Mike Burgess, Director of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, said there were no signs of an imminent attack, but the risk of violence increased over the next 12 months.
"Australia's security environment is deteriorating, becoming more unstable and unpredictable... Politically motivated violence, along with espionage and foreign interference, is now a major security concern for us," he said.
The Sydney Opera House in Australia. Photo: AP
Burgess said that more and more Australians are becoming radicalized and are increasingly willing to use violence to achieve their goals. "Individuals are embracing anti-government ideologies, conspiracy theories and various other grievances. Some people are combining multiple beliefs to create new hybrid ideologies," he said.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he had raised the country's danger alert level on the advice of security agencies. "The advice we've received is that more and more Australians are pursuing more extreme ideologies and we have a responsibility to be vigilant," he said at a press conference.
Burgess said that extremist ideologies have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic and more recently during the Israel-Hamas conflict. "The escalation of conflict in the Middle East, particularly in southern Lebanon, will create further tensions, exacerbate the situation, and potentially fuel discontent," he warned.
He said that in the past four months, there have been eight incidents believed to be linked or potentially linked to terrorism. In one high-profile attack in April, a 16-year-old boy allegedly stabbed an Assyrian Christian bishop during a live-streamed church service in Sydney.
The head of the intelligence agency said that social media and encrypted applications are making threats "more difficult to predict and identify." He stated that the internet and social media are "primarily platforms for extremism and the use of encryption by all of our investigative subjects."
Mr. Burgess said that in the context of the new threat, attacks are most likely to involve individuals or small groups with rudimentary weapons, often acting with little or no warning or plan.
Prime Minister Albanese said the Australian government is working with social media companies to remove extremist and violent content and is also testing age verification technology.
Mr. Albanese said that the US and the UK are also grappling with the rise of extremist ideologies. "Countries around the world are concerned about radicalization among young people, online radicalization, and the rise of new hybrid ideologies," he warned.
Hoang Anh (according to CNA, AP)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/uc-nang-muc-canh-bao-khung-bo-vi-cac-he-tu-tuong-cuc-doan-post306504.html
