Monday, October 19, 2015

Is Craig Laundy's seat of Auburn worth another Curtis Cheng?

by Ganesh Sahathevan
It is obvious from the ABC 7.30  interview copied below  that NSW Police knew in advance of the general threat that ultimately led to the murder of Curtis Cheng. Despite knowing of the threat police and ASIO did nothing ; intelligence gathering cannot be an excuse when there is a danger such as this.

Granted there were teenagers involved, but then why did police not speak with their parents,and have these boys disciplined if not put into "intervention" programmes that Nick Kaldas says are already  in place? It does appear as if police already know that intervention and "deradicalization" does not work, and they are otherwise afraid to enforce normal law enforcement methods.

Vote buying  in Western Sydney seems to be the main culprit. Malcolm Turnbull's fear of losing his prime ministership can only add to the insecurity. That the member for Auburn , Craig Laundy, had been one of the main criitcs of Abbott's so-called anti-Muslim policies and voted for Tunrbull has not escaped attention. The question for the rest of us is whether he retaining his seat is worth any more  murders  like that of Curtis Cheng. Clearly, a way must be found to wean politicians off their dependence on the Muslim vote.
END 






Teen member of Islamic State group suspected of Parramatta Shooting tells its inside story

Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Broadcast: 19/10/2015
Reporter: Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop and Dylan Welch
This self-confessed jihadi's moved among a small group of Sydney radicals who police say were behind the Parramatta shooting and now he gives us his insight into the group and the young men who support it.

Transcript

LEIGH SALES, PRESENTER: The issue of young Muslim men embracing the message of violent jihad is rattling the entire Western world.

Tonight, one of those youths, himself at the heart of Australia's security crisis, speaks exclusively to 7.30.

For years this self-confessed jihadi has been a member of a small group of young Islamic State supporters from Sydney. It's this group that police allege is associated with both the recent street murder of New South Wales police accountant Curtis Cheng and also the alleged disrupted plot to abduct and kill a random member of the public last year.

The 19-year-old who appears in this story is best friends with both of the young men accused of planning those attacks.

This story from Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop and Dylan Welch, and a warning: some of the material is confronting.

ANONYMOUS ISLAMIC STATE SUPPORTER: Every day, they've been watching. Wherever I go, whatever I do. Take photos. 'Cause you see cars in front of your house or the same cars following you every day. They all take photos. And they all say, "Oh, this guy's planning an attack."

SEAN RUBINSZTEIN-DUNLOP, REPORTER: This is one of the most closely-watched teenagers in Australia, under surveillance by police and ASIO since at least early last year. He's in a group of young Islamic State supporters suspected of plotting a terrorist attack. 

How did you become close?

ANONYMOUS ISLAMIC STATE SUPPORTER: As a brotherhood. Like gangsters, they have the brotherhood. We have our brotherhood.

SEAN RUBINSZTEIN-DUNLOP: It's a brotherhood that's now under investigation over the execution of a civilian police employee in broad daylight in Parramatta earlier this month. 

We've agreed to hide this 19-year-old's identity because he says he fears for the safety of some members of his family who don't share his belief in violent jihad.

According to counter-terrorism authorities who've been keeping a close watch on you and your friends since early last year, you and your friends are one of the biggest terrorism threats in Australia.

ANONYMOUS ISLAMIC STATE SUPPORTER: That's a lie. 'Cause anyone sees me, I'm a normal dude.

SEAN RUBINSZTEIN-DUNLOP: There aren't many regular dudes who support Islamic State.

ANONYMOUS ISLAMIC STATE SUPPORTER: There's a lot. 

SEAN RUBINSZTEIN-DUNLOP: In September last year, Australia woke to the news that young Islamic State supporters were planning a terror attack in Sydney. The teenager and his friends were raided that morning.

ANONYMOUS ISLAMIC STATE SUPPORTER: They smashed a whole door. They said, "Police! Open up!" They had their SKS, their gun pointed at me, "Get on the floor." They just said anything to link with ISIL, Islamic State, ISIS, you be - they'll take you away.

