! Joint! Counter! Terrorism! Team! based! in! Sydney! comprising! officials! from!
ASIO! and! the! AFP! commenced! Operation! Appleby! to! investigate! persons! suspected! of!
36

!Prime! Minister! Tony! Abbott,! National! Security! Statement,! Canberra,! February! 23,! 2015.!
http://www.pm.gov.au/media/2015"02"23/national"security"statement"canberra.!
37

!Prime! Minister! Tony! Abbott,! National! Security! Statement,! Canberra,! February! 23,! 2015.!
http://www.pm.gov.au/media/2015"02"23/national"security"statement"canberra.!
38

!Prime! Minister! Tony! Abbott,! National! Security! Statement,! Canberra,! February! 23,! 2015.!
http://www.pm.gov.au/media/2015"02"23/national"security"statement"canberra.!
39

!Cameron!Stewart!and!Paul!Maley,!Disciples!flock!to!jailed!jihadists,!The*Australian,!January!27,!2015!
and!Cameron!Stewart!and!Paul!Maley,!Jailed!jihadists!use!hand!signals!to!foil!warders,!The*Australian,!
January!28,!2015.!
40

!Mohamed! Ali! Elomar! has! two! nephews! who! are! brothers! fighting! overseas.! ! Mohamed! Elomar! is!
fighting! in! Syria! and! has! posed! for! photographs! with! the! severed! heads! of! Syrian! soldiers.! The! second!
nephew,!Ahmed!Elomar,!is!in!prison!for!slashing!a!policeman!during!the!2012!Hyde!Park!riots.!!
41

!Cameron!Stewart!and!Paul!Maley,!Disciples!flock!to!jailed!jihadists,!The*Australian,!January!27,!2015.!

42

!Paul!Maley!and!Cameron!Stewart,!Aussie!jihadis!winging!it;.!The*Australian,!January!29,!2015.!!

15

involvement! in! domestic! terrorist! acts,! foreign! incursions! into! Syria! and! Iraq,! and!
funding!terrorist!organisations.!!
On" September" 10,$ 2014,& as# a# result# of# Joint# Counter"Terrorism( Team( investigations(
carried' out$ by$ ASIO," the" AFP! and$ the$ Queensland$ Police,$ the$ Australian* Federal* Police*
conducted&raids&on&the$iQraa$Islamic$Centre$and$bookstore(and(several'homes&in&South&
Brisbane. 43 !They! arrested' two' men,' Omar' Succarieh" from" Kuraby" and" an" unnamed"
person'from'Boronia'Heights.'Omar%Succarieh%is%the%brother%of%Australias%first%reported%
suicide'bomber,&Ahmed&Succarieh.&Omar&Succarieh&was&charged&with&providing&funds&to&
a"Syrian"terrorist"organization"and"planning"to"enter"Syria"to"engage"in"hostile"activities.!
The$ second$ person$ was$ charged$ with% making% preparations% to% enter% Syria% with% the%
intention&of&engaging&in&hostile&activities&and&recruiting&people&to&commit&the&same&acts.&
Mohamed( Ali( Baryalei( was( identified% as% the% recruiter% for% ISIS% who% was% responsible% for%
facilitating)the)travel)of)dozens$of$Australian$fighters$to$Syria.44!
On#September#12,#2014#the#Australian#government#raised#the#terror#alert#to#High#with#
respect' to' the' general' public' indicating' that' a' terror' attack' on' home' soil' is' likely.' This'
resulted( in( tougher( security( checks( at( sporting& hubs& and& cultural& venues.& Security& was&
also% stepped% up% at% essential% services% such% as% power,% water% and% gas% suppliers,% banking,%
communications*and*food*sectors.*In*January*2015,*Australia*raised*the*terrorism*threat*
level$against$police$to$High.$!
On!September!18,!2014,!eight!hundred!NSW!police,!AFP!officers!and!ASIO!agents!carried!
out!large"scale!anti"terrorism!raids!at!twenty"five!difference!locations!in!Sydney.!These!
raids! foiled! a! plot! to! behead! a! member! of! the! public.! A! total! of! sixteen! persons! were!
detained.! The! plot! was! discovered! when! security! authorities! intercepted! a! mobile!
phone! conversation! between! Mohamed! Ali! Baryalei! and! Omar! jan! Azari! during! which!
Baryalei! allegedly! urged! Azari! to! hurry! up! and! carry! out! the! public! execution! Police,!
fearing!a!terror!attack!was!imminent,!launched!the!Sydney!raids.45!
Other&terrorist#related'incidents!

