Australia concerned after Sydney Opera House appears on jihad site
SYDNEY —
Australian Attorney-General Robert McClelland said Thursday Australia’s terror threat level would not change despite an image of Sydney’s iconic Opera House appearing in an online magazine linked to al-Qaida.
The landmark building is featured in the latest edition of “Inspire,” an English-language site that deals with bomb-making and terrorism.
It is reportedly put together by associates of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, a militant Islamist organization primarily active in Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
“I have been advised this publication does not represent any change to the extent of the terrorist threat within Australia,” McClelland said in a statement. “And I am advised it has not been accompanied by any specific threat in Australia or to Australian citizens.”
The picture of the Opera House was on the front of the online magazine’s regular bomb-making section, “Open Source Jihad.” The site first appeared in May last year and reports said that until this issue, it had only ever featured images of American cities.
McClelland said the government was writing to the Australian Communications and Media Authority to take down links to the magazine but acknowledged that removing all access would be difficult. “In the modern age of global electronic communications, the reality is this material will emerge on overseas sites,” he said.
New South Wales assistant police commissioner Peter Dein, the state’s counter-terrorism commander, said authorities became aware of the Opera House picture on Tuesday.
“When you actually read it, you see that most of it touches on the death of Osama bin Laden, but then you get to the back of the magazine and you find that there’s a photograph of the Opera House,” he said. “I must stress that there’s no text, no commentary that exists (in the magazine) that relates to the Opera House at all.”
He added that it was hard to interpret what message it might be sending. “It could simply be the fact that it’s an icon that is well known around the Western world and may not really have any relevance that it is in Sydney,” he said.
“There’s no information whatsoever to tell us that there is an attack planned. What we are concerned about is the influences this particular magazine can have on vulnerable people in our community who are likely to be influenced by this extremist rhetoric.”
He told reporters it was well publicized that there were about 100 people in Australia affiliated with terrorists.
© Agence France-Presse
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13 Comments
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1
BreitbartVictorious
I'd be surprised if it wasn't on the list of every rabid Jihadi.
1
Harry_Gatto
And, like the UK, Australia has made the mistake of letting too many Muslims in and has failed to keep them in check after they arrived.
0
Elbuda Mexicano
Do not forget that Australia is right under Indonesia, I think it has the largest Muslim population on the face of the earth, and that many, many Aussies got smoked in Bali a few years back and that nice Saudis etc..love to travel not only to Indonesia, Malaysia etc..also to Australia, and all it takes is one jihadi nut case to blow up a plane, train or smash themselves into this Sydney Opera house or heaven forbid the sacred huge rock in the middle of no where, Ayers Rock in English??
0
melguy
Convicted terrorists in Australia have usually been Australian citizens (or permanent residents), of Lebanese, Pakistani, Somali, or Algerian origin. (Australia opens its doors to refugees from the world's troublespots, provided they don't come by boat.) And it's called Uluru, not Ayer's Rock any more.
-1
Osakadaz
Yes, the Fraser government opened the doors and let a lot of dubious types in, particularly from Lebanon.Recently the Pakistanis,Somalis and Sudanese are popping up a lot in arrests too. TBH the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge are easy targets as is probably Centrepoint tower.
0
anglootaku
Christian Lebanese I have met are very educated and different to muslims, you cant really judge a person based on race either..
0
anglootaku
Why do people have to believe all this rubbish, its just fear and mind control onto the masses.. since when do those idiots make their own magazine..
-1
Spidapig24
anglootaku,
Yeah thats so true, its all a massive government conspiracy to turn the Australian population against the muslims right? Its not like there have never been plots by muslim groups to conduct terror attacks on Australian soil. Oh wait yes there has! Its obvious that you believe all muslims are perfect people and there are no radicals that would like nothing more than to cause trouble.
Obviously they do.
0
anglootaku
@Spidapig24 I dont believe all muslims are perfect, I stated to you before, there is the good and bad in all cultures and faiths, I think anyone with evil intentions should be judged and persecuted immediately, I just dont like stereotyping.. oh yes obviously there is a magazine cause a media company that earns billions states that, oh bow down to the almighty media company, cause they tell the truth, all the time..
-1
Spidapig24
anglootaku,
I completely agree there are good and bad in all races and religions, you will not get an argument from me there.
HUH have you read the article it says there is concern because an image appeared in a magazine that is a radical magazine that also has tips on bomb making. So your comment makes no sense.
0
anglootaku
The point is though, media companies are being questioned in recent times such as news corp regarding phone taping and political scandals, hence why its hard to believe media companies a great deal..
-1
Spidapig24
anglootaku,
What are you talking about? This has nothing to do with news corp or media reporting. Its the Attorney General of Australia raising a concern about something that was in a radical publication. Nothing to do with phone taps or anything else.
0
anglootaku
I am referring to how news companies in general arent always honest (I wasnt referring to this case in particular)
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