nugge t
29th August 2014, 12:23 PM
Not sure why we want to stop these guys leaving the country to fight. Who knows what they may get upto if kept here. They certainly are not going to thank Australia. The real priority would be to make sure they don't get back in and that their benefits are cut off immediately.
Five grounded, 40 questioned in terror blitz
by: CAMERON STEWART and PIA AKERMAN
From: The Australian (http://www.theaustralian.com.au/)
August 29, 2014 12:00AM
AT least five suspected jihadist recruits have been detained at Australian airports and prevented from travelling overseas in recent months, amid suspicion that they intended to travel to fight in Syria and Iraq.
The move is part of a growing government crackdown on Australians going overseas to fight that has involved at least 40 coercive hearings being conducted to help agencies detect those who plan to go and fight.
Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said a Sydney man was stopped at Sydney airport on Sunday and another man was stopped at Melbourne airport on Monday as he and his family attempted to fly to the Middle East.
Another man and his family were detained at Melbourne airport on Wednesday but the man, who is believed to have been on an ASIO watch list, was later permitted to fly to Malaysia.
Justice Minister Michael Keenan revealed yesterday that the Australian Crime Commission had conducted at least 40 hearings in the past 12 months in connection with Syria and Iraq, where 60 Australians are currently believed to be fighting.
“The ACC has been operating jointly with its national security partners to support the domestic understanding of Middle Eastern conflicts,” Mr Keenan said.
“These examinations have resulted in an enhanced understanding of Australians likely to travel offshore to engage in conflicts and their travel patterns and financing.”
As more details of the crackdown emerged, Tony Abbott set out the moral case for Australian military intervention in Iraq, telling parliament the slaughter of innocents by jihadist extremists was close to “pure evil”.
The Prime Minister stressed that he had so far received no request for military assistance and any such step would require a cabinet decision and consultation with the opposition.
The government has set up new counter-terrorism units at Sydney and Melbourne airports to help detect those Australians who leave to fight overseas.
The family of a man who was pulled off a Malaysia-bound flight at Melbourne airport on Wednesday have demanded answers from authorities, saying little explanation was provided for the “humiliating” incident.
The 26-year-old man, his wife, his younger brother and their mother were already seated on the Air Asia flight to Kuala
Lumpur on Wednesday morning when Customs officials boarded the plane and demanded to see their passports. They then escorted the family off the plane and held them for questioning at the airport, inspecting their luggage and examining their phone messages and photos before releasing the man and his family without any charge and handing the luggage back. The group was allowed to travel to Malaysia for their holiday yesterday.
The man’s sister, who asked to be identified only as Hannah, said her brother had been on an ASIO watchlist since 2009, when the family home was raided as authorities swooped on suspects linked to a plot to attack the Holsworthy army barracks. The man is friends with Nayev El Sayed, who is serving an 18-year sentence for his role, which involved seeking a fatwa from a Somali sheik ahead of the planned attack.
“We’re really upset that this is happening, that it’s happening all over again,” Hannah said. “If he’s a suspected terrorist, why do they book a flight for him the next day to leave again? How does that make any sense?”
Hannah said her brother was a “peaceful” man who had expressed no desire to join the jihadist fighters in Iraq or Syria.
“We all watch the news and it’s very distressing what we see, but no one is saying they want to pack their bags and get on the plane and go fight,” she said. “He can’t even kill a spider. He is so quiet and innocent, very calm, peaceful.”
Hannah said her brother had travelled to Malaysia two years ago for a family wedding without any problems, and questioned why her family had not been stopped at check-in or any of the screening points before boarding their flight.
Asked about the family’s case, a spokesman for Mr Morrison declined to answer questions but said the man was not included as one of the five people suspected of terrorist links who have been pulled off flights at Australian airports under the crackdown.
Five grounded, 40 questioned in terror blitz
by: CAMERON STEWART and PIA AKERMAN
From: The Australian (http://www.theaustralian.com.au/)
August 29, 2014 12:00AM
AT least five suspected jihadist recruits have been detained at Australian airports and prevented from travelling overseas in recent months, amid suspicion that they intended to travel to fight in Syria and Iraq.
The move is part of a growing government crackdown on Australians going overseas to fight that has involved at least 40 coercive hearings being conducted to help agencies detect those who plan to go and fight.
Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said a Sydney man was stopped at Sydney airport on Sunday and another man was stopped at Melbourne airport on Monday as he and his family attempted to fly to the Middle East.
Another man and his family were detained at Melbourne airport on Wednesday but the man, who is believed to have been on an ASIO watch list, was later permitted to fly to Malaysia.
Justice Minister Michael Keenan revealed yesterday that the Australian Crime Commission had conducted at least 40 hearings in the past 12 months in connection with Syria and Iraq, where 60 Australians are currently believed to be fighting.
“The ACC has been operating jointly with its national security partners to support the domestic understanding of Middle Eastern conflicts,” Mr Keenan said.
“These examinations have resulted in an enhanced understanding of Australians likely to travel offshore to engage in conflicts and their travel patterns and financing.”
As more details of the crackdown emerged, Tony Abbott set out the moral case for Australian military intervention in Iraq, telling parliament the slaughter of innocents by jihadist extremists was close to “pure evil”.
The Prime Minister stressed that he had so far received no request for military assistance and any such step would require a cabinet decision and consultation with the opposition.
The government has set up new counter-terrorism units at Sydney and Melbourne airports to help detect those Australians who leave to fight overseas.
The family of a man who was pulled off a Malaysia-bound flight at Melbourne airport on Wednesday have demanded answers from authorities, saying little explanation was provided for the “humiliating” incident.
The 26-year-old man, his wife, his younger brother and their mother were already seated on the Air Asia flight to Kuala
Lumpur on Wednesday morning when Customs officials boarded the plane and demanded to see their passports. They then escorted the family off the plane and held them for questioning at the airport, inspecting their luggage and examining their phone messages and photos before releasing the man and his family without any charge and handing the luggage back. The group was allowed to travel to Malaysia for their holiday yesterday.
The man’s sister, who asked to be identified only as Hannah, said her brother had been on an ASIO watchlist since 2009, when the family home was raided as authorities swooped on suspects linked to a plot to attack the Holsworthy army barracks. The man is friends with Nayev El Sayed, who is serving an 18-year sentence for his role, which involved seeking a fatwa from a Somali sheik ahead of the planned attack.
“We’re really upset that this is happening, that it’s happening all over again,” Hannah said. “If he’s a suspected terrorist, why do they book a flight for him the next day to leave again? How does that make any sense?”
Hannah said her brother was a “peaceful” man who had expressed no desire to join the jihadist fighters in Iraq or Syria.
“We all watch the news and it’s very distressing what we see, but no one is saying they want to pack their bags and get on the plane and go fight,” she said. “He can’t even kill a spider. He is so quiet and innocent, very calm, peaceful.”
Hannah said her brother had travelled to Malaysia two years ago for a family wedding without any problems, and questioned why her family had not been stopped at check-in or any of the screening points before boarding their flight.
Asked about the family’s case, a spokesman for Mr Morrison declined to answer questions but said the man was not included as one of the five people suspected of terrorist links who have been pulled off flights at Australian airports under the crackdown.