Australian Terror Threat - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Latch · 11-01-2005, 06:20 PM

Quote:

NTELLIGENCE agencies have received specific information about a terrorist threat to Australia which today prompted the Government to rush through its anti-terror laws to help avert a possible attack.
Prime Minister John Howard said intelligence agencies had received specific information about a terrorist threat and was urging Parliament to enact the laws within 36 hours.

"We have seen material," Mr Howard said. "It is a cause of concern."

The Prime Minister would not give details on the nature of the threat, citing security reasons.

"The Government is acting against the background of the assessment of intelligence agencies that a terrorist attack in Australia is feasible and could well occur," he said, referring to an ASIO report released yesterday.

"In ASIO's recently released annual report a warning is contained that specifically cites the threat of home-grown terrorism. ASIO also warned that attacks without warning are feasible," Mr Howard said.

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The amendment will add further grounds for listing militant organisations and "will clarify that it is not necessary for the prosecution to identify a specific terrorist act."

National security editor of The Australian, Patrick Walters, said Mr Howard's statement pointed to "an imminent threat to Australians".

"We know that ASIO and the AFP have been monitoring a number of people considered high security risks for a long period of time," Walters said. "But clearly this takes things to a new level."

The requirement for urgent laws, Walters said, "indicates (the Government) has far more precise intelligence relating to a group or an individual wanting to carry out a terrorist attack".

Part of the new anti-terror laws will be introduced to Parliament today and the Senate is to be be recalled.

Mr Howard said he had briefed Opposition Leader Kim Beazley and Opposition homeland security spokesman Arch Bevis.

"After question time today, the Attorney-General will introduce into the House an urgent amendment to the existing counter terrorism legislation," Mr Howard said.

"We will seek passage of that amendment through all stages this evening.

"The President of the Senate will recall the Senate to meet tomorrow afternoon at 2pm and it's the Government's wish that this amendment be passed into law as soon as possible."

Mr Howard said he had not yet received any information that would require a change in the general terror threat level for Australia.

"If we received advice to that effect, which we have not received, we would respond appropriately to that advice," he said.

Mr Howard said he could not comment further about the information he received and would not say whether the intelligence advice had come from Australian or other authorities.

"We have been given advice that if this amendment is enacted as soon as possible the capacity of the authorities to respond will be strengthened.

"And I am satisfied on what I have been told, and the Government and the national security ministers in Cabinet are satisfied, that that is the case but I do not intend and cannot and will not go into any of the operational details."

More to come...

Latch · 11-01-2005, 06:26 PM

This is just my idea, but I think John Howard is full of shit (or more full of shit than usual)...

My guess is that he's made up this piece of information that he can't tell us ANYTHING about (but isn't enough to actually change a terror threat level) just so he can rush through his controversial Anti-Terrorism bill.

If that's true.. it's bullshit. If not.. how is this newsworthy if it doesn't warrent a terror threat upgrade? Yes, it's an alleged attack on Aussie soil, but they don't seem to be too worried about it..

I dunno.. it just seems like Howard and his cronies either made this up (or over-exaggerated some small bit of truth), just to get the new laws thrown in.

What do you think? Real? Bullshit?

I guess we'll find out in the coming days.

Ishmal · 11-02-2005, 04:09 PM

i call bullshit!

or exageration like u said.

ryfo · 11-02-2005, 06:21 PM

bullshit....he always seems to have something of vital importance that he can't talk about just before he tries to push something thru parliment..dont know why he bothers there is nobody to stop him doing just as he pleases,

spindles · 11-02-2005, 06:59 PM

It has also been suggested that he announced this yesterday as he was in the process of getting the new IR legislation through parliament. My bet is that this is a smoke screen to
1) push the terror laws through quickly
2) take the focus off IR laws.

Johnny says trust me. I say Fuck you!

Nimetic · 11-02-2005, 10:32 PM

The government and public service somehow stuffed up on the children overboard thing and on the WMD thing.... and then they managed to ship someone OS accidentally.

Nobody has been held accountable for these mistakes. Given this, the limited arguments made for the laws, and the fact that the govt/pubservice will jointly be responsible for decisions - I definitely do not support them.

hulk · 11-03-2005, 12:58 AM

Well, now the laws have passed. Now you can be taken at 3am by ASIO, have no right to free speech, nor to remain silent, nor to contact an attourney, nor to let anyone know where you are other than telling one person you're safe.

