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| (ASIO), Mike Burgess, Photo YouTube |
In a stark and unsettling address this week, Australia's top spy delivered a chilling warning that has pierced the nation's sense of security. The Director-General of Security for the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), Mike Burgess, declared that at least three foreign nations are both "willing and capable" of carrying out "lethal targeting"—or political assassination—on Australian soil.
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Delivering the Lowy Institute Lecture at Sydney Town Hall, Mr. Burgess painted a dark picture of a security environment where certain regimes are increasingly prepared to conduct "high-harm operations" against perceived political dissidents, even in a country as geographically distant as Australia.
The Unseen Threat: Lethal Targeting and Criminal Cut-Outs
While the ASIO chief refrained from publicly naming the three nations posing this grave threat, he made it unequivocally clear that the danger is not theoretical.
Perhaps the most insidious aspect of his warning was the method he described: foreign governments are likely to try and conceal their involvement by employing "criminal cut-outs."
Plausible Deniability: Using local criminal networks or intermediaries provides regimes with a layer of plausible deniability, making it exceptionally difficult for Australian authorities to trace the attack back to a state actor.
6 A Precedent: Burgess highlighted the recent anti-Semitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne, which he attributed to foreign direction—specifically naming Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps as allegedly directing arson attacks using intermediaries.
7 This example serves as a grim proof point for how hostile foreign intent can manifest via local criminal proxies.
Protecting Dissidents and Sovereignty
The speech makes it clear that the nature of espionage and foreign interference has moved far beyond traditional spying. It now encompasses overt acts of violence that threaten not only the lives of individuals but also the very concept of Australian sovereignty.
The dissidents targeted are often Australians or permanent residents who have fled oppressive regimes and believe they are safe here. Mr. Burgess emphasised that ASIO and its law enforcement partners are "acutely alive" to this escalating danger and are working around the clock to prevent a politically motivated assassination from ever happening.
"The countries I didn't mention by name, know who I'm talking about... by mentioning them publicly, I'm also putting them on notice that we know some of them are prepared to do this. And we will do our damndest to stop them before it happens."
— Mike Burgess, Director-General of Security, ASIO
This public declaration is not just a warning to the Australian public; it’s a direct message to those foreign intelligence services: Australians are off-limits.
Beyond Assassination: A Nation Under Siege
The assassination threat was just one element of a broader security assessment delivered by Mr. Burgess, who also highlighted other threats eroding the country's social cohesion and security, including:
Foreign Interference: Covert operations, like those attributed to "Russian operatives," covertly stoking division and amplifying inflammatory rhetoric.
Domestic Extremism: A rising tide of ideologically motivated extremism, including nationalist and racist violent groups, often incubated online.
AI Risk: Concerns over the potential for Artificial Intelligence to exacerbate online radicalisation and disinformation, creating "real world 'aggro-rhythms'."
In a world increasingly defined by geopolitical conflict and "strategic power competition," the Director-General’s speech is a wake-up call. It's a reminder that even in our peaceful nation, we are not immune to the world's most dangerous state-sponsored threats.
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