On!September!23,!2014,!Abdul!Numan!Haider!was!shot!dead!after!stabbing!two!officers!
from! the! Joint! Counter! Terrorism! team! at! the! Endeavour! Hills! police! station! in!
Melbourne.!Haider!was!a!"person!of!interest"!who!had!been!under!investigation!by!anti"
terrorism!officials!and!had!his!passport!cancelled.!Haider!went!to!the!police!station!at!
the!request!of!the!police.!On!arrival!he!called!the!officers!concerned!and!said!he!did!not!
want!to!meet!them!inside!the!station.!The!two!police!officers!went!outside!and!Haider!

43

!John! Kerin,! Suicide! bombers! family! link! to! Brisbane! bookstore! arrests,! The* Australian* Financial*
Review,!September!11,!2014.!
44

!Paul!Maley!and!Cameron!Stewart,!Australian!jihadist!in!Syria!calls!locals!to!rise!up,!plot!and!kill,!The*
Weekend*Australian,!February!7"8,!2015.!
45

!Paul!Maley!and!Cameron!Stewart,!Australian!jihadist!in!Syria!calls!locals!to!rise!up,!plot!and!kill,!The*
Weekend*Australian,!February!7"8,!2015.!

16

attacked!them!with!his!knife.46!
On!December!18,!2014!a!search!warrant!was!executed!at!a!home!in!Condell!Park,!NSW.!
Police!seized!a!.303!bolt!action!rifle,!a!shortened!shotgun,!a!double!barrel!shotgun!and!a!
large!amount!of!ammunition.!On!December!23,!police!arrested!two!men!in!a!terrorist!
cell!who!were!planning!on!carrying!out!an!attack.!
Later,!on!January!9,!2015,!a!person!was!arrested!for!being!in!possession!of!unregistered!
fire!arms.!
Martin'Place'Siege!

On#December#15,#2014,!a"lone"wolf"terrorist,"Man!Haron&Monis,&armed&with&a&shotgun$
seized!control'of!the$Lindt$Caf!in#Martin#Place#in!Sydneys#central#business#district!and$
held%18%persons%hostage%for%seventeen%hours.%The%siege%ended%the$next$day$when!Monis&
executed' the' caf' owner' and' police! from% the% Tactical% Operations% Unit! stormed( in( and(
shot#Monis#dead.#A#third#person#was#killed#as#a#result#of#police#bullet#ricochet.#During'
the$ siege$ Monis$ forced$ hostages$ to$ hold$ a$ black$ and$ white$ banner$ or$ flag$ in$ the$ caf$
window.'Monis'forced'the'caf'owner'to'ring'the'emergency'phone'number'and'pass'on'
the# message# Australia# is# under# attack# by# the# Islamic# State.47!Monis& apparently& was&
inspired( by( ISIS( but( security( and( police( investigators( could( not( establish( any( definite(
link.48!
Plot%to%conduct%public%beheadings!

