Category: War on Terror

A Brisbane man deported from Germany who spent several months with Kurdish fighters battling Islamic State in Iraq and Syria remains under invest­i­gation after being released without charge.

Ashley Dyball, a 23-year-old former weightlifting enthusiast, returned to his family’s home in the Queensland capital yesterday after being questioned for several hours on arrival at Melbourne Airport late on Sunday night.

Despite claims Australians who fight with the Kurds may avoid prosecution, it is understood Mr Dyball was released ­because police lacked the grounds on which to charge him under foreign-fighter legislation. Those convicted under the legislation face up to 25 years in jail.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton yesterday said that it was “difficult” to punish Mr Dyball because he came from a “very good family”.

What a ridiculous statement.

So did Brett  Cowan,  murderer and sex offender who was convicted of the murder of Daniel Morcombe. I personally knew his father.

Coming from a “good family” is a matter that the judge might consider when sentencing a person if found guilty but it certainly shouldn’t be considered when deciding whether someone should be charged or not.

Immigration Minister needs to have a chat with Attorney General

Professor Triggs, a former resident of Paris, said existing concerns about the potential consequences of military action will be “heightened” following the attacks.

“The French are a very politically engaged people … but I think the loss of so many people in such a cold-blooded and planned attack will heighten the concerns that they have about the role they are playing globally,” she told ABC Radio.

It sure will Gillian.  You watch the French ramp it up.

She suggests France actually surrender and give up pursuing ISIS.

“I think the French will be looking into themselves into just what can be achieved by trying to stop ISIL, whether they should, or whether they should back away completely.”

Crazy dame.  I note she backs Turnbull and his soft stand on terrorism as he plans to send Peacemakers some time in the future…when everyone else has done the hard work….presumably.

Amid reports a Syrian passport used to enter Europe through Greece was found near a suicide bomber, Ms Triggs called for political leaders to show courage and warn against associating the two issues.

‘There will undeniably be those who say that the relatively open borders have made it easier for terrorists to get in,’ Ms Triggs told ABC radio on Monday.

Undeniably Gillian, simply because it has.

One  of the problems fighting ISIS is that useful idiots like Triggs exist and have a voice.

Turnbull on the Paris obscenity

Mr Turnbull made it clear that military action was crucial to success and signalled that he might consider more Australian troops being deployed there in roles such as peacekeeping.

That sentence is a contradiction in terms as Peacekeepers enter the combat zone after peace has been declared, and that is not happening anytime soon.

The ABC news say world leaders vow to destroy ISIS.  Our guy says we’ll send peacekeepers.

Embarrassing!

Personally, I was disappointed that RAAF Hornets weren’t allowed out of their bunkers to fly alongside French Fighter Bombers in their missions overnight.

Dennis Shanahan talking about Abbott

His willingness to send troops to Iraq for training and fighter-bombers into Syria were of a piece with his view the US should do more in Syria to defeat “the death cult” militarily in the field, to stop terror attacks in Australia and elsewhere. Abbott’s view was that Daesh had to be destroyed in Syria and Iraq.

And all Turnbull offers is Peacekeepers.  Even civilians will understand that Peacekeepers aren’t the answer and that to win a war, and it is a war, the West need to destroy ISIS where they live.  They need to destroy their lines of communications and their logistics.  Find out where they are getting their AK 47/54s and destroy the factories.  They need to  track their finances, take the money and attack any nation that finances them and they need to close down their access to the internet.

The West need to conduct all-out-war or suffer a litany of Paris events.

Abbott’s view will prevail while Turnbull’s initial response will be hopefully forgotten as he gains some experience.  Wishful thinking I know, but I’m trying to be positive.

We need to stand with Paris, not pray for them.  If you must pray then wait until we are burying ISIS troops and then pray for their souls to be eternally condemned.

Not a good look but I can’t see any beheaded bodies on the ground

Right-wing extremism is emerging as an equal, if not greater, threat than Muslim radicalisation in Australia and multiculturalism is “close to death” at a federal level, academics and police have told a conference on social cohesion.

Violent extremism in Australia is beginning to mirror that of the US, counter-terrorism expert Anne Aly from Curtin University said.

She highlighted a New America Foundation study released last month that found right-wing extremists had killed twice as many people since September 11 as jihadists.

Most probably because Intelligence agencies are all over anyone who even looks like a Jihadist whereas no one notices gun toting nutters until they implode and start killing.