This terror 'threat' reeks so much of political bullshit it's amazing Howard can say it with a straight face. Didn't they bust that guy a couple of years back for planning to bomb an embassy? What's stopping them busting these guys now for conspiracy? Not to mention the fact that it came to light _the very same day_ as the new laws hit parliament.

How long until the Clone Army?

dlish · 11-03-2005, 02:45 AM

well for one, being a muslim of middle eastern decent and with a middle eastern name (hey i had no choice :P ) i can be the subject of these new terror laws. supposedly for sedition for speaking against the war in iiraq or not supporting our troops... i guess if your neither with us, nor against us, then where do i stand?

i say smokescreen, how ironically convenient that such a terror thread should mysteriously pop up on melbourne cup day..

my question is, if everyone here think its bullshit, whats the cunt still doing in power. put in by the people who voted him in...oh thats right... big ol kim is the challenger.. i look forward to more draconian laws being passed in the next 6 or so years until the election after beazley loses another one.

untill then most middle easterners in austalia will be shitting in their pants everytime they hear a know on the door after 10pm. so much for freedom and sovereignty.

Latch · 11-03-2005, 06:32 AM

Since my original post, it sounds like the opposition leaders (as well as state governments) were given some access to this 'alleged threat'... and amazingly, they agreed with it. This makes me think that the Howard government went quite a ways to make up this threat. Yes, I know this sounds like I should be wearing a tin-foil hat and hiding in a bunker, but I still don't see it as real.

I haven't kept a really close eye on the news, but what I did see (since the bill became a law) was that Australia wasn't doing too well in the Cricket, they caught some murderers from Geelong, and some horseracing stuff.

Nothing about some major arrest/sting after these CRUCIALLY NEEDED laws came into affect. No saving of the public from imminent danger... maybe I missed it, maybe they've done something but no one (well, the media) has found out yet, or maybe they just made up the threat to get the laws in...

WTF.

I have to watch what I say here, as I believe they can now bust in and take me for speaking against the Howard government.

hulk · 11-03-2005, 07:02 AM

I'd say it was a real incident, just vastly overblown. They received intelligence that two men were videotaping possible sites and contacting another known group in another city. What's to stop them from arresting them under the now previous laws? Absolutely nothing. We've just become substandard in human rights through the same tactic passed by half a dozen other shithouse governments.

I'm moving to Canada, who's with me?

aKula · 11-03-2005, 05:35 PM

It was explained by an expert that having specific information about a terrorist threat is different to having information about a specific terrorist threat, and that such information is given regularly. So yes most likely it was overblown but a requirment at passing that part of legislation (changing the to a, IIRC this was the change rushed through) to enable law enforcment to deal with it. Hard to say if it's a stunt or not without knowing the information.

ryfo · 11-03-2005, 06:56 PM

I'm with the hulk, Canada sounds good. I spose the only good thing about the changes is if you lose your job becaause of the IR laws you could always be picked up cos of the new terror laws then you would have free food and board till they shoot to kill.

Stick · 11-03-2005, 10:54 PM

Coming soon to Oz - ID cards, travel documents, all firearms taken off law abiding citizens (if there are no firearms there can't be a popular uprising of the people against the authoritarian edicts of the government). Maybe they'll weld a GPS beeper on our heads to keep track of us. Fucking control freak politicians. They are worthy of hate
Oz is fucked. We're all fucked. Ever wondered what it was like to live in Soviet Russia? That's the way we're heading. I can only see doom and gloom in the future. But that's okay, some stupid sporting events, lotteries and some porn and that will keep the punters minds off how fucked life has become.

dlish · 11-05-2005, 12:55 PM

i say all tfp'ers who disagree with these laws move to some obscure island somwhere and set up our own little democracy far away from the malice of politicians.. lets see..all i can think of right now is tasmania or NZ... hmm hard choice..both dont sound too appealing! lol

but in all seriousness, i personally know of many people who think that these laws are directed at muslims and arabs, and many people are actually thinking about moving back to their place of birth because of the laws and their weariness of what new laws will be introduced.

my question is...

is david hicks was ever released from US custody in guantanamo bay, and since he never broke australian law, and was sent back here to australia, would he be detained under these new laws as a security risk? and would it be fair to do so...something to think about really....

Stick · 11-05-2005, 02:13 PM

I'm ready to move to NZ if the govt. here in Oz wants to take my guns away. Apart from my motorbike, target shooting is the only fun I have. I'd rather move to Seppoland, but I don't think they'd let me in.

