أستراليا ترفع مستوى التحذير من التهديد الإرهابي وتعتبره “ممكن الحدوث”

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”.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Friday, with ASIO Director General David Irvine and AFP Commissioner Andrew Colvin. Photo: Luis Ascui
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.

The PM and AFP Commissioner ahead of Friday’s announcement in Melbourne. Photo: Luis Ascui
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.
“The rhetoric that is now coming out of the Middle East which is encouraging Australians to take violent action … increases the possibility of attacks here, and so we see an increase particularly in intent,” he said. Mr Irvine warned returning fighters could be intending on trying to carry out a Bali-style attack but warned it could also be a “lone-wolf” type of incident.
“It could manifest itself in a Bali-type attack or it could manifest itself in the various other sorts of attacks from loners through to small groups to large activities such as Bali that we’ve seen elsewhere in the world,” he said. Prime Minister Abbott predicted any Australian contribution to air strikes against ISILfighters would see the rhetoric increase but said that would be an excuse not and the reason for the increased threat posed to Australia.
Attorney-General George Brandis stressed the Australian Muslims are the “victims” of the “wicked people” “preying” upon young men, recruiting them to fight in wars in the Middle East. Police raided an Islamic bookshop in Brisbane this week and arrested two men who have both been charged with terrorism-related offences.
Australia has been at a ‘medium’ level of alert since the four levels of national terrorism alert were introduced in 2003. The highest level is “extreme” and is only used when a terrorist attack is either “imminent” or has occurred.
Mr Abbott said the Director General raised the terror threat on Thursday night, leading the government to raise the public alert level on Friday. Mr Irvine said he had been considering raising the threat level for the past six months. Last month Britain raised its alert level to “severe”.
The Premiers and Chief Ministers were briefed an hour before the Prime Minister’s media conference. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten was also briefed.

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