I note that the report uses stats post 9/11 and doesn’t mention Bali, London underground and the tens of thousands of Christians and Muslims slaughtered by Jihadists around the world.

That would skew the stats a little too close to the truth

Dr Aly said there was a need to educate children on violent extremism in the same way we have done with other social issues like drugs and bullying.

Have to agree with the good Doctor there.  Kids need to be made aware that violent extremism of the Muslims is a problem and they need to be alert lest they get caught in another maelstrom of religious slaughter.

I sometimes question the motives of the Fairfax press. They seem to be always on the side of the Jihadist, or more particularly, not on the side of governments that try are trying to stem the Muslim onslaught.

Sharrouf and fellow Australian Mohamed Elomar are believed to have been killed in the Iraqi city of Mosul in the past week. “Once those reports have been verified, then we can deal with other circumstances, including the children,” she told the Seven Network.

Good! I mean the bit about them being killed.

Labor leader Bill Shorten, asked if Sharrouf’s wife should be allowed to come home, said it was “a pretty complex situation”.

“I feel very much for the children. For me the well-being of the children is what’s important,” the Opposition Leader said in Canberra.

I wonder how Bill feels about the guy whose severed head was held by one of these children, photographed and posted on the media like it was a happy holiday snap.

Does he feel very much for him?

UPDATE:

Classified images captured by the US military in Al-Raqqah have confirmed the death of Sydney terrorist Elomar, the Sunday Telegraph reports.

But none of the photographs suggest Sharrouf was killed in the Predator drone missile strike on an Islamic State group convoy, authorities say.

Reload, regain the target and fire.

Diana Abdel-Rahman, president of the Australian Muslim Voice in Canberra, says the Muslim community has “very deep concerns” about the Abbott ­government using its counter-terrorism policy as a “political wedge” to evoke anxiety.

Evoke anxiety!  The way I see it is that it’s the Muslims provoking anxiety.  9/11, Bali; Jakarta, London, happy snaps with son holding severed head and then there is this little list.

• 2003-04: An investigation of Faheem Lodhi found he was plotting to bomb the national electricity grid or defence sites; he was convicted of terrorism offences.
• 2005: Nine individuals were arrested in Sydney after sourcing chemicals and materials for use in the preparation of an explosive device; possession or attempted purchase of firearms and ammunition; and possession of large quantities of extremist material. All were convicted of terrorism offences.
• 2005: 13 individuals were arrested in Melbourne and charged with plotting mass casualty attacks, with the intention of coercing the Australian Government to withdraw from Iraq. Nine individuals were convicted of terrorism offences.
• 2009: Five men charged with conspiracy for preparation for an attack using firearms on Holsworthy Army Barracks in Sydney. Three were convicted.
• 2014: In response to intelligence revealing an alleged plot to kill a random member of the public, entry and search operations were conducted on multiple occasions in Sydney.
• 2014: Lindt Cafe Seige. On the morning of December 15, 2014, a self-styled spiritual healer, clairvoyant and sheikh who had arrived in Australia from Iran in 1996 under the name of Mohammad Hassan Manteghi, took staff and customers hostage at gunpoint inside the Lindt cafe in Sydney’s Martin Place.  When the smoke cleared away there were two hostages dead and Monis was killed.

But wait, there’s more;

Authorities believe that around 150 Australians are currently fighting alongside ISIS in Iraq and Syria, making the country the highest foreign per capita contributor to the violence. Many more have left the country for the Middle East in recent weeks, though their intent in doing so has not yet been determined.

And Abbott is evoking anxiety.  God give me strength!

She continues;

“I believe the language that he uses and the tone that he uses, the consistency of the words that he uses … (is) as if he is taking advantage of a situation to heighten the levels of fear in the community to a point that it can be perceived as being racist,” Ms Abdel-Rahman said.

Technically she is wrong.  If Abbott’s legislation was targeting Lebanese, Syrian, or Iranian nationals then she might have a case but Islam is a religion followed by Muslims of all nationalities so targeting them may be lots of things, but it isn’t racist.

The levels of fear have been evoked by the radical Muslims, not by any politician.  The politicians are simply trying to make the country safe.

Her father migrated to Australia from Lebanon 64 years ago and Ms Abdel-Rahman said four generations of her family had felt “alienated” during the political debate on how to combat Islamic State.

If four generations of her family are feeling “alienated” then they need to talk to their Muslim mates and get them to quieten down.

No good talking to us. we’re not the problem.