Terrorist massacre foiled in Australia

Warrigal

Warrigal

SF VIP
Location
Sydney, Australia
The terrorists only need to get lucky once. The police have to be lucky every time. Or to do their job properly and to not drop the ball.

I take my hat off to the various police forces in Australia for their vigilance, intelligence gathering and for intervening before attacks take place. They have a good track record to date.

Werribee man arrested over alleged Melbourne New Year's Eve terrorism plot

A man has been arrested in Melbourne's south-west for allegedly trying to get a gun and "shoot as many people as he could" on New Year's Eve, Victoria Police said. The 20-year-old Werribee man accused of the terrorism plot was described by police as one of their "high persons of interest".

Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said they believed the man was trying to get an automatic rifle to "shoot and kill as many people as he could" around Federation Square, in Melbourne's CBD, during New Year's Eve celebrations.

Police said they moved in because the man had been having face-to-face meetings about getting a gun. The man, who police said was connected to other extremists, did not manage to obtain one, Deputy Commissioner Patton said.

Federation Square is of the most popular spots in Melbourne to bring in the new year.

He is facing charges in relation to preparing to commit a terrorist attack and collecting documents to facilitate that attack.
The man is described as a Muslim, who isan Australian citizen with Somalian parents.

"We were monitoring this person. He has been subject to our active investigation and at no stage did he access a firearm — albeit that was his intention," Deputy Commissioner Patton said. "This is a person would become particularly energised, for a lack of a better word, when overseas events occurred and would express a great deal of interest in committing an attack himself."

The man is currently being interviewed by police and is expected to be charged later today or tomorrow once the questioning is complete, he said.

One of the charges carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. Police have applied for a time extension to question him further. He said the man had accessed documents produced by Al Qaeda, including a "guidebook" on how to commit a terrorist act and how to use firearms.

New Year's Eve attack could have been 'horrendous'

Deputy Commissioner Patton said there was no ongoing threat for the upcoming Christmas and New Year's Eve period.
"We're quite confident that there's no risk or no threat to the Victorian community now that we have removed him from society and he's being interviewed," he said.

However Deputy Commissioner Patton said the potential of the attack could have been catastrophic. "This is a person who's expressed an intention to try and kill as many people as he could through shooting them in the Federation Square area on New Year's Eve. Horrendous," he said.

Earlier police said the operation was ongoing but no other arrests were expected. The man was arrested on Monday after police executed warrants at his family home in Werribee, and at a relative's home inMeadow Heights. They also raided a small computer company in Footscray where the man worked part-time.

Police are still searching the man's home and it was "very much an open question" whether his relatives were also involved, Deputy Commissioner Patton said. Police said the arrest was not linked to any previous operations.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-...elbourne-new-years-eve-terrorism-plot/9199576
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I cannot support that idea. Nor can I support Australia's treatment of refugees who tried to arrive on our shores by boat.
I am ashamed of my country because for nearly five years we have imprisoned, without any trial or hearing, hundreds of men, women and children on small islands so that they can be denied their human rights. We have slowly driven them mad, denied appropriate physical and mental health care and worst of all denied them hope. It is inhumane and fuels the recruiting propaganda of the real terrorists.
 
I work with Syrian refugees, predominantly Muslim, but with a sprinkling of Yazidi. My boss is a female Somali born Muslim psychiatrist. My Minister of Immigration is a Somali born lawyer. People embracing the values of their adopted country, Canada, and striving to be positive members of our society.
 
Kaya said:
Only way to do that is to stop people coming in from Muslim countries. They have one goal: Kill all heathens.
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Oh! dear with having Muslims in my family for over twenty years, I wonder how much longer I have to wait.:rolleyes::eek:ld:
 
Shalimar said:
I work with Syrian refugees, predominantly Muslim, but with a sprinkling of Yazidi. My boss is a female Somali born Muslim psychiatrist. My Minister of Immigration is a Somali born lawyer. People embracing the values of their adopted country, Canada, and striving to be positive members of our society.
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Which is quite different from wanting to tear it down ...

Once again my question is, how do you tell the good guys from the bad?

While I laud the police for catching this guy, I wonder how often that occurs? Normally we hear about reactive measures being taken, rather than proactive.
 
SifuPhil said:
Which is quite different from wanting to tear it down ...

Once again my question is, how do you tell the good guys from the bad?

