David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, I present the report on the review and listing of Jabhat al-Nusra, the re-listing of six terrorist organisations, and the review of the listing of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

Ordered that the report be printed.

I move:

That the Senate take note of the report.

The regulations for this were tabled on 12 November and 2 December in 2013. I would like to take this opportunity to outline the committee's findings in relation to each organisation. As mentioned, this is the first listing of Jabhat al-Nusra. Jabhat al-Nusra plans and conducts attacks in Syria against individuals and groups who they perceive to be supporting the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Its attacks include security and military targets, using improvised explosive devices, sniper and small arms attacks as well as kidnapping and torture. Jabhat al-Nusra targets urban areas resulting in indiscriminate civilian attacks. The group has been responsible for numerous attacks since it announced its existence via a video statement on 6 January 2012. We have seen numerous examples of where, in particular, minority groups have been victim of these indiscriminate and, in some cases, quite targeted attacks.

Of particular concern to the committee were reports of Jabhat al-Nusra's recruitment of Australians to fight in Syria as well as a suggestion that it is deliberately recruiting and training foreigners to go back and conduct terrorist attacks in their own countries. The committee therefore supports the listing of Jabhat al-Nusra as a terrorist organisation and does not recommend disallowance of the regulation.

With regard to the organisation's being relisted, this is the fifth relisting of al-Qaeda, Jemaah Islamiah, al-Qaeda in the lands of the Islamic Maghreb, Jamiat ul-Ansar and the Abu Sayyaf Group, and the first relisting of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. In each case, the committee was satisfied that the groups continue to engage in terrorist activities which could be a threat to Australians, or to Australian interests, either here or overseas. The committee therefore supports their ongoing listing as a terrorist organisation and does not recommend disallowance of the regulation for each of these groups.

I would also particularly like to mention the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. This group has been listed since 2005 under different names, including most recently al-Qaeda in Iraq. In December 2013, the government took the decision to relist the organisation under the name Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The committee was informed that this was to reflect the expansion of the group's activities into Syria with the change of name not reflecting a change in leadership, membership or methods of operation. Described to the committee as one of the world's deadliest and most active terrorist organisations, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant conducts daily and often indiscriminate attacks. It targets crowds and public gatherings to maximise casualties and gain publicity. Again, of concern to the committee were reports that the group actively recruits Australians that have travelled to Syria to fight.

The committee notes that the regulation reflecting the change of the name to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is to be tabled this Thursday. The committee supports the relisting of this organisation and does not recommend disallowance of the regulation. As I said, the committee is concerned about the involvement of Australians with these groups. Members of the Senate would be aware of media reports just this week of more Australians who have lost their lives in Syria as well as the number of passports that have been cancelled as our security agencies take steps to prevent people from—and I emphasise this—breaking the laws of this country to travel to fight in conflicts such as in Syria. Even for those who travel there for humanitarian purposes, which is the stated intention of some, the committee does note the concern expressed by the government that, due to the ongoing conflict, kidnappings and terrorist attacks, their presence in Syria exposes them to extreme danger, of injury or loss of life.

We are particularly concerned about those who travel with the stated intention, as glorified on some websites and blogs here in Australia, of becoming a martyr or to train and return to Australia. That is illegal. For people who are tempted to do that, I refer to the Australian citizenship pledge that says:

From this time forward …

I pledge my loyalty to Australia and its people,

whose democratic beliefs I share,

whose rights and liberties I respect, and

whose laws I will uphold and obey.

I commend the report to the Senate.

Question agreed to.