Australia: Battling the Terrorism Threat from Within

April 3, 2006

Since launching anti-terrorism campaign Operation Pendennis in the fall of 2005, a multi-agency Australian task force has rounded up at least 39 suspects allegedly involved in terrorist plots against the country, though Canberra has not provided details on the various plots. Operation Pendennis, the result of a controversial law that broadened law enforcement powers to detain terrorism suspects, is a key component of Australia's effort to stop terrorists in their tracks -- before an attack can occur.

In the latest round of arrests, Operation Pendennis agents nabbed three Muslim men in Melbourne on March 31. The suspects, Majed Raad of Coburg, Shoue Hommoud of Hadfield and Bassam Raad, face charges of belonging to a terrorist organization, supporting terrorism and making funds available to a terrorist organization. Raad, who proclaimed his innocence during an April 3 bail hearing, also is accused of discussing a "violent act of jihad" with Abdul Nacer Benbrika, a.k.a Abu Bakr. Benbrika is an Algerian spiritual leader of an alleged extremist group who was arrested along with 17 other suspects in November 2005. That group, authorities said, was in the late stages of planning an attack, though the target has not been specified. Nineteen suspects also were arrested in Melbourne and Sydney in December 2005 in connection with a suspected bomb plot. Trials in these cases have not begun.

On Nov. 3, 2005, shortly before Benbrika's arrest, Prime Minister John Howard pushed a law through Australian Parliament that gave law enforcement agencies broader powers to detain those suspected of terrorist activities. The suspect timing of the two events led many critics to question whether the law was passed specifically to target Benbrika and his associates. The Australian law, which is similar to controversial anti-terrorism measures passed in Britain and the United States, also has many opponents who believe the laws will irreversibly damage civil liberties and, in extreme cases, erode democracy.

Australia's close alliance with the United States, specifically in regards to the global war on terrorism, has made it a prime target for terrorist attack. Though no attack has occurred on Australian soil, the 2004 Madrid train bombing and the 2005 London Underground attacks have raised concerns that an attempt will be made within the country. The 2002 and 2005 bombings in Bali, Indonesia, which together killed scores of Australians, and the 2004 car bombing against the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, have kept Canberra in a constant state of vigilance.

Operation Pendennis, which coordinates the resources of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, federal law enforcement and local police forces, is one aspect of the country's anti-terrorism efforts. Its latest arrests highlight Canberra's ongoing battle against the terrorist threat from within.

© Copyright 2006 Strategic Forecasting Inc.