Terror expert wants returning ISIS fighters to be used as community lecturers to deter extremism
A FORMER top police officer says the Australian government needs to consider ‘deploying’ returning jihadists into communities to deter youth from being lured into extremism.
World
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AUSTRALIA’S returning foreign fighters who fought under the Islamic State black flag should be “deployed” as mentors into communities to dissuade youth looking at going down the same extremist path.
And Australia’s police and intelligence agencies were too stretched to beat local terrorism alone and needed to now look at engaging the broader security industry and share their secrets.
They are the views of one of Australia’s leading counter terrorism fighters Nick Kaldas who yesterday appealed to both State and federal governments to think outside the square in combating jihadi extremists.
The former NSW Police deputy commissioner and senior UN investigator Nick Kaldas who has just returned to Australia said his experience abroad particularly had showed him no one had the answer.
He said it was a complex issue and while controversial, the government should give thought to employing some of the 400 Australians who left here to fight and were now hiding overseas, to return as influencers for good.
He said prosecuting some would be difficult due to insufficient evidence.
“It may be useful to consider not using these returning fighters but deploying them in some way if they are genuinely reformed and it’s recognised that they are genuinely reformed, using them as an example and have them lecture and talk to those who may be inclined to follow their path to say ‘it’s not that good, it’s not what you think it is, it is a horrible thing to do, I’ve done it and I want you to learn from my lessons’,” he said yesterday at the launch of a new global security advisory group.
“I know that would be controversial but I think there could be some uses in having those people who have done it and come back hopefully repentant, acknowledge their mistake and share those mistakes with others so others don’t follow in their horrible path.”
Mr Kaldas said the threat of terrorism here was as high now as it ever was whether from an intricate plot, lone wolf or just a youth in his pyjamas at home self radicalised over the