WEBVTT - Why a terror strike is ‘probable’

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<v Speaker 1>You can listen to the Front on your smart speaker

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<v Speaker 1>every morning to hear the latest episode. Just say play

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<v Speaker 1>the news from the Australian. From the Australian, here's what's

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<v Speaker 1>on the Front. I'm Claire Harvey. It's Tuesday, August sixth.

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<v Speaker 1>Brittaney Higgins lawyer says Senator Linda Reynolds was trying to

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<v Speaker 1>help Bruce Lahman, the man Higgins accused of rape, by

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<v Speaker 1>sending his lawyer's text messages during Lahman's criminal trial. Reynolds

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<v Speaker 1>is suing Higgins and her husband David Schiraz for defamation,

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<v Speaker 1>but higgins lawyer Rachel Young sc says the senator retraumatized

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<v Speaker 1>and harassed Brittney Higgins. Our coverage of that trial is

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<v Speaker 1>live at Beaustralian dot com. The last standing Rat of

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<v Speaker 1>to Brook, Tom Pritchard, has died at the age of

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<v Speaker 1>one hundred and two. In nineteen forty one, the Rats

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<v Speaker 1>held off Access troops for two hundred and forty two

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<v Speaker 1>days in North Africa. Pritchard lied about his age to

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<v Speaker 1>join the army. As a nineteen year old. He served

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<v Speaker 1>as an ambulance attendant at Tabrook. Probable that's the new

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<v Speaker 1>terror threat level in Australia declared by the spy Agency ASIO,

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<v Speaker 1>which is warning about the threat posed by young people

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<v Speaker 1>radicalized online and armed with knives or guns.

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<v Speaker 2>We assess there is a greater than fifty percent chance

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<v Speaker 2>of an onshore attack or planning in the next twelve months.

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<v Speaker 1>It's all about rising tensions in the Middle East?

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<v Speaker 3>Or is it?

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<v Speaker 1>Today we unpack the spymaster's careful wording. In the Middle East,

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<v Speaker 1>Israel's bombardment of Gaza is morphing into something much bigger,

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<v Speaker 1>a regional war. Rocket sirens in Israel as civilians sheltering place,

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<v Speaker 1>a Lebanese ambulance races through the streets of Beirut, in Iran,

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<v Speaker 1>prayers for a Hamas leader assassinated by Israel right in

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<v Speaker 1>the heart of Tehran, And in Australia, a chilling new mood.

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<v Speaker 1>Here's Anthony Albanesi.

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<v Speaker 4>Asia has decided to return Australia's national terrorism threat level

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<v Speaker 4>from possible too probable.

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<v Speaker 2>Attacks are likely to occur with little or no warning

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<v Speaker 2>and will be difficult to detect.

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<v Speaker 1>That's asy Oboss Mike Burgess. On Monday, he was part

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<v Speaker 1>of a joint press conference with Albanesi and the Attorney

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<v Speaker 1>General Mark Dreyfus.

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<v Speaker 2>An escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, particularly

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<v Speaker 2>in southern Lebanon, would inflict further strain, aggravating tensions and

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<v Speaker 2>potentially fueling grievances.

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<v Speaker 1>So the raised terror alert is about the Israel Gaza conflict, right, Well,

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<v Speaker 1>it's not so clear.

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<v Speaker 2>Our decision is not a direct response to the tragic

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<v Speaker 2>events in the Middle East. At this stage, we do

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<v Speaker 2>not believe any of the terrorist plots we have investigated

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<v Speaker 2>in the last year have been inspired by Gaza. Terrorist

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<v Speaker 2>leaders offshore are not inspiring attacks on This is why

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<v Speaker 2>we did not raise threat level in the immediate aftermath

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<v Speaker 2>of the seventh of October. Indirectly though, there have been

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<v Speaker 2>important and relevant impacts. The conflict has fueled grievances, promoted protest,

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<v Speaker 2>exacerbated division, undermined social cohesion, and elevated intolerance. After the

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<v Speaker 2>seventh of October, I warned that inflame language could lead

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<v Speaker 2>to inflame community tensions. Unfortunately, this is what's playing out.

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<v Speaker 1>So what's with all this opaque language?

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<v Speaker 5>I think Gaza is a very central aspect of what

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<v Speaker 5>as here. Did Mike Purchase probably being a bit softer

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<v Speaker 5>with his language than he might otherwise have been, because

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<v Speaker 5>he doesn't want his own comments to exacerbate and fuel

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<v Speaker 5>the divisions and the rhetoric and the passion that we've

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<v Speaker 5>seen in Australia ever since October seven.

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<v Speaker 1>That's Cameron Stewart, the chief international correspondent here at the Australian.

