on 12-09-2014 04:30 PM
As the terror alert has gone up a seperat thread is in order.
Tony Abbott announces Australian terror threat raised from ‘medium’ to ‘high’
Australia's terror threat level has been raised from medium to high, meaning a terror attack on home soil is now officially considered "likely".
The nation's outgoing spy chief ASIO Director General David Irvine says an attack could manifest itself in a "Bali-style attack, although Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Friday that the agencies had not detected any "particular plots".
Mr Abbott expressed confidence that the authorities are "smarter than terrorists and would be terrorists," and would remain "one step ahead" of their malice.
Mr Abbott made the much anticipated announcement at a media conference with the Attorney-General George Brandis and Mr Irvine four days after the ASIO chief flagged the escalation.
Mr Abbott stressed that raising the terror threat level did not mean a terror attack was "imminent" but said it meant there are people in Australia with the "intent and capability" to carry out at terror attack.
He said it would "not make any difference to daily life" for the vast majority of Australians but it would mean "more security" at airports, ports, military bases, public buildings and large public events, including the upcoming AFL Grand Finals. But he said football fans should not be deterred from attending the games
Normal life in Australia can and must go on," he said. "We want people to go about their normal lives and we certainly want to people to enjoy the football if their teams are lucky enough to be in the grand final," he said.
Acting Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin said sports fans "fortunate enough" to have tickets to the grand final should still attend as police have "well worked" plans for securing major matches.
PM Tony Abbott watches as ASIO chief David Irvine explains the increase in terror threat level. Photo: Luis Ascui
"You may expect to see heightened police presence but it won't be intrusive, I'm sure," he said.
Mr Abbott also said a "modest information campaign" would begin within weeks.
Mr Irvine said the events in the Middle East over recent months had activated people at home who support the extremism propagated by ISIL militants in Iraq and Syria.
He said 60 to 70 Australians were among the 10,000 foreign fighters fighting alongside the terrorists in Iraq and Syria and some had returned home.
14-09-2014 12:38 PM - edited 14-09-2014 12:40 PM
There was nothing in this mornings papers or the news. There is still nothing in the SMH on-line (I imagine they would want to be checking their sourced before they publish) and the Telegraph only published an article about the 'reported' incident at about the same time I was writing to say there is nothing in the news searches.
So I think that it would have been pretty easy to "miss it". Or should I say I missed it because at the time there was nothing specific published.
The report hasn't been verified BTW and it is only newscorp that is relating the story.
But gees it's coincidetal that the government leaks the 'incident' at the same time as raising the alert to high isn't it?
on 14-09-2014 12:40 PM
on 14-09-2014 12:44 PM
Only Muslims are terrorists she-el.
All those other people are simply expressing their right to free speech.
on 14-09-2014 12:44 PM
Apparently.
on 14-09-2014 12:44 PM
you're welcome
on 14-09-2014 12:45 PM
14-09-2014 12:48 PM - edited 14-09-2014 12:50 PM
@*julia*2010 wrote:you're welcome
For what?
The first specific report in the Telegraph appeared an hour ago. That was after I searched.
And still nothing from more reputable sources.
14-09-2014 12:55 PM - edited 14-09-2014 12:56 PM
I wonder how much media coverage this will get.
on 14-09-2014 12:56 PM
@i-need-a-martini wrote:
@*julia*2010 wrote:you're welcome
For what?
The first specific report in the Telegraph appeared an hour ago. That was after I searched.
you said you couldn't find any information
i assumed you meant on various news sites tv etc
as i said it was on the news this morning - an early morning news report on tv
and i provided a link to just one of many news reports (from early this morning)
on 14-09-2014 01:28 PM
@the_great_she_elephant wrote:I wonder how much media coverage this will get.
suggestion: - this deserves a separate thread
1 - it will get more attention
2 - won't detract from the OP.