Home Affairs Minister dodges question on possible Islamic State cell in Australia

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has dodged confirming or denying an Islamic State cell is active in Australia following the deadly Bondi Beach terror attack. Little more than two weeks have passed since Australia suffered its worst-ever terror incident. Gunmen opened fire on a Chanukah gathering, fatally shooting 15 innocents, injuring dozens more and tearing at Australia’s multicultural social fabric. Anthony Albanese and his senior ministers have labelled the massacre an “ISIS-inspired atrocity” and vowed action against so-called hate preachers – Islamic clerics who promote anti-Semitism and acts of violence to their congregations. As the minister responsible for Australia’s intelligence agencies and federal police, Mr Burke is spearheading key parts of the government response. He kept tight-lipped when asked on Tuesday if intelligence indicated there was an “Islamic State cell operating in Australia at this time”. “Look, the terror alert level in Australia is at probable, and we all wish that were not the case, but it is at probable – that’s where it is at, and there are things that we can do to have an impact there, and a whole lot of counter-terrorism work is part of that,” Mr Burke told the ABC. “But also the direct work against bigotry, against hate speech, against hate organisations, making sure that we increase our capacity to deport people who want to hate Australia and fellow Australians. “All of that is part of dealing with this, and none of that can wait.” Many have questioned how the Bondi suspects, father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram, stayed under the radar of counter-terrorism watchers. Sajid Akram, who was killed in the police response, had amassed six firearms since acquiring his gun licence in 2013. Six years later, intelligence officers looked into his son, Naveed, for consorting with members of an Islamic State cell in Sydney. He fell off their radar despite frequenting an Islamic centre in Sydney’s west infamous for extremist preachings. That centre, run by notorious Islamist preacher Wissam Haddad, was shut down last week after the local council found it did not hold necessary permits. A lawyer for Mr Haddad has said he “vehemently denies any knowledge of or involvement in the shootings that took place at Bondi Beach”. At a press conference with the Prime Minister and Mr Burke later on Tuesday, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett revealed more information about the Akram’s movements in the lead up to the attack, including details of their trip to the Philippines. “I can confirm the two individuals who we allege are responsible for the terror attack at Bondi Beach on 14 December this year spent almost a month in the Philippines,” she said, adding that they travelled to Davao City. The city is on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao – a known hotbed of Islamic fundamentalism. “The initial assessment from the Philippine National Police is that the individuals rarely left their hotel and there is no evidence to suggest they received training or underwent logistical preparation for their alleged attack,” Ms Barrett continued, countering claims the suspects had received military-style training from Islamist militants on Mindanao. “CCTV footage capturing their stay in the Philippines has been provided to the AFP and we are currently reviewing that material. “What this points to, and I will again advise this is a point in time assessment, is that these individuals are alleged to have acted alone. “There is no evidence to suggest these alleged offenders were part of a broader terrorist cell or were directed by others to carry out an attack. “However, I want to be clear, I am not suggesting that they were there for tourism.”