On#February#10,#2015#the$Joint$Counter$Terrorism&Task&Force&comprising&twenty&AFP$and$
NSW$police$carried$out$a$raid$in$Fairfield,$Sydney$and$arrested$two"men"in!connection'
with%plot%to%carry%out%a%public%beheading.%Police%seized%a%hunting%knife,%a%flag%and%other%
items.49!The$two$arrested,$Mohammad$Kiad$and$Omar$al"Kutobi,!bought'a'weapon'and'
recorded&a&video&message&on&behalf"of"ISIS"just"hours"before"they!planned'to'seize'and'
behead& a& randomly& selected& member& of& the& pubic.& The& video& showed& the& two& men&
kneeling'in'front'of"a"home"made"Islamic"State"flag,"brandishing"a"machete"and"hunting"
knife.' A' translation! of# the# Arabic"language' video' made' clear' that' the' attack' was' to' be'
conducted(on(Tuesday,(February(10.!Police'sources'revealed'that'the'two'arrested'men'
had$no$known$connection'to'any'of'the'Australian'jihadi'fighting'in'Syria.50!!
46

!Dan! Oakes,! ABC! News,! Melbourne! shooting:! What! we! know! about! Abdul! Numan! Haider,! shot! dead!
after!stabbing!anti"terrorism!officers!at!Endeavour!Hills,!September!25,!2014.!
47

!Dan!Box,!Australia!is!under!attack!by!Islamic!State,!The*Australian,!January!30,!2015.!!

48

!Australian! Government! Department! of! the! Prime! Minister! and! Cabinet! and! New! South! Wales!
government! Premier! &! Cabinet,! Martin* Place* Siege* Joint* CommonwealthHNew* South* Wales* Review,!
January!2015.!!
49

!Andrew! Clennell,! Sydney! terror! raid:! Two! men! arrested,! hunting! knife! and! flag! seized,! The* Daily*
Telegraph,!February!11,!2015.!
50

!Paul!Males!and!Dan!Box,!Reeling!at!new!faces!of!terror,!The*Australian,!February!12,!2015!and!Ean!
Higgins,!It!was!all!peace!and!quiet!until!five!months!ago...,!The*Australian,!February!12,!2015.!!

17

This% was% the% second% plot% to% carry% out% a% public% beheading% disrupted% by% police! in# two#
months.!
Terrorism(in(Australia:(Government(Responses!

Australia!has!responded!to!the!growing!nexus!between!the!war!in!Syria!and!Iraq!and!the!
radicalization!and!recruitment!of!Australian!fighters!through!a!variety!of!administrative!
and!legal!measures.!It!was!only!in!February!2015!that!Prime!Minister!Tony!Abbott!issued!
a!national!security!statement!to!address!this!threat.!!
Immediately! after! taking! office! in! September! 2013,! the! Prime! Minister! asked! the!
Attorney"General!to!develop!a!government!response!to!foreign!fighters.!A!year!later,!in!
August! 2013,! the! Government! allocated! $600! million! for! a! range! of! new! counter"
terrorism! measures! including! Counter"Terrorism! Teams! at! eight! major! international!
airports;! additional! biometric! screening! gates;! forty"nine! additional! personnel! to! work!
on!the!Foreign!Fighter!threat;!seven!new!terrorism!financial!specialists;!a!new!violent!
jihadist! network! mapping! unit! in! ASIO;! the! establishment! of! a! Foreign! Fighters! Task!
Force! in! the! Australian! Crime! Commission;! additional! counter"terrorism! propaganda!
measures;!and!legislation!to!cancel!welfare!payments!to!individuals!who!are!assessed!to!
be!a!threat!to!security.51!
The! majority! of! Australias! counterterrorism! laws! are! included! in! the! Criminal! Code.!
Point! 5.3! applies! to! all! terrorist! acts! and! preliminary! acts! occurring! within!
Commonwealth! and! State! jurisdictions.! The! amended! Foreign! Incursions! Act! prohibits!
Australian! citizens! from! supporting! combatants! in! foreign! conflicts.! The! Counter"
Terrorism!Legislation!Amendment!(Foreign!Fighters)!Bill!passed!in!October!2014!makes!
it! illegal! to! provide! direction,! recruitment,! membership,! support,! training! and!
association!with!a!proscribed!terrorist!group.!
According!to!Prime!Minister!Abbott!his!government!has!made!it!easier!to!ban!terrorist!
organisations;! strengthened! offences! of! training! with,! recruiting! for! and! funding!
terrorist!organisations;!made!it!illegal!to!travel!to!a!declared!area!overseas!(in!December!
2014!travel!to!Syrias!Al!Raqqa!province!was!banned);!and!strengthened!ASIOs!powers!
to!suspend!Australian!passports.52!
On#June#22,#2014,#Foreign#Minister#Julie#Bishop#announced#she#had#begun#cancelling!the$
passports" of# Australian# citizens# fighting# with# ISIS.! And$ on" September" 10," 2014" the"
Minister(for(Immigration(Scott(Morrison(announced(new(measures(to(increase(security(
at#airports#designed#to#thwart#Australians#intending#to#travel#to#Syria#or#Iraq.#!
In! early& February( 2015,( Prime( Minister( Abbott( proposed( further( anti"terrorism(
legislation* directed* at* the* people* and* the* organisations* that* justify* terrorism* and* its*

