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It is difficult to keep up with reports of terrorist threats and activity and the wake up calls about inadequate counter-terrorist policies. This morning an arrest was made in Sydney’s west of a man who has threatened violence against Australia’s armed forces (it appears that this is not the first time he has done this).
Today’s The Australian also contains several references to terrorism and how it might be handled. Apart from publishing my letter on the Obama statement (below), the following references warrant attention.
- An editorial on the riots in some Stockholm suburbs. It is argued that migrants (who include not inconsiderable numbers from Muslim countries) should “subscribe to the core values and mores ... not seek to live apart under a different set of rules”. But, with migrants apparently constituting 15 % of Sweden’s population, it will now be extremely difficult to implement any political policy to that effect. A lesson exists here for Australia.
- An article by Jim Wallace (who, after finishing with Australia’s Special Forces, was on the board of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute when I was) arguing for action to help Christians in Syria and other Middle East countries exposed to extremist Muslim activity. He also advocates action to discourage Australian nationals from fighting with such groups.
- An article reporting an offer by the US Secretary of State Kerry to provide $US4 billion to create jobs in Palestine to (supposedly) avert perpetual war with Israel! This suggests a US Administration policy of “we have to do something”.
- An article reporting that the British Home Secretary wants to “revive” the capacity of intelligence agencies to track who speaks to whom on the internet. An attempt was made to announce this in the Queen’s speech but the Lib-Dems would not agree to do it. The Home Secretary also indicated that the murderers were not lone wolves and six arrests have now been made. She also suggested a widening of Islamist groups subject to bans (also relevant to Australia).
- An article arguing that the funding of Australian intelligence agencies in the budget is inadequate, supported by the head of ASIO and of the Office of National Assessments. ASIO stated that in 2010-11 there had been an increase of 11% in the number of counter-terrorism checks. Former Attorney General Ruddock pointed out that ASIO’s work load had increased with the increase in asylum seekers.
- Several other letters on the Muslim problem – including one running the line that “Islam is the religion of peace”!
Obama's 'ambivalence'
(Letter published in The Australian, 28 May 2013.)
YOUR editorial ("Mr Obama's war on terror", 27/5) suggests that President Barack Obama's speech on counter-terrorism policy displays "profound ambivalence" about the war on terror.
In reality that speech is extremely worrying because it utterly fails to identify that the underlying causes of almost all acts of terrorism derive from Islamic beliefs and preaching.
Moreover, Obama not only announced a tightening of restrictions on the activities of counter-intelligence agencies, he failed to react to the widespread and seemingly justified extensive criticisms of his administration's handling of the Boston and Benghazi bombings by religious extremists.
This is of serious concern for Australians as well as Americans. If the President of the leading and strongest country in the world is unable to adequately respond to the sources of terrorist activity worldwide, in due course we will experience a more serious problem than we did in World War II.
Des Moore, South Yarra, Vic
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