Australia planning anti-terror laws to nab ‘foreign fighters’

SYDNEY — After conducting its largest-ever anti-terrorism operation last week, Australia is planning to introduce legislation to empower the authorities to charge returning foreign fighters and those inciting citizens to engage in terrorism.

The new laws, which come under the sweeping Foreign Fighters Bill, are likely to be introduced in the Australian Senate on Wednesday and will be used “sparingly”, Attorney-General George Brandis told Sky News television in an interview yesterday.

“We need to have every tool in the legal armoury that is available to us,” he said, adding that current laws are not applicable to persons returning from fighting in Syria or northern Iraq.

Australia raised its terror alert for the first time in a decade this month.

Last week, 15 people were detained after the police carried out a massive counter-terrorism operation in Sydney and Brisbane that the authorities said had thwarted a plot by militants linked to the Islamic State group to behead a random member of the public.

Security at Australian government buildings, military installations and sporting events has also been stepped up, after Prime Minister Tony Abbott said intelligence agencies had picked up details on potential attacks on those targets from “chatter” among terrorists in Iraq and Syria.

Mr Abbott has said current laws are inadequate to fight the threat Australia faces from the Islamic State and warned that the group is the country’s greatest national security challenge.

The new draft laws aim to clamp down on those suspected of travelling to conflict zones abroad. They will allow the Foreign Minister to declare localities or places as “no-go zones” for citizens, unless they come under categories of aid work or journalism, said Australian media.

Under the draft laws, those who advocate terrorism by intentionally counselling, promoting, encouraging or urging a terrorist act can face up to five years in jail. Mr Brandis made clear, however, that the laws were not directed towards the country’s Islamic preachers.

“This is a law of general application — it’s not directed at any section of the community,” he said.

The police will also be given the power to secretly search the homes of terror suspects.

Mr Brandis added that the police and Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) had been briefed about the proposals and are “satisfied” with the contents of the Bill.

The proposed legislation comes as United States President Barack Obama is reportedly planning to seek a United Nations Security Council resolution this week requiring governments to craft regulations to thwart the flow of foreign fighters to militant groups such as the Islamic State.

The proposed measure would require states to act to stymie foreign fighters’ travel and boost global cooperation on sharing information through organisations such as Interpol to more effectively deal with the Islamic State threat.

Thursday’s raid, which involved heavily armed state and federal police officers swooping in on at least 25 properties, saw 15 people detained, although only one remained in custody on Saturday, officials said.

The government has said at least 60 of its citizens are fighting alongside militant groups in Syria and Iraq.

Highlighting the risk of homegrown militants returning from the Middle East, Mr Abbott pledged earlier this month to send a 600-strong force and strike aircraft to join a US-led coalition fighting Islamic State militants in Iraq.

Media reports said on Saturday that the European Commission was among possible targets for fighters returning to Belgium from Syria.

Dutch broadcaster NOS said at least two people among those arrested in the Belgian operations came from the Hague. “They were planning an attack. One of the targets was the European Commission building,” it reported:

Up to 400 Belgian nationals are estimated to have gone to fight in Syria, with about 90 known to have returned home, Belgian daily L’Echo previously reported. Agencies