51

!Prime! Minister! Tony! Abbott,! National! Security! Statement,! Canberra,! February! 23,! 2015.!
http://www.pm.gov.au/media/2015"02"23/national"security"statement"canberra.!
52

!Prime! Minister! Tony! Abbott,! National! Security! Statement,! Canberra,! February! 23,! 2015.!
http://www.pm.gov.au/media/2015"02"23/national"security"statement"canberra.!

18

recruiting)agents)"!such%as%Hizub%ut"Tahrir.53!
On#February#23,#2015#Prime#Minister#Abbot#released&the&Review&of&Australias&CounterH
Terrorism( Machinery! and$ issued$ a$ National$ Security$ Statement$ outlining$ his$ policy! to#
deal%with%the%international%and%domestic%threat%posed%by%ISIS.%!
In#his#National#Security#Statement#Abbott#pulled#no#punches#in#describing*the*threat*to*
Australia:!
The$ terrorist$ threat$ is$ rising$ at$ home$ and$ abroad$ ! and$ its$ becoming$ harder$ to$
combat!
By#any#measure,#the#threat#to#Australia#is#worsening.!
The$number$of$foreign$fighters$is$up.!
The$number$of$known$sympathisers$and$supporters'of'extremism'is'up.!
The$number$of$potential$home$$grown$terrorist$is$rising.!
The$number$of$serious$investigations$continues$to$increase.54!
Abbott% then% highlighted% the% threat% to% Australias% homeland% by% a% hardened% cohort% of%
jihadist( who( are( intent( on! radicalizing* and* influencing* others.* The* number* of*
Australians* with* hands"on# terrorist# experience# is# now# several# times! larger& than& those&
who$ trained$ earlier$ in$ Afghanistan$ and$ Pakistan.$ Of$ that$ group,$ two"thirds' became'
involved( in( terrorist( activity( back( here$ in$ Australia.$ Abbot$ disclosed$ that$ ASIO$ was$
currently)investigating)400)high"priority'terrorism'cases.!
Abbott% then% detailed# actions# that# the# government# was$ taking$ to$ counter$ the$ domestic$
and$ international$ challenges$ posed$ by$ ISIS.$ His$ government$ introduced& legislation* to*
refuse&a&protection&visa&to&any&person&who&destroyed!evidence'of'their'identity'and'the'
Data$ Retention$ Bill$ to# access# metadata.# Abbot# promised# to# prosecute# or# more# closely#
monitor'foreign'fighters'who'return'to'Australia'using'strengthened%control%orders.!
Other& measures& included:& amend& the& Australian& Citizenship& Act& to& revoke& or& suspend&
Australian* citizenship* in* the* case* of* dual* nationals* involved* in* terrorist* activities;*
suspending)some)of)the)privileges)of)Australian)born)citizens)involved&in&terrorism&such&
as#restrict#their#ability#to#leave#or#return#to#Australia,#restrict#access#to#consular#services,#
and$ restrict$ access$ to$ welfare$ payments;$ clamp$ down$ on$ organisations$ that$ incite$
religious$ or$ racial$ hatred$ by$ taking$ action$ against$ hate$ preachers,$ strengthening$
terrorism(advocacy(laws,(prohibit(vilifying,(intimidating(or(inciting(hatred.(!
In#order#to#implement#this#new#counter"terrorism(agenda,(Prime(Minster(Abbott(stated(
he#would#appoint#a#National#Counter#Terrorism#Coordinator.!
53