Nimetic · 11-05-2005, 05:44 PM

I was just thinking about new threat announced by the government the other day... and I heard mention on ABC radio that some people had been seen taking pictures of key public places.

I was reflecting on it all...

Next day... I was talking to an old school friend who is OS (Europe). Said I'd send him a pic of his old school. Well I went there and pulled out the digital camera, feeling a bit stupid about it.

Wait-a-sec I thinks to myself. I wonder if somebody thinks I'm planning to blow up the school.

Crazy.

I bet these people taking photos... they were taking photos of the opera house or something. The reality is that we've all been taking pics of prominant/notable public places for years. It used to be considered quite ok.

What's the deal now? If a Japanese man takes a pic of a station - is that still ok? If a man of middle-eastern/southern-european/indian (non-white) appearance does it, it is suspicious?

Difficult problem.

Kostya · 11-05-2005, 07:59 PM

Remember when bags without people did make sense...

"Hey, look some dude forgot his bag..."

I'm a little confused about this whole 'bags without people' clause, given that the overwhelming majority of terrorist attacks have involved bags blowing up while still with the suicide bombers holding them...

spindles · 11-07-2005, 03:24 PM

well, the first "raids" have occurred.

linky

Quote:

esidents in a south-western Sydney street have described the shock of being woken by an early morning anti-terrorism raid.

NSW Police Commissioner Ken Moroney confirmed federal and state police raided homes in Sydney and Melbourne today and foiled a "large-scale terrorist attack".

Nine people were arrested today in Melbourne and six in Sydney, with more arrests expected later this morning.

Residents of Renown Avenue, Wiley Park, described their shock at being woken by armed police raiding a single-storey brick home nearby.

The raid was still continuing with police still in the street.

Gabriella Beyrouthy, her husband and three children close to where the police activity was occurring.

Ms Beyrouthy said she believed several families lived in the raided home, and she had often seen them in the street.

"I am surprised (about the raid)," she said.

"I see a lot of people in there (and) they're very good people.

"We've never had any problems with them."

Her son John Kourou Malis, 13, said he went outside to find television cameras and police all over the place.

"There were police everywhere," John said.

"I didn't even know what was happening.

"I'm not really scared but I'm surprised this would happen in our street," he said.

A Danish exchange student living in Renown Avenue, Ulrich Soerensen, 17, said he noticed police as he left home for school this morning.

He also noticed police had been watching the home for some time.

"In the last few months police cars have been driving up and down the road, stopping at the end of the road," Mr Soerensen said.

He had also seen a policeman with binoculars looking into the house.

"There's a lot going on over there, a lot of different people," Mr Soerensen said.

Anti-terrorist police later raided a second home in Renown Avenue, this time a double-storey block of units on the opposite side of the street.

Police entered the house and shortly after were seen coming out with a number of different sized brown paper bags they had seized.

The bags were then taken away in a police forensic vehicle.

Armed police were camped outside the house.

A high school girl who spoke briefly to AAP on her way to school said her Renown Avenue home also had been raided early today.

dlishguy - they are coming for you next

dlish · 11-07-2005, 04:16 PM

lol spindles.. get a life..

i live a few suburbs away from where these raids occured... ill be keeping my opposition to the iraq war to myself from now on lol... and yes spindles im a prime candidate.. young middle eatern muslim male with a funny first name.. if i go down your coming with me hahahahah

it was only a matter of time that these raids were going to happen...

Latch · 11-07-2005, 11:47 PM

Yeah, it's kind of scaring me though...

I know they busted a bunch of people (17 all up?)... but I heard a news clip on Triple J's news where a cop was saying "We have 26 search warrants so it will take a while for the investigators to go through everything and find out what we have" (or something like that).

It just seems like a fishing expedition.... they have nothing.. the guys looked suspicious.. so they're going to go through all the guys' stuff and see what they can find. Maybe I'm wrong....

dlish · 11-08-2005, 12:09 AM

im sure i can go through any 'white caucasian males' bookshelf or library records and find mein kampf... doesnt mean i was used to bad..maybe just a bit of history from a particula perspective.

im sure u could go through any personal muslim library and find 'terror related material'. the term jihad is quite common in islam, its just not synonymous to teorrorism till the last few years.

i must say though, if these loonies (allegedly of course

) did in fact stockpile chemicals to attack us aussies..and yes im aussie too, then they deserve the full force of the law. to live in this country, you make a pact to this nation, if you cant live by that pact, you should look elsewhere to live or otherwise accept the consequences.

cinnles · 11-08-2005, 04:19 AM

I can't wait till we're living in a totalitarian police state where free speech through the media is censored, and the news is controlled by private interests.

