Australia has raised its terror alert level from “possible” to “probable.” Intelligence chief Mike Burgess told reporters on Monday that the reason for this was a rise in “extremist ideologies.” There are no signs of an imminent attack, but there is an increased risk of violence in the next 12 months, Burgess said. “The Australian security environment is deteriorating, more volatile and more unpredictable,” he said.
“You have often heard me say that espionage and foreign interference are our biggest security problems. Intelligence indicates that this is no longer true,” stressed the intelligence chief. From now on, in addition to espionage and foreign interference, “politically motivated violence” will also be one of the biggest security problems.
More and more Australians are becoming radicalized and are increasingly willing to use violence to achieve their goals, said Burgess. Extremist ideologies have already increased during the coronavirus pandemic, and the war between Israel and the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas has further fueled them. Burgess described the Internet and online networks as the “primary platform for radicalization.”
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In the past four months alone, there have been eight “attacks or disturbances” with suspected or potential terrorist links. Recently, attacks have most likely been carried out by individuals or small groups, often acting without warning or planning. (AFP)