!Quoted! in! Anthony! Bergin,! Banning! Islamic! Group! Wont! Help,! The* Australian,! February! 9,! 2015.!
Bergin!advises!against!banning!Hizb!ut"Tahrir!arguing!it!is!better!not!to!drive!them!underground!so!they!
can!be!kept!under!surveillance.!
54

!Prime! Minister! Tony! Abbott,! National! Security! Statement,! Canberra,! February! 23,! 2015.!
http://www.pm.gov.au/media/2015"02"23/national"security"statement"canberra.!!

19
Epilogue!

On#March#10,#2015#Australian#jihadi#Abdul#Salam#Mahmoud!from%Sydney,"was"killed"in"a"
clash& with& the& Syrian& military& in& Latakia& province.& Mahmoud& was& close& to& the$ late$ ISIS#
recruiter'Mohammad'Ali'Baryalei.55!!
On# March# 11,# 2015# Jake# Bilardi,# an# 18# year# old# Australian# convert# to# Islam# from#
Craigieburn,+ Melbourne,+ died+ in+ a+ suicide+ bombing+ attack+ in+ the+ city+ of+ Ramadi,+ Iraq.+
Bilardi'was'dubbed'the'white'jihadi'after'his'picture'appeared'in'a'Twitter'photograph'
in# December# 2014# showing# him# with# an# assault# rifle& sitting& among& Islamic& State&
fighters.56!It#was#later#revealed#that#Bilardi#had#acquired#chemical#precursors#to#build#an#
explosive)device)and)planned)bomb)and)knife)attacks)in)Melbourne)cafes)and)shopping)
centres'as'a'fall"back!to#travelling#to#Syria#and#fighting#with#ISIS.57!
On# March# 16,# 2015,# Australian# Customs# and# Border# Protections# officials# detained# two#
teenage& brothers& at& Sydney& airport& and& prevented& them& from& travelling& abroad& to& join&
jihadist(fighters(in(Syria.(The(youths!were$found$in$possession$of$extremist$material$and$
information)on#how#to#concoct#a#cover#story.#They#were$detained$under$amendments$to$
the$law$introduced$in$October$2014.58!

Conclusion!
This!paper!reviewed!Australias!response!to!the!threat!of!global!terrorism!in!two!periods!
that! focused! on! both! the! international! and! domestic! dimensions.! The! first! period!
concerned! Australias! military! participation! in! the! war! in! Afghanistan! from! 2001"2014.!
This! was! a! period! of! intense! combat! activity! involving! Australian! Special! Forces! and!
other! combat! units! operating! as! part! of! a! large! international! force! in! support! of! the!
Afghan! government.! Australias! thirteen! year"long! involvement! in! Afghanistan!
witnessed!several!changing!roles!for!the!Australian!military!over!time.!!
Period!one!contrasts!with!the!second!period,!Australias!recent!military!involvement!to!
support! the! Iraq! government! (2014! to! the! present).! In! the! second! period! Australian!
soldiers! were! sent! to! Iraq! to! assist! and! advise! but! not! take! part! in! combat.! They! are!
restricted! to! Iraq.! The! Royal! Australian! Air! Force! has! carried! out! the! bulk! of! combat!
mission!by!air!strikes!on!ISIS!forces!in!Iraq.!The!RAAF!too!is!restricted!from!carrying!out!
missions!in!Syria.!!
There!is!a!clear!contrast!to!developments!on!the!domestic!front!in!both!periods.!During!
the!first!period!only!a!handful!of!Australian!jihadists!went!to!Afghanistan!or!Pakistan!to!
55

!Mark!Schliebs,!Aussie!rebel!killed!in!Syria,!The*Australian,!March!12,!2015.!