Hell, why am I waiting? I should pack my bags and head to the U.S.

Latch · 11-08-2005, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cinnles

I can't wait till we're living in a totalitarian police state where free speech through the media is censored, and the news is controlled by private interests.

Hell, why am I waiting? I should pack my bags and head to the U.S.

The flight to the US is too long. Just wait a few days....

spindles · 11-08-2005, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dlishsguy

i live a few suburbs away from where these raids occured... ill be keeping my opposition to the iraq war to myself from now on lol... and yes spindles im a prime candidate.. young middle eatern muslim male with a funny first name.. if i go down your coming with me hahahahah

you said somewhere else (or above in the thread that you were a "prime candidate" religion wise. For myself, I'm a white caucasian non-religious type. Perhaps I'm as far from the target audience as you can get in Oz.

Seriously, though, being opposed to a war in a foreign country is hardly an offence. If it was, a large chunk of Australians would be being chased. I don't think the end justifies the means.

I know if I was arrested like this, then found to be innocent, I would be really pissed off. I would ask (and probably receive) compensation. and I would not shut up. My local mamber/newspapers etc. would hate the number of letters they would start getting from me.

Nimetic · 11-08-2005, 06:13 PM

Well this is interesting.

I'll be following the details of the trial closely I guess to see what evidence comes out. Maybe I was wrong about these laws, maybe not.

I still have a gut feeling that Howard is optimising his timing... And based on the statements that I've seen on TV... some statements by these apparently radical muslims seem no more that what a christian might say (I'm not religious myself). ie there is a or moral code taught in their religion and a seperate law which has been created by the society in which they live.

(... I am not always sure whether I'm seeing a full interview or just special clips...)

Anyways... seems to me that it's actions that count. If they were making bombs or planning to, that is quite different to me than taking an ideological stand which happens to be different to the government of the day.

dlish · 11-08-2005, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spindles

Seriously, though, being opposed to a war in a foreign country is hardly an offence. If it was, a large chunk of Australians would be being chased. I don't think the end justifies the means.

yes but its not just opposition to the war in iraq, when you have a myriad of things that make you a prime target you get jittery.. . muslim male/mid easterner/opposition to the war etc. you may only have just one of those things, but its quite freaky when you fit a certain criteria. i wouldnt say im religious, but im not un-religious either.

the whole muslim community is abuzz at the moment though... i just hope things dont get too out of hand, and i certainly hope that innocent people are not victimised..either by our government organisations or by the general public, like we saw after 911 or the iraq wars.

spindles · 11-09-2005, 05:05 PM

I think it would be difficult for anyone not in your position to fully understand how bad this kind of thing is.

I find the "trust me" thing from Howard a bit difficult to swallow. Even if you did trust him, he is not going to be PM forever. What happens when someone xenophobic becomes police minister or head of ASIO or PM? That is when we will start to see the shit really hit the fan.

Hopefully, we can get to a point where everybody realises that there is bad in every group of people, regardless of race, religion, country of birth.

Ken Maroney (NSW Police Commissioner for any outsider reading) said yesterday that they have been following these people for months, and said they would have acted soon regardless of the new laws introduced, though media reports say those picked up in Melbourne were only charged with things (so far) under the new laws.

Latch · 11-10-2005, 04:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spindles

Hopefully, we can get to a point where everybody realises that there is bad in every group of people, regardless of race, religion, country of birth.

Perfect.

Some Americans are assholes, some muslims are assholes, some Australians are assholes, some <insert group here> are assholes. Unfortunately, other assholes exploit that fact and wage wars.

dlish · 11-10-2005, 05:03 PM

yeah ure right some assholes are assholes too.

but it is quite difficult for someone not in my position to understand the difficulties and problems involved. i'll follow the cases with interest.

cchris · 11-11-2005, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dlishsguy

yeah ure right some assholes are assholes too.

but it is quite difficult for someone not in my position to understand the difficulties and problems involved. i'll follow the cases with interest.