SEAN RUBINSZTEIN-DUNLOP: This Western Sydney teenager came to Australia as a 10-year-old Afghan refugee and soon after, his brothers became involved in crime gangs. One brother is serving 24 years in Australia's highest-security jail, the SuperMax, for a brutal gang murder.

PETER MORONEY, FMR COUNTER-TERRORISM DETECTIVE: They come from a broken family history. They generally have - and again, I'm generalising, but they generally have a connection of some description of a family member, direct or otherwise, connected to crime. And when you throw all that in the mix, that's when you're creating a nice base then to - for that person to be going one way or another.

SEAN RUBINSZTEIN-DUNLOP: For them to radicalise?

PETER MORONEY: Absolutely.

SEAN RUBINSZTEIN-DUNLOP: Several of the teenager's close friends are now charged, including Omarjan Azari, who's accused of conspiring to murder a random non-believer. Their ties go back a long way.

ANONYMOUS ISLAMIC STATE SUPPORTER: Well, we used to go to school together. Footy, soccer. We met up like that.

SEAN RUBINSZTEIN-DUNLOP: It was at Parramatta High where he met Omarjan Azari, who introduced him to hardline Islam and became his spiritual guide.

ANONYMOUS ISLAMIC STATE SUPPORTER: Omar in school, he used to teach me how to pray and we used to go to mosques together, we used to do a lot of things together. And from that, like, he used to be - he finished school and I was by myself, and after that, I used to listen to sheiks, I used to listen to the lectures, go Thursday nights, so get myself educated.

SEAN RUBINSZTEIN-DUNLOP: He then tried to convert fellow students.

ANONYMOUS ISLAMIC STATE SUPPORTER: I used to preach. I used to give - speak to people about Islam, and, like, the non-believers, I used to advise them to come to Islam. It's our life, you know, like, we live for long with life for Allah.

SEAN RUBINSZTEIN-DUNLOP: Would you get yourself killed for Allah?

ANONYMOUS ISLAMIC STATE SUPPORTER: (Pause) No comment. 

SEAN RUBINSZTEIN-DUNLOP: Why don't you want to answer that question?

ANONYMOUS ISLAMIC STATE SUPPORTER: Because it's gonna lead us to trouble.

SEAN RUBINSZTEIN-DUNLOP: What kind of trouble?

ANONYMOUS ISLAMIC STATE SUPPORTER: Like ASIO and AFP, (inaudible). And they'll probably think he's gonna plan a terrorist attack or something like that.

SEAN RUBINSZTEIN-DUNLOP: If you say what you really believe...

ANONYMOUS ISLAMIC STATE SUPPORTER: Yeah.

SEAN RUBINSZTEIN-DUNLOP: the police will come after you?

ANONYMOUS ISLAMIC STATE SUPPORTER: Of course. They're already after me. They're just looking for a little reason to put me behind bars.

SEAN RUBINSZTEIN-DUNLOP: So what you're really saying is that you would?

ANONYMOUS ISLAMIC STATE SUPPORTER: Everyone wants to die for Allah. We all want to live the best life in the hereafter and we want to make to the top of the seven levels of Jannah - heaven. We want to make it to the top.

SEAN RUBINSZTEIN-DUNLOP: 7.30 asked NSW Police for their view of the teenager, but they declined to comment.

We showed the interview to Peter Moroney, who was a senior detective on one of Australia's biggest terrorism cases, and he was alarmed.

PETER MORONEY: We're talking about violent jihad, so we're talking about murder. The simple response is via the evasiveness of his answer and in the end, when pushed, he says, "Yes, I would." That's alarming, because we know - we know from past investigations that have occurred is that if they can't leave Australia to fight, there are some self-appointed members of the Islamic community that would suggest that it is OK, you can then wage your jihad here.

SEAN RUBINSZTEIN-DUNLOP: Since last year's raids, the 19-year-old has been supporting his friends in court, and at times, he's been violent.