While I laud the police for catching this guy, I wonder how often that occurs? Normally we hear about reactive measures being taken, rather than proactive.
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No one has a crystal ball, that said, a prolonged and detailed vetting takes place before refugees are allowed into the country.
 
I believe Kaya was referring only to Muslim Extremists; militants, ISIS or Al Queda, not the average person of the Muslim religion, such as may be found in your peaceful family, Bee. Just my opinion.
 
Shalimar said:
No one has a crystal ball, that said, a prolonged and detailed vetting takes place before refugees are allowed into the country.
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We have task forces set up for different purposes. They keep tabs on individuals and watch the interactions. We have one for Middle Eastern crime gangs in Sydney, one for rogue bikie gangs and most importantly one tracking movements etc of people who appear to be becoming radicalised by terrorists. Members of the public report things that worry them, the task forces can apply to courts for covert surveillance warrants and there is co-operation between state police, federal police and border control.

So far they have been very good at watching and waiting for the right moment to pounce. Refugees are less likely to be a problem so much as young men either born here or having grown up here. Their families are not usually the source of radicalisation. More likely they are the ones who first notify the police that their son is behaving in a worrying manner. Other tip offs come from the mosques but often the young men are not mosque attendees. They thrive in small cells and these are what the police try to surveil.
 
Warrigal said:
We have task forces set up for different purposes. They keep tabs on individuals and watch the interactions. We have one for Middle Eastern crime gangs in Sydney, one for rogue bikie gangs and most importantly one tracking movements etc of people who appear to be becoming radicalised by terrorists. Members of the public report things that worry them, the task forces can apply to courts for covert surveillance warrants and there is co-operation between state police, federal police and border control.

So far they have been very good at watching and waiting for the right moment to pounce. Refugees are less likely to be a problem so much as young men either born here or having grown up here. Their families are not usually the source of radicalisation. More likely they are the ones who first notify the police that their son is behaving in a worrying manner. Other tip offs come from the mosques but often the young men are not mosque attendees. They thrive in small cells and these are what the police try to surveil.
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We have a similar tracking system in place re radicalisation. We too have problems with people either born or raised here. Some homegrown terrorists are not Muslims but those who hate them. Not long ago, a young Quebecois male killed some people in a mosque. He was apprehended.
 
The police are on a roll. A tip off from the public has been valuable in interrupting a plot to attack a rural school.
Two teenage boys have been arrested and charged with serious offences.
The motive has not yet been published

Teens allegedly planned to attack Riverland school with guns and explosives

Updated about 2 hours agoWed 29 Nov 2017,

Two teenage boys who police will allege were planning an attack involving guns and explosives at a school in South Australia's Riverland region have been charged with serious offences.

Police said the alleged attack "would have resulted, if successful, in significant loss of life and casualties".

One teenage boy, 16, has been charged with solicit to murder, and the second teen, 18, has been charged with four counts of aggravated counts of threatening to kill. Detective Superintendent Des Bray said the investigation, called Taskforce Murray, led to the arrest of the two teenagers earlier this month. Both remain in custody and he said there was no risk to the community at this time.

In a press conference police explained the circumstances surrounding the arrest.

"On the 7th of November, [police] conducted a search on the juvenile's home and found him in possession of prohibited weapons [knives], homemade body armour and materials that could be used to make bombs or incendiary devices," Detective Superintendent Des Bray said. The 16-year-old was arrested and refused bail. The 18-year-old was arrested on the same day.

Police allege attack would have occurred by year's end

Police will allege the teens had told others about their plans, which is how the information was brought to their attention.
"We believe that most likely the attack would have occurred if not stopped by the end of the current school term," Superintendent Detective Bray said. "Police will allege that they intended to cause harm to a large number of people, however this plan was thwarted. There is no evidence to show that any other person was linked with this matter, nor did the two individuals have possession of firearms."

Detective Superintendent Bray said police were working with a number of organisations during the investigation, including the Education Department and the school authorities. The 16-year-old will appear in court next week while the 18-year-old will appear in January.

'We've prevented a catastrophe'

Detective Superintendent Bray said the investigation was ongoing and further charges could be laid in the future.
The offence of solicit to murder carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
"It would be unbelievable to think that this sort of thing would happen in South Australia," Detective Superintendent Bray said. "I'm extremely grateful to the community in the Riverland for coming forward when they did. I'm extremely grateful of the response of the local police and there is no doubt in my mind that we've prevented a catastrophe."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-...planning-attack-at-a-riverland-school/9207214
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