As will the rest of fair minded Australians.

dlish · 11-13-2005, 01:00 AM

cheers to that cchris

11-02-2005, 04:09 PM	#3 (permalink)
Ishmal Wicked Clown Location: House Of Horrors	i call bullshit! or exageration like u said. __________________ "Despite the high cost of living, it remains popular."

11-02-2005, 06:59 PM	#5 (permalink)
spindles Mine is an evil laugh Location: Sydney, Australia	It has also been suggested that he announced this yesterday as he was in the process of getting the new IR legislation through parliament. My bet is that this is a smoke screen to 1) push the terror laws through quickly 2) take the focus off IR laws. Johnny says trust me. I say Fuck you! __________________ who hid my keyboard's PANIC button?

11-03-2005, 12:58 AM	#7 (permalink)
hulk C'mon, just blow it. Location: Perth, Australia	Well, now the laws have passed. Now you can be taken at 3am by ASIO, have no right to free speech, nor to remain silent, nor to contact an attourney, nor to let anyone know where you are other than telling one person you're safe. This terror 'threat' reeks so much of political bullshit it's amazing Howard can say it with a straight face. Didn't they bust that guy a couple of years back for planning to bomb an embassy? What's stopping them busting these guys now for conspiracy? Not to mention the fact that it came to light _the very same day_ as the new laws hit parliament. How long until the Clone Army? __________________ "'There's a tendency among the press to attribute the creation of a game to a single person,' says Warren Spector, creator of Thief and Deus Ex." -- From an IGN game review.

11-03-2005, 02:45 AM	#8 (permalink)
dlish Currently sour but formerly Dlishs Super Moderator Location: Australia/UAE	well for one, being a muslim of middle eastern decent and with a middle eastern name (hey i had no choice :P ) i can be the subject of these new terror laws. supposedly for sedition for speaking against the war in iiraq or not supporting our troops... i guess if your neither with us, nor against us, then where do i stand? i say smokescreen, how ironically convenient that such a terror thread should mysteriously pop up on melbourne cup day.. my question is, if everyone here think its bullshit, whats the cunt still doing in power. put in by the people who voted him in...oh thats right... big ol kim is the challenger.. i look forward to more draconian laws being passed in the next 6 or so years until the election after beazley loses another one. untill then most middle easterners in austalia will be shitting in their pants everytime they hear a know on the door after 10pm. so much for freedom and sovereignty. __________________ An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay? - Filthy

11-03-2005, 07:02 AM	#10 (permalink)
hulk C'mon, just blow it. Location: Perth, Australia	I'd say it was a real incident, just vastly overblown. They received intelligence that two men were videotaping possible sites and contacting another known group in another city. What's to stop them from arresting them under the now previous laws? Absolutely nothing. We've just become substandard in human rights through the same tactic passed by half a dozen other shithouse governments. I'm moving to Canada, who's with me? __________________ "'There's a tendency among the press to attribute the creation of a game to a single person,' says Warren Spector, creator of Thief and Deus Ex." -- From an IGN game review.

11-01-2005, 06:26 PM	#2 (permalink)
Latch In Your Dreams Location: City of Lights	This is just my idea, but I think John Howard is full of shit (or more full of shit than usual)... My guess is that he's made up this piece of information that he can't tell us ANYTHING about (but isn't enough to actually change a terror threat level) just so he can rush through his controversial Anti-Terrorism bill. If that's true.. it's bullshit. If not.. how is this newsworthy if it doesn't warrent a terror threat upgrade? Yes, it's an alleged attack on Aussie soil, but they don't seem to be too worried about it.. I dunno.. it just seems like Howard and his cronies either made this up (or over-exaggerated some small bit of truth), just to get the new laws thrown in. What do you think? Real? Bullshit? I guess we'll find out in the coming days.

11-02-2005, 06:21 PM	#4 (permalink)
ryfo Psycho Location: melbourne australia	bullshit....he always seems to have something of vital importance that he can't talk about just before he tries to push something thru parliment..dont know why he bothers there is nobody to stop him doing just as he pleases,

11-02-2005, 10:32 PM	#6 (permalink)
Nimetic Junkie Location: Melbourne, Australia	The government and public service somehow stuffed up on the children overboard thing and on the WMD thing.... and then they managed to ship someone OS accidentally. Nobody has been held accountable for these mistakes. Given this, the limited arguments made for the laws, and the fact that the govt/pubservice will jointly be responsible for decisions - I definitely do not support them.