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<v Speaker 5>I guess what he's saying here, Claire, is that the

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<v Speaker 5>Gaza conflict has shown exactly the type of intolerance, political

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<v Speaker 5>rhetoric and hostility that we were seeing generally speaking in

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<v Speaker 5>Australian society. But basically Gaza is the best big example

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<v Speaker 5>of it in Australia. So I think it's central to

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<v Speaker 5>it really because I think what you've seen, for example,

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<v Speaker 5>in Australia play out since October seven fits into the

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<v Speaker 5>categories that my Burgess is talking about. The whole announcement

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<v Speaker 5>seemed to meet a reek of a government and a

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<v Speaker 5>security service very anxious not to further fan flames and

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<v Speaker 5>passions through the actual announcement itself.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay, So while the politicians and Burgess are not directly

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<v Speaker 1>saying it, this is in large part at least about

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<v Speaker 1>tensions in the Middle East spilling into Australian streets tell these.

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<v Speaker 3>Great incidences of anti Semitism in Australia rose seven hundred

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<v Speaker 3>percent after Hamas's terror attack on Israel and still remain

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<v Speaker 3>alarmingly high.

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<v Speaker 1>Anthony Albanezi was quick to sheet at least some of

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<v Speaker 1>the blame home to his natural enemies in Australian politics,

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<v Speaker 1>the Greens.

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<v Speaker 4>It is not normal to have people in occupations for

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<v Speaker 4>months outside electorate offices where the work of those electorate

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<v Speaker 4>officers is to assist people in social security and health

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<v Speaker 4>in other areas, they're not participants in the Middle East conflict.

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<v Speaker 5>We've seen the huge increase in racism, with the terrible

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<v Speaker 5>rise of anti Semitism in Australia, levels that we just

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<v Speaker 5>haven't seen before. We've also seen, if you like, a

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<v Speaker 5>normalization of intolerance with the activist rump of the pro

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<v Speaker 5>Palestinian movement, and by that I mean not mums and

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<v Speaker 5>dads to God on the Sunday to event their displeasure.

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<v Speaker 5>What Israel's response might be, it's really the activist rump them.

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<v Speaker 5>You've had defacing of Australian war memorials which have absolutely

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<v Speaker 5>nothing to do with Gaza. You've had statues toppled You've

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<v Speaker 5>had politicians' offices being targeted, You've had just a lot

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<v Speaker 5>of personal abuse hurled at a whole range of people.

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<v Speaker 5>I think that, if you like, that movement has very

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<v Speaker 5>much crystallized exactly the sort of breakdown in civility and

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<v Speaker 5>political discourse that Mike Burgess is talking about. And what

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<v Speaker 5>he's saying is, look, while we've had no direct violence

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<v Speaker 5>or plots related to this, this is a trend that

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<v Speaker 5>could easily lead to violence down the track.

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<v Speaker 1>He also said when asked about anti Semitism, he said, yes,

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<v Speaker 1>there's plenty of anti Semitism, but there's plenty of his

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<v Speaker 1>Lamophobia at the same time.

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<v Speaker 2>It's kind of almost equal treatment. Not quite, but almost

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<v Speaker 2>equal treatment.

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<v Speaker 1>You've been covering this pretty closely, cam ever since October seven.

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<v Speaker 1>Would you agree with that?

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<v Speaker 5>No, I don't agree with that now. Min I'm not

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<v Speaker 5>privy to the reports that my Burgess has seen, but certainly, Claire,

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<v Speaker 5>as far as visibility goes in Australia, I mean, the

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<v Speaker 5>age of Semitism is just by far more visible than

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<v Speaker 5>anti Islamophobia. We're not seeing marchers that are condemning Muslims,

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<v Speaker 5>We're not seeing anything like that. We are seeing marches

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<v Speaker 5>with the Nazi sort of paraphernalia, very anti Semitic content

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<v Speaker 5>in science and things like that. We've seen quite clearly

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<v Speaker 5>actions against Jewish businesses, against individual Jews in Australia just

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<v Speaker 5>because they're Jewish, nothing more than that. And so we're

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<v Speaker 5>just not seeing that sort of visible anti Islamophobia. I

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<v Speaker 5>do wander, to be honest, whether he is said that

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<v Speaker 5>in the same way that Penny Wong has put the

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<v Speaker 5>two together very frequently because they don't want to be

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<v Speaker 5>seen as particularly by us one way the other. But

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<v Speaker 5>certainly from my observation as a reporter covering this, it's

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<v Speaker 5>not nearly an even problem. It's a much greater problem

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<v Speaker 5>of anti Semitism coming up.

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<v Speaker 1>So what will the attacks we're bracing for look like?

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<v Speaker 1>While I've got you, the Australian subscribers are always the

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<v Speaker 1>first to know. Join us at the Australian dot com

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<v Speaker 1>dot AU. We'll be back after this break. We all

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<v Speaker 1>have ideas about what superspies should look like, intense jewel lines,

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<v Speaker 1>trench coats. Like Burgess, a sixty year old cyber warfare

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<v Speaker 1>expert with a degree in electrical engineering, is bald with

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<v Speaker 1>a neatly rimmed beard. He looks like he could be

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<v Speaker 1>any senior public servant, and maybe that's the point. The

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<v Speaker 1>best spies are supposed to blend into a crowd. What

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<v Speaker 1>does make Burgess different is his visibility. Once or twice

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<v Speaker 1>a year, he fronts up to the cameras to deliver

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<v Speaker 1>a fourth right, sometimes scary speech about the big, bad

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<v Speaker 1>world out there.

