Vol. 73/No. 34      September 7, 2009

Following the operation the federal attorney general announced August 12 that Australia’s “antiterror” laws will be reviewed with the aim of strengthening them.

Holsworthy base is home for two combat-ready Australian army units that have been fighting as part of the imperialist forces in Afghanistan—the 2nd Commando Regiment and the 3RAR Parachute Battalion. It is well fortified and any attack on the base would be dealt with “within minutes,” asserted Australia Defense Association executive director Neil James.

The police allege that the accused men have links to the al-Shabab militia in Somalia, which is fighting to overthrow the U.S.-backed government there. U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton welcomed the cop raids, asserting that al-Shabab aims to use Somalia as “a training ground for attacks around the world.”

The FBI has been carrying out extensive operations against the Somali community in Minneapolis and other U.S. cities in recent months, alleging links to al-Shabab. Two Somalis—one in Minneapolis and another in Seattle—were indicted on “terrorism” charges in July.

Angry about the raids and the targeting of the Somali community, about 100 people turned out August 5 for a meeting at the Coburg Town Hall in Melbourne. The meeting was called by the police to brief Somali community leaders on the August raid.

“What do you call waking people up at four in the morning with guns?” Abdurahman Osman told the Herald Sun, a Melbourne daily. “It is the police themselves that are the terrorists.” Adding, “Now we have our kids being called terrorists at school.”

About 11,000 Somalis live in Melbourne. Along with Sudanese refugees they have faced discrimination and racist attacks. Leaflets denigrating African immigrants, distributed in the city in 2007, appeared again following the August 4 raids.

Five men have been charged. Wissam Fattal, Nayef El Sayed, and Yacquib Khayre, who is alleged to have traveled to Somalia earlier this year to train with al-Shabab, face “conspiracy” charges. According to PM, an ABC radio news program, Saney Aweys and Abdirahman Ahmed face the same charge as well as “aiding and abetting a man to engage in hostile acts overseas.”

A review of Australia’s “terror” laws had been promised in December 2008 after charges against Indian-born doctor Mohamed Haneef collapsed amidst public protests in July 2007. Haneef had been held for interrogation for 12 days.

The proposed changes will reduce the time cops can hold a “terrorism” suspect without charge from 14 to seven days.

However, the definition of a terrorist act will be expanded to include acts of “psychological” as well as physical harm. New “terrorism hoax” and “inciting violence” offenses are to be added. Police powers will be expanded to allow the search of a premise without a warrant if they believe “material relevant to a terrorism offence” posing a “threat to public health or safety is located inside.”
 
 
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