JOURNALIST: How would you describe these allegations that he is plotting to kill somebody and drape an ISIS flag around his head?

SEAN RUBINSZTEIN-DUNLOP: This is his best friend, Raban Alou. The 18-year-old was charged days ago with helping commission the Parramatta shooting from inside the local mosque. Both of them knew Farhad Jabar, the 15-year-old Parramatta shooter.

ANONYMOUS ISLAMIC STATE SUPPORTER: He was just a quiet dude. Keeps to himself.

SEAN RUBINSZTEIN-DUNLOP: In recent months, they were studying the Koran together at Parramatta Mosque, where he says he last saw Jabar a fortnight before the shooting.

ANONYMOUS ISLAMIC STATE SUPPORTER: Maybe once a week we used to read the Koran together. That's it. I used to revise with him.

SEAN RUBINSZTEIN-DUNLOP: So who was teaching who about the Koran?

ANONYMOUS ISLAMIC STATE SUPPORTER: Farhad was teaching me.

SEAN RUBINSZTEIN-DUNLOP: Did you play any role in the murder of Curtis Cheng?

ANONYMOUS ISLAMIC STATE SUPPORTER: No, I didn't. I had nothing - I was working that day. I was working at Fairfield. Had nothing to do with it.

SEAN RUBINSZTEIN-DUNLOP: Do you think it was a tragedy for Curtis Cheng?

ANONYMOUS ISLAMIC STATE SUPPORTER: Of course it is a tragedy. He's still working with the police government, so he's part for him.

SEAN RUBINSZTEIN-DUNLOP: Why are you finding it so hard to say that the murder of Curtis Cheng was a tragedy for him and his family?

ANONYMOUS ISLAMIC STATE SUPPORTER: Because they don't say anything about the Muslims, so why should I say - why should I please them, you know? Why should I please the kafir - the disbelievers? Why should I show that, oh, yeah, I care about them? Which I don't.

SEAN RUBINSZTEIN-DUNLOP: This teenager's commitment to a brutal holy war against what he sees as the sins of the West is unrelenting.

ANONYMOUS ISLAMIC STATE SUPPORTER: There's no other law except Allah's law. People that smoke drugs, there's no cigarettes, there's no alcohol, there's no brothels, there's no clubbing - all shut down. That's what we want. Stop the bombing overseas, stop killing our Muslims and then war will be over. 

ALPHA CHENG, SON: I am here today in the most tragic and difficult of circumstances to represent my family, heartbroken from the sudden loss of a beloved husband and loving father. 

ANDREW SCIPIONE, NSW POLICE COMMISSIONER: The gentlest of friends lost to an act of terror.

SEAN RUBINSZTEIN-DUNLOP: On the weekend, a family farewelled a man who came to Australia for a quiet and peaceful life. Their message couldn't be more different to the violent dogma that claimed that life.

ALPHA CHENG: If we all do that little bit more, as Dad did for everyone in his life, I believe that we can live in a more harmonious and gentle world. May he rest in peace.

LEIGH SALES: Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop and Dylan Welch with that report.
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Saturday, October 17, 2015

MH 17: Julie "Kissinger" Bishop duped by Malaysia,again , but does she realize it?

by Ganesh Sahathevan

It does seem as if  Julie "Kissinger" Bishop is a sucker for being suckered. Despite being made a fool of last year by Najib and Putin (see below)  Mdm Kissinger went back for more this year, asking Malaysia to join her in co-sponsoring that UN Security resolution on MH 17 that Russia vetoed. 

This was our Julie just before that vote:



United and resolved to obtain justice seek support
Embedded image permalink


And here is Julie with her new BFF Liow:

Liow (left) speaks with Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop before the vote on a draft resolution for establishing a tribunal to prosecute those responsible for the MH17 flight at the Security council meeting at the United Nations in New York.- AFP.
Liow (left) speaks with Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop before the vote on a draft resolution for establishing a tribunal to prosecute those responsible for the MH17 flight at the Security council meeting at the United Nations in New York.- AFP.
Meanwhile, this is what Malaysia and Liow were really up to:

ABC's 7.30 Report:
CONOR DUFFY: Malaysian Airlines is also accused of culpability and a separate court action is already underway. The airline refused to fully cooperate with the Dutch investigators.