11-03-2005, 06:32 AM	#9 (permalink)
Latch In Your Dreams Location: City of Lights	Since my original post, it sounds like the opposition leaders (as well as state governments) were given some access to this 'alleged threat'... and amazingly, they agreed with it. This makes me think that the Howard government went quite a ways to make up this threat. Yes, I know this sounds like I should be wearing a tin-foil hat and hiding in a bunker, but I still don't see it as real. I haven't kept a really close eye on the news, but what I did see (since the bill became a law) was that Australia wasn't doing too well in the Cricket, they caught some murderers from Geelong, and some horseracing stuff. Nothing about some major arrest/sting after these CRUCIALLY NEEDED laws came into affect. No saving of the public from imminent danger... maybe I missed it, maybe they've done something but no one (well, the media) has found out yet, or maybe they just made up the threat to get the laws in... WTF. I have to watch what I say here, as I believe they can now bust in and take me for speaking against the Howard government.

11-03-2005, 05:35 PM	#11 (permalink)
aKula Psycho	It was explained by an expert that having specific information about a terrorist threat is different to having information about a specific terrorist threat, and that such information is given regularly. So yes most likely it was overblown but a requirment at passing that part of legislation (changing the to a, IIRC this was the change rushed through) to enable law enforcment to deal with it. Hard to say if it's a stunt or not without knowing the information.

11-03-2005, 06:56 PM	#12 (permalink)
ryfo Psycho Location: melbourne australia	I'm with the hulk, Canada sounds good. I spose the only good thing about the changes is if you lose your job becaause of the IR laws you could always be picked up cos of the new terror laws then you would have free food and board till they shoot to kill.

11-03-2005, 10:54 PM	#13 (permalink)
Stick Psycho Location: Sydney, Australia	Coming soon to Oz - ID cards, travel documents, all firearms taken off law abiding citizens (if there are no firearms there can't be a popular uprising of the people against the authoritarian edicts of the government). Maybe they'll weld a GPS beeper on our heads to keep track of us. Fucking control freak politicians. They are worthy of hate Oz is fucked. We're all fucked. Ever wondered what it was like to live in Soviet Russia? That's the way we're heading. I can only see doom and gloom in the future. But that's okay, some stupid sporting events, lotteries and some porn and that will keep the punters minds off how fucked life has become. __________________ ominous adj. Menacing; threatening. Of or being an omen, especially an evil one.

11-05-2005, 12:55 PM	#14 (permalink)
dlish Currently sour but formerly Dlishs Super Moderator Location: Australia/UAE	i say all tfp'ers who disagree with these laws move to some obscure island somwhere and set up our own little democracy far away from the malice of politicians.. lets see..all i can think of right now is tasmania or NZ... hmm hard choice..both dont sound too appealing! lol but in all seriousness, i personally know of many people who think that these laws are directed at muslims and arabs, and many people are actually thinking about moving back to their place of birth because of the laws and their weariness of what new laws will be introduced. my question is... is david hicks was ever released from US custody in guantanamo bay, and since he never broke australian law, and was sent back here to australia, would he be detained under these new laws as a security risk? and would it be fair to do so...something to think about really.... __________________ An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay? - Filthy

11-05-2005, 02:13 PM	#15 (permalink)
Stick Psycho Location: Sydney, Australia	I'm ready to move to NZ if the govt. here in Oz wants to take my guns away. Apart from my motorbike, target shooting is the only fun I have. I'd rather move to Seppoland, but I don't think they'd let me in. __________________ ominous adj. Menacing; threatening. Of or being an omen, especially an evil one.

11-05-2005, 05:44 PM	#16 (permalink)
Nimetic Junkie Location: Melbourne, Australia	I was just thinking about new threat announced by the government the other day... and I heard mention on ABC radio that some people had been seen taking pictures of key public places. I was reflecting on it all... Next day... I was talking to an old school friend who is OS (Europe). Said I'd send him a pic of his old school. Well I went there and pulled out the digital camera, feeling a bit stupid about it. Wait-a-sec I thinks to myself. I wonder if somebody thinks I'm planning to blow up the school. Crazy. I bet these people taking photos... they were taking photos of the opera house or something. The reality is that we've all been taking pics of prominant/notable public places for years. It used to be considered quite ok. What's the deal now? If a Japanese man takes a pic of a station - is that still ok? If a man of middle-eastern/southern-european/indian (non-white) appearance does it, it is suspicious? Difficult problem.

