Tony Abbott’s proposed national security changes have the potential to exacerbate the underlying causes of violent extremism and further damage Australia’s social cohesion.
AAP/Lukas Coch
Australia’s response to terrorism must not be rooted in short-term political gains, but in a larger strategy that takes into account the problems leading to social disaffection.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the government would act against “hate preachers”.
AAP/Lukas Coch
Tony Abbott has urged Muslim leaders to speak out more – and sincerely – in the fight against terrorism, as he unveiled tough new measures that would remove or curb the citizenship rights of those linked…
Prime Minister Tony Abbott will deliver a national security statement on Monday.
AAP/Paul Miller
The government on Monday will announce a new national counter-terrorism offensive to better meet threats, counter violent extremism and build community cohesion, as Tony Abbott shifts focus from individual…
Tony Abbott’s statement to parliament on national security is to come amidst a difficult time for the prime minister.
AAP/Mick Tsikas
Prime Minister Tony Abbott looks set to make a case for further sweeping national security changes in the wake of recent terrorist attacks and arrests. Speaking in advance of a statement to parliament…
A Shia Houthi gunman muses on the US’s tactic of choice.
EPA/Yahya Arhab
On January 31, Harith al-Nadhari, a senior al-Qaeda figure who praised the Charlie Hebdo attackers, was killed by a US drone strike. This is the first drone strike in Yemen for a number of weeks, and it…
Tasers are absolutely necessary in the fight against terrorism, according to the chair of the UK Police Federation, Steve White. The statement – made in an interview with The Guardian – saw White demand…
Under orders to keep watch.
Surveillance via bikerriderlondon/Shutterstock
The Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill 2014-15, having been rushed through the House of Commons with alarming speed and ease, has passed its second reading in the House of Lords. It is now in the final…
Fans of The Simpsons might recall an episode entitled Mr Spritz Goes to Washington. Krusty the Clown gets elected to Congress and the family receives an education in the activities required to get things…
Belgian security forces patrol near the Jewish museum in Brussels.
EPA/Julien Warnand
Even as the world was still trying to make sense of the Paris attacks, attention suddenly shifted towards Brussels with the news that two suspected jihadis had been killed in a police anti-terror raid…
With the shock from the Paris terrorist attacks barely diminished, attention in a number of Western capitals is understandably fixated on counter-terrorism. Politicians are focused on the question of how…
French police storm the Jewish supermarket where hostages were held.
Ian Langsdon/EPA
The hunt for the two killers who attacked the offices of Charlie Hebdo is over, after a three-day chase and a standoff at a warehouse outside Paris. The two suspects were killed, and the hostage they took…
Universities are acutely aware of their role in preventing terrorism. Now the government has proposed a statutory duty in the Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill that will require universities, schools…
The Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill introduced in the UK parliament this week is designed to place legal requirements on certain businesses to retain information about user communications. It has its…
Home and away: Theresa May’s domestic fears hinge on a foreign war.
John Stillwell/PA Wire
As she seeks to push through tough new terrorism legislation, Home Secretary Theresa May has reported an increased danger of terror attacks in the UK. But May’s claim that 40 terrorist plots have been…
Did MI5 send Michael Adebolajo a friend request?
Dave Thompson/PA Wire
The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) of Parliament has now released its 191-page report into Lee Rigby’s murder. The report concludes that even though the ISC “discovered a number of errors…
With limited resources, some threats will slip through the net.
David Holt
With its vigorous, fractious media and political environment, the UK is a nation of second guessers. Nowhere is that more evident than in the response to the vicious murder of Lee Rigby. A parliamentary…
Time to get the police hat out.
Dominic Lipinski/PA Archive
The results of seven school inspections in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets have brought a fresh wave of allegations that some schools are not providing a broad and balanced curriculum for their pupils…
The chief inspector of schools’ intervention into the running of seven London schools shines a light onto several emerging developments in the Prevent strategy for countering violent extremism. Michael…
Temporary security measures often become permanent.
Larry Downing/Reuters
The recent security lapses at the White House have brought to the forefront the 13-year-old question of how to effectively secure public spaces. As officials weigh increasing perimeter security and installing…