Actually, the Malaysians have been reported to have been as much an obstacle as the Russians:
http://www.pressreader.com/australia/herald-sun/20151017/281887297149824/TextView


END 









Monday, July 21, 2014


MH 17-Najib's deal leaves Australia out on a limb: Abbott let down by DAFT,Bishop ,Peta & co?



NOTE
For the sake of efficiency , I am copying and pasting an email posted to recipients on my mailing list .


That Malaysian PM Najib concluded  a deal with the rebels/separatists/bastards even as 
 Julie Bishop was doing her thing at the UN, illustrates the point raised below, that while Tony Abbot rightly demanded that Russia cooperate in the matter of MH 17, he was likely to find himself out on a limb while the other parties involved approached the matter in the context of their own national interest. 

Australians ought to be concerned that an understanding of the competing priorities seemed to be lacking in Abbott's words and actions. Again, he seems to have been let down by his advisers. 
END

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ganesh Sahathevan <ganesh.sahathevan@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Jul 20, 2014 at 1:04 PM
Subject: Standing up to Putin-Europe needs Russia's energy, and Malaysia its fighter jets? Why Australia might be left out on a limb
To:


NOTE 
While Tony Abbott has rightly demanded that Russia take responsibility and cooperate with other interested countries in the 
the MH 17 investigation, it does look as if Malaysia and Europe may have other priorities to consider.
Europe's dependence on Russian gas has been well documented.
Malaysia's reliance on Russia for air defence is less clear, especially in context of this intriguing report:


MH17 Rosmah Mansor has sent word to Russian President Vladimir Putin to call her husband, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, over the MH17 tragedy.

According to a brief report in Sin Chew Daily website, Rosmah said she had asked someone, who is close to her as well as Putin, to convey the message.
However, there is no mention as to who this person is.
The report stated that Rosmah is hoping Putin would take the initiative to call Najib and explain the issue in order to calm down Malaysians, who are enraged over the incident.
Sin Chew also did not state where she had made the remarks.
Rosmah was present at a Wanita Umno function in Kuala Lumpur earlier butBernama, which reported on the event, made no mention of her commenting on the ill-fated plane.
Upon completing Maghrib prayers, Najib received a call from Putin.
However, the report was removed from Sin Chew website later in the day.

Meanwhile, Abbott and Julie Bishop have had no luck getting hold of their Russian counterparts-and are instead being publicly scolded  by the Russians:




Malaysia Invests In Sukhoi Fighter Readiness

PARIS AIR SHOW » 2013
Malaysia has allocated RM300 million to increase the combat readiness of the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s fleet of Sukhoi Su-30MKMs.
Malaysia has allocated RM300 million to increase the combat readiness of the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s fleet of Sukhoi Su-30MKMs.
June 17, 2013, 4:10 AM
The events in Sabah, Malaysia, this past March, when local forces conducted Operation Daulat used combat jets to quell the resistance of the Filipino gunmen on the island of Borneo, may have prompted a spate of arms sales to that country and her closest neighbors. The armed forces do have a big wish list for weapons, but procurement processes for the most expensive and longest-lead items are likely to be launched properly only after the general elections in Malaysia later this year. In the meantime, the ministry of finance and the royal treasury–the two main watchdogs–are loosening their grips somewhat so as to give the air force the means to improve its fleet readiness.
In late March, Sukhoi won a three-year contract called “The supply of articles, services and technical assistance for Su-30MKM aircraft” worth RM300 million (more than U.S.$100 million), three times the allocation over the previous three-year period. Respective documents were signed by MOD secretary general Datuk Dr. Haji Ismail Haji Ahmad, with Sukhoi deputy general director for marketing Alexander Klementiev and director for after-sales support Vyacheslav Lozan. The increased spending is meant to boost combat readiness of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Su-30MKM fleet from the current level of 65 to 70 percent to 85 percent in the “near term” and eventually increase this to 100 percent. TheRMAF’s 11th Squadron stationed at Gong Kedak has 18 heavyweight twin-engine vectored-thrust fighters received new from Irkut’s IAZ factory in 2007-2011. After the manufacturer’s guarantee period expired, most of the Russian support team departed Gong Kedak AFB, leaving only three of their number–and they then left this past January following expiration of the previous service contract.
“The notable increase in spending on our services will allow our specialists to more closely monitor the aircraft operations and shorten the reaction time to RMAF requests for spares and repair services. Importantly, the new contract calls for a permanent presence of Sukhoi advisors and technicians at Gong Kedak,” Klementiev told AIN. The contract calls for deliveries of additional aerodrome equipment, increase of spares and expendables stocks, carrying out on-site repairs of onboard equipment, consultancy and training forRMAF maintainers.
As part of the aircraft delivery contract, Russia built the Sukhoi Technical Center (STC) at Gong Kedak. It was completed and handed over to the Malaysian government, which appointed Aerospace Technology Systems Corp. (ATSC) to be the operator. To work at full capacity, STC’s warehouses need to be filled with spares, expendables and maintenance tools, as necessary, which will be done under the new contract. The facility has several workshops and will permit RMAF and ATSC to perform maintenance, except major overhaul of airframes, engines and the most complex parts of onboard systems. Sukhoi assessed ATSCstaff members as “well educated” but indicated they need more training in performing manufacturer-prescribed work on Russian-made jets.
RMAF crews have mastered aerobatics and use of vectored thrust, attracting praise from the Russian air force commander Gen. Victor Bondarev, while he was attending the LIMA 2013 show. Following training of the initial group of Malaysian fighter pilots, Sukhoi and Irkut ceased such services four years ago. They hoped the customer would award them a new contract for pilot training “sometime in the future to ensure that the RMAF 11th Squadron crews are able to use the Su-30MKM capabilities to full extent,” including application of precision-guided munitions. “This would require us to send a group of highly skilled engineers and pilots there who have the complete knowledge of the type’s functional capabilities,” said Klementiev.
ATSC was founded in 1994 as a joint venture with a 70-percent stake held by National Aerospace and Defense Industries, and the rest by Russian partners, and runs the MiG Technical Center at Kuantan AFB and MiG Component Repair Center at MEC City. The company claims to have mastered checks on the Su-30MKM after each 200 flight hours and servicing procedures on the airplane’s OEPrNK optronic aiming and navigation complex system, OLS optical locator, N011M “Bars” fire control radar and fly-by-wire systems, as well as AL-31FP engine module changes.
Despite the increase in funding for RMAF, salesmen remain cautious about prospects of replacement for 18 MiG-29N/NUBs delivered in 1995. “We know about the plans of the military, but we also hear about the economy slowdown and the respective position of the ministry of finance. Cost-effective upgrade solutions may win over,” Victor Komardin, deputy head of Russia’s Rosoboronexport arms sales agency, told AIN.
Guided by this knowledge, Rosoboronexport is offering an upgrade package to the RMAF’s 18-year-old MiGs, which will boost their capability and extend their lifetime to 40 years. Should the customer decide to replace the MiGs with newer aircraft, Russia is ready to supply additional quantities of advanced Su-30MKMs or even consider a request for a fifth-generation fighter. “We are keen to take part in any competition in Malaysia that is officially opened,” Komardin said. Other candidates to replace RMAF MiG-29s are the Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet, EF-2000 Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale and Saab Gripen.
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Friday, September 25, 2015

China justifies intervention in Malaysia's internal affairs : Threat of racial riots in Malaysia's Chinatown considered a threat to China's national interest


by Ganesh Sahathevan


The Chinese ambassador to Malaysia Huang Hui Kang has made a very public visit to Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown ,also known as Petaling Street , on the eve of racial riots threatened by Muslim Malay NGOs.

