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https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/19/mike-burgess-asio-annual-threat-assessment-speech-foreign-intelligence-operations-antisemitism-election-disinformation-ntwnfb>
"At least three countries have plotted to harm Australians abroad and on home
soil, including a planned assassination to silence a human rights activist,
Australia’s spy boss has revealed.
In a wide-ranging annual threat assessment speech on Wednesday night, which
warned of an unprecedented level of threats until 2030, Mike Burgess, the head
of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, highlighted a foreign
intelligence operation foiled by his agency.
The foreign spies, from an undisclosed country, had attempted to lure an
Australia-based human rights activist to a third country, where the plotters
would allegedly seriously injure or kill the activist but make it look like an
accident.
Burgess said Asio has stopped the activist from travelling to the overseas
trap. He said the agency had held similarly grave concerns for a small number
of other Australians, and attempts to injure them.
“We shouldn’t be complacent, or consider ourselves insulated from any of these
threats. We are not immune to hostile nation states … undertaking acts of
security concern on our shores or near region,” he said.
“Whether such acts serve an internal interest, or a form of retaliation against
Israel or our allies, we need to remain alert and responsive to these
evolutions.”
The top intelligence official also warned of another country attempting to harm
and possibly kill Australians on home soil in 2024. Asio worked with
international partners to determine it was part of a broader effort to take out
the country’s critics abroad – including activists, journalists and ordinary
citizens.
“The regime considers them opponents; we would call them human rights
advocates,” he said.
In 2023, the former home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, revealed a foiled
attempt by Iran targeting an Iranian-Australian critic of its regime on
Australian soil.
Burgess said his agency was aware of at least four countries who had targeted
individuals living in Australia to coerce their return, noting the foreign
spies used a range of tactics including threats against their families, and
seizing their assets.
“While coerced repatriations can have dire consequences for the individuals
being victimised, they also have a broader chilling effect on diaspora in
Australia,” he said."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