56

!Jared!Owens,!Aussie!teen!Jake!Bilardi!carries!out!suicide!bombing!says!Islamic!State,!The*Australian,!
March! 12,! 2015! and! Megan! Levy,! Australian! white! jidhadi! teen! Jake! Bilardi! involved! in! Islamic! Stare!
suicide!bombing:!report,!The*Sydney*Morning*Herald,!March!12,!2015!
57

!Paul!Maley!and!Mark!Schliebs,!Jihadis!plot!to!bomb!Melbourne,!The*Australian,!March!13,!2015.!

58

!Joe!Kelly!and!Simon!King,!Brothers!trigger!warning!on!jihad,!The*Australian,!March!9,!2015.!

20

support! the! Taliban.! More! Australian! jihadists! went! elsewhere! in! the! Middle! East.! On!
the! domestic! front! there! were! a! number! of! sporadic! incidents! of! domestic! terrorist!
activity!in!Australia!by!homegrown!militants.!Most!of!these!incidents!were!detected!and!
dealt!with!by!security!agencies.!
During! the! second! period,! in! contrast,! comparatively! significant! numbers! of! Australian!
jihadists! travelled! abroad! to! join! ISIS! and! other! terrorist! groups! operating! in! Syria! and!
Iraq.! At! the! same! time,! Australia! experienced! a! rising! number! of! terrorist! incidents! by!
home! grown! terrorists! initially! in! small! cells! but! also! lone! wolf! attacks! inspired! by! ISIS!
propaganda.! The! Lindt! Caf! siege! at! Martin! Place! Sydney! was! a! catalytic! event.! The!
rising! challenge! of! terrorism! on! the! domestic! front! by! home! grown! militants! (coupled!
with! the! threat! posed! by! returning! jihadists! to! Australia)! has! prompted! the! Australian!
government!to!adopt!a!raft!of!administrative!and!legal!measures!to!meet!this!challenge.!
The! Abbott! government! in! attempting! to! meet! this! new! challenge! had! stoked! an!
internal! debate! about! the! balance! between! civil! liberties! of! individuals! and! the! safety!
and!security!of!the!Australian!community.!Some!measures!like!the!Date!Retention!Law!
have! attracted! considerable! disapproval! by! Opposition! Members! of! Parliament.! The!
attempt!by!the!Abbott!government!to!withdraw!passports!from!dual!citizens!has!yet!to!
be!tested.!It!runs!the!risk!of!creating!two!classes!of!Australian!citizens!thus!undermining!
the!assumption!that!all!Australians!whether!native!born!or!naturalized!are!equal!before!
the!law.!!
Australias! commitment! to! the! global! war! on! terrorism! in! general! and! ISIS"sponsored!
domestic! terrorism! in! particular! is! a! work! in! progress! that! likely! will! take! decades! to!
resolve.!ISIS!may!be!defeated!in!Iraq!but!there!does!not!appear!to!be!an!end!game!for!
Syria.!Other!terrorist!threats!in!the!Middle!East!and!Africa!have!yet!to!be!addressed!with!
the! same! degree! of! commitment! by! the! international! community.! Closer! to! home!
security!experts!warn!of!the!likely!threat!posed!to!Southeast!Asian!by!jihadis!when!the!
return!to!Indonesia,!Malaysia!and!the!Philippines.!!