11-05-2005, 07:59 PM	#17 (permalink)
Kostya Little known... Location: Brisbane, Australia	Remember when bags without people did make sense... "Hey, look some dude forgot his bag..." I'm a little confused about this whole 'bags without people' clause, given that the overwhelming majority of terrorist attacks have involved bags blowing up while still with the suicide bombers holding them...

11-07-2005, 04:16 PM	#19 (permalink)
dlish Currently sour but formerly Dlishs Super Moderator Location: Australia/UAE	lol spindles.. get a life.. i live a few suburbs away from where these raids occured... ill be keeping my opposition to the iraq war to myself from now on lol... and yes spindles im a prime candidate.. young middle eatern muslim male with a funny first name.. if i go down your coming with me hahahahah it was only a matter of time that these raids were going to happen... __________________ An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay? - Filthy

11-07-2005, 11:47 PM	#20 (permalink)
Latch In Your Dreams Location: City of Lights	Yeah, it's kind of scaring me though... I know they busted a bunch of people (17 all up?)... but I heard a news clip on Triple J's news where a cop was saying "We have 26 search warrants so it will take a while for the investigators to go through everything and find out what we have" (or something like that). It just seems like a fishing expedition.... they have nothing.. the guys looked suspicious.. so they're going to go through all the guys' stuff and see what they can find. Maybe I'm wrong....

11-08-2005, 12:09 AM	#21 (permalink)
dlish Currently sour but formerly Dlishs Super Moderator Location: Australia/UAE	im sure i can go through any 'white caucasian males' bookshelf or library records and find mein kampf... doesnt mean i was used to bad..maybe just a bit of history from a particula perspective. im sure u could go through any personal muslim library and find 'terror related material'. the term jihad is quite common in islam, its just not synonymous to teorrorism till the last few years. i must say though, if these loonies (allegedly of course ) did in fact stockpile chemicals to attack us aussies..and yes im aussie too, then they deserve the full force of the law. to live in this country, you make a pact to this nation, if you cant live by that pact, you should look elsewhere to live or otherwise accept the consequences. __________________ An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay? - Filthy

11-08-2005, 04:19 AM	#22 (permalink)
cinnles Addict	I can't wait till we're living in a totalitarian police state where free speech through the media is censored, and the news is controlled by private interests. Hell, why am I waiting? I should pack my bags and head to the U.S.

11-08-2005, 06:13 PM	#25 (permalink)
Nimetic Junkie Location: Melbourne, Australia	Well this is interesting. I'll be following the details of the trial closely I guess to see what evidence comes out. Maybe I was wrong about these laws, maybe not. I still have a gut feeling that Howard is optimising his timing... And based on the statements that I've seen on TV... some statements by these apparently radical muslims seem no more that what a christian might say (I'm not religious myself). ie there is a or moral code taught in their religion and a seperate law which has been created by the society in which they live. (... I am not always sure whether I'm seeing a full interview or just special clips...) Anyways... seems to me that it's actions that count. If they were making bombs or planning to, that is quite different to me than taking an ideological stand which happens to be different to the government of the day.

11-09-2005, 05:05 PM	#27 (permalink)
spindles Mine is an evil laugh Location: Sydney, Australia	I think it would be difficult for anyone not in your position to fully understand how bad this kind of thing is. I find the "trust me" thing from Howard a bit difficult to swallow. Even if you did trust him, he is not going to be PM forever. What happens when someone xenophobic becomes police minister or head of ASIO or PM? That is when we will start to see the shit really hit the fan. Hopefully, we can get to a point where everybody realises that there is bad in every group of people, regardless of race, religion, country of birth. Ken Maroney (NSW Police Commissioner for any outsider reading) said yesterday that they have been following these people for months, and said they would have acted soon regardless of the new laws introduced, though media reports say those picked up in Melbourne were only charged with things (so far) under the new laws. __________________ who hid my keyboard's PANIC button?

11-10-2005, 05:03 PM	#29 (permalink)
dlish Currently sour but formerly Dlishs Super Moderator Location: Australia/UAE	yeah ure right some assholes are assholes too. but it is quite difficult for someone not in my position to understand the difficulties and problems involved. i'll follow the cases with interest. __________________ An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay? - Filthy

11-13-2005, 01:00 AM	#31 (permalink)
dlish Currently sour but formerly Dlishs Super Moderator Location: Australia/UAE	cheers to that cchris __________________ An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay? - Filthy