He has warned Malaysia that China will intervene in Malaysia's internal affairs if there is any "infringement on China's national interests."

The Malaysiakini online news site quoted Huang:

"The Chinese government has always pursued peaceful co-existence in international relationship and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries.
"But with regard to the infringement on China's national interests, violations of legal rights and interests of Chinese citizens and businesses which may damage the friendly relationship between China and the host country, we will not sit by idly,"

(see full report below)

The majority of traders in Chinatown are third if not fourth generation Malaysian citizens of Chinese descent. Huang's statement implies a rather wide interpretation of what might constitute "China's national interests".

END


Chinese ambassador visits Petaling Street on eve of rally

Chinese ambassador Huang Hui Kang paid a visit to Petaling Street today on the eve of an anti-Chinese rally by Malay rightwing groups.

The rally is called in response to the authorities’ purported lack of action against traders who sell counterfeit goods there.

China is against all forms of terrorism, as well as racism and extremism which target specific ethnic groups, the ambassador to Malaysia said in a statement which he read out after his walkabout in the area known as Chinatown.

Huang said Malaysia was a country ruled by law, and therefore, everyone - regardless of ideology or stratum in society - must safeguard it.

"Nobody has the right to undermine the authority of the law or trample on the rule of law.

"The Chinese government has always pursued peaceful co-existence in international relationship and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries.

"But with regard to the infringement on China's national interests, violations of legal rights and interests of Chinese citizens and businesses which may damage the friendly relationship between China and the host country, we will not sit by idly," said Huang.

The diplomat visited the popular shopping area for about one hour along with the Kuala Lumpur Hawkers and Petty Traders Association.

During the Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu on Sept 16, rally-goers tried to enter Petaling Street and after a standoff, the Federal Reserve Unit used the water cannon to disperse the red shirts.https://m.malaysiakini.com/news/313484
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Thursday, September 24, 2015

Marise Payne & Khaleed Sharouf: Evidence of intelligence failure, as well as failure if not refusal to understand the threat of terrorism

by Ganesh Sahathevan

 On 12 July 2014 the Weekend Australian reported:

 ONE of Australia’s most-wanted terrorists and a suspected war criminal, Khaled Sharrouf continued to receive a taxpayer-funded disability pension months after arriving on the battlefields of Syria.

 Sharrouf, who was convicted as part of the 2005 Pendennis terror trial, arrived in Syria in December and has distinguished himself as one of the most brutal ­Australian fighters to emerge on the Syrian battlefield.

 Revelations that the former Sydney man was paid his regular fortnightly disability cheque — $766 a fortnight — long after authorities knew he was gone, raise the possibility that the taxpayer may have been inadvertently funding his activities.
Human Services Minister Marise Payne declined yesterday to discuss the Sharrouf case, citing privacy concerns.
Under normal circumstances a disability support pension can be cancelled if the recipient is overseas for six weeks.
Ms Payne said the law as it stood did not allow authorities to cancel the payments of Australians suspected of involvement in criminal or extremist behaviour.
“(But) recent events have highlighted the need for further measures to ensure Australians engaged in terrorist activities are not receiving payments,’’ she told The Weekend Australian.
It is clear from the above that Payne has difficulty comprehending that  someone who had gone to fight in Syria and distinguished himself as one of the most brutal ­Australian fighters to emerge on the Syrian battlefield. might not actually have been entitled to the disability pension.Be that as it may, Payne's response belies her approach to terrorism and related issues, made evident as late as 2006, when she objected to and defeated  then Attorney General Dary William's proposed terrorism laws which would have allowed him to ban entities such as, for example, Hizbut Tahrir who directly and  indirectly provide the networks that encourage ,support and defend the likes of Khaleed Sharouf.
Payne's response,trying to blame departmental policy for her incompetence, is what one expects given her past performance. Early this year in a desperate attempt to sound "progerssive"  and provide herself a defence she  blamed  the Centrelink computer systems for which she was responsible as Minister for Human Services for  her department's mismanagement. One shudders to imagine what she can now do with a far larger budget.
END 
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