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<v Speaker 5>I think Mike Burgess is a very good director general

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<v Speaker 5>compared to his predecessors. Something. He's very outspoken, He's very direct.

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<v Speaker 5>I think that's the way that modern chiefs of security

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<v Speaker 5>agencies should be. You know, the old days, the old

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<v Speaker 5>days the chiefs are sort of whisper and say absolutely nothing.

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<v Speaker 5>He is very on the front foot and saying it

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<v Speaker 5>as it should be said. I think you need to

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<v Speaker 5>have an agency chief say this stuff because if you

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<v Speaker 5>have a politician say it, the opposition will think it's spin,

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<v Speaker 5>it's just alarmist, etc. The whole idea here is that

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<v Speaker 5>it does actually have an impact, and hopefully it does

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<v Speaker 5>prevent something like this actually occurring.

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<v Speaker 1>Burgess said, in the past eight months, there have been

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<v Speaker 1>eight attacks or disruptions that either involved acts of terror

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<v Speaker 1>or were investigated as potential acts of terrorism. He didn't

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<v Speaker 1>name the cases, but he said they had four things

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<v Speaker 1>in common.

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<v Speaker 2>Loane actors, an individual or a small group using rudimentary

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<v Speaker 2>weapons such as knives, improvised explosives or a gun.

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<v Speaker 1>A fast pace of radicalization.

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<v Speaker 2>Violence with little or no warning, and little or no planning.

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<v Speaker 1>They're involving kids.

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<v Speaker 2>In recent cases, the oldest perpetrator was twenty one and

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<v Speaker 2>the youngest was fourteen.

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<v Speaker 1>And they are not being driven by the same thing.

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<v Speaker 2>Individuals are being motivated by diversity of prievances and personal narratives.

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<v Speaker 2>In some cases I refer to, the alleged perpetrators appeared

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<v Speaker 2>to be motivated by extreme religious beliefs. In others, nationalists

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<v Speaker 2>and racist beliefs.

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<v Speaker 1>It all sounds pretty worrying, and it's asio wearing this.

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<v Speaker 1>The politicians are standing back, saying they're listening to the

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<v Speaker 1>advice from the spymasters.

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<v Speaker 2>The threats I'm describing are significant, but not insurmountable. Probable

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<v Speaker 2>does not mean inevitable. Australian should be aware, but not afraid.

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<v Speaker 1>One threat that Mike Burgess almost downplayed was the sort

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<v Speaker 1>of thing that we would have been talking about if

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<v Speaker 1>we'd done this interview three or four years ago Cam,

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<v Speaker 1>which is young Muslim Australians being radicalized by ISIS or

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<v Speaker 1>by radical preachers here in Australia. That was the big

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<v Speaker 1>concern a few years back. He is now saying that

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<v Speaker 1>that is not really what they're seeing now, that that's

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<v Speaker 1>not really the big concern.

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<v Speaker 5>I think you're saying that is still a concern, but

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<v Speaker 5>we've now got other things to match that concern, and

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<v Speaker 5>that is politically motivated rhetoric, conviolence, which they hadn't seen.

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<v Speaker 5>In other words, it's not just a religiously motivated problem.

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<v Speaker 5>Now there's a whole layer of post COVID freedom movement

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<v Speaker 5>that hates government authority. You know, there's the rise and

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<v Speaker 5>rise and rise of conspiracy theories, especially fueled by the Internet.

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<v Speaker 5>You know, it's amazing what people are believing these days,

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<v Speaker 5>and perhaps more unhinched people actually taking action on the

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<v Speaker 5>basis of that. I think what he's saying is we

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<v Speaker 5>now have a whole list of issues that are rising

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<v Speaker 5>at the same time, and so it doesn't dilute Islamic extremism,

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<v Speaker 5>for example, as a terror danger, because I think that's

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<v Speaker 5>still very much a terrorist danger in Australia. I think

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<v Speaker 5>what he's saying is we now have Unfortunately, we have

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<v Speaker 5>other things to rival it.

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<v Speaker 2>If you believe a person you know is going down

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<v Speaker 2>a dark extremist path, please talk to someone or call

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<v Speaker 2>the National Security Hotline on one eight hundred one two

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<v Speaker 2>three four hundred.

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<v Speaker 1>Cameron Stewart is The Australian's chief international correspondent. It's back

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<v Speaker 1>to the office today. The new South Wales government issued

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<v Speaker 1>a blund order to its hundreds of thousands of employees.

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<v Speaker 1>Working from home is over. The move is designed to

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<v Speaker 1>improve productivity and rescue the CBD hospitality sector. That story

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<v Speaker 1>and how it'll affect the rest of our workplaces is

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<v Speaker 1>live now at the Australian dot com dot au