Patrick Walters, National security editor | September 17, 2008
AL-QAI'DA remains firmly committed to mass terrorist attacks and has been able to adapt, rebuild and reinvent itself, according to ASIO's latest assessment.
ASIO says violent jihadism remains the principal terrorist threat faced by Australia, with Islamic extremist networks around the world continuing to attract a new generation of followers.
South Asia, particularly Pakistan, is now a top security concern for ASIO as the al-Qa'ida leadership is now operating from the country's Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Waziristan.
"Stability in South Asia is vital to the global security outlook," a senior ASIO official told the annual Security in Government conference yesterday.
"The prospect of further deterioration in the situation has significant and far-reaching national security implications.
Around the globe, terrorist attacks this year have killed more than 1600 people and injured almost 3000. "Given the fluid and decentralised nature of the global jihad, we remain as concerned by the dynamic formation and splintering going on within extremist networks and cells, as by the activities of al-Qa'ida," ASIO says.
"These networks, whose members may or may not have concrete links with al-Qa'ida, or other like-minded groups, all broadly identify with the violent jihadist mission."
ASIO says that, beyond its base in Pakistan, al-Qa'ida continues to establish and maintain links with several so-called "franchises" across the Middle East and parts of Africa.
"Al-Qa'ida also continues doggedly to pursue its propaganda campaign -- including increasing numbers of messages in the languages of target audiences," it says.
But ASIO believes the counter-terrorism outlook in Southeast Asia is improving with about 500Islamic extremists now in detention, including senior JImembers Abu Dujanah and Zarkasih.
"These arrests have dealt a serious blow to Jemaah Islamiah, which no longer has the strategic reach it once enjoyed," ASIO judges.
It says Islamic extremists still have the potential to threaten the safety of Australians in Australia as well as posing a danger to vital national infrastructure.
"We continue to assess that without preventative measures taken by ASIO and other Australian authorities, attacks would have occurred here," the agency says.
"While we expect Islamic extremism to be the key driver of anti-Western terrorism for some time to come, terrorism by other groups could also affect Australia and Australians overseas."
ASIO also stressed that cyber-espionage by foreign intelligence organisations remained a vital concern as government and business reliance on electronic information networks increased.
The reliance of modern systems of government and business on interconnected electronic information involved risks of "remote penetration".
ASIO said it anticipated that it would need to respond more intensively to "non-traditional" espionage threats in the future.
AL-QAI'DA remains firmly committed to mass terrorist attacks and has been able to adapt, rebuild and reinvent itself, according to ASIO's latest assessment.
ASIO says violent jihadism remains the principal terrorist threat faced by Australia, with Islamic extremist networks around the world continuing to attract a new generation of followers.
South Asia, particularly Pakistan, is now a top security concern for ASIO as the al-Qa'ida leadership is now operating from the country's Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Waziristan.
"Stability in South Asia is vital to the global security outlook," a senior ASIO official told the annual Security in Government conference yesterday.
"The prospect of further deterioration in the situation has significant and far-reaching national security implications.
Around the globe, terrorist attacks this year have killed more than 1600 people and injured almost 3000. "Given the fluid and decentralised nature of the global jihad, we remain as concerned by the dynamic formation and splintering going on within extremist networks and cells, as by the activities of al-Qa'ida," ASIO says.
"These networks, whose members may or may not have concrete links with al-Qa'ida, or other like-minded groups, all broadly identify with the violent jihadist mission."
ASIO says that, beyond its base in Pakistan, al-Qa'ida continues to establish and maintain links with several so-called "franchises" across the Middle East and parts of Africa.
"Al-Qa'ida also continues doggedly to pursue its propaganda campaign -- including increasing numbers of messages in the languages of target audiences," it says.
But ASIO believes the counter-terrorism outlook in Southeast Asia is improving with about 500Islamic extremists now in detention, including senior JImembers Abu Dujanah and Zarkasih.
"These arrests have dealt a serious blow to Jemaah Islamiah, which no longer has the strategic reach it once enjoyed," ASIO judges.
It says Islamic extremists still have the potential to threaten the safety of Australians in Australia as well as posing a danger to vital national infrastructure.
"We continue to assess that without preventative measures taken by ASIO and other Australian authorities, attacks would have occurred here," the agency says.
"While we expect Islamic extremism to be the key driver of anti-Western terrorism for some time to come, terrorism by other groups could also affect Australia and Australians overseas."
ASIO also stressed that cyber-espionage by foreign intelligence organisations remained a vital concern as government and business reliance on electronic information networks increased.
The reliance of modern systems of government and business on interconnected electronic information involved risks of "remote penetration".
ASIO said it anticipated that it would need to respond more intensively to "non-traditional" espionage threats in the future.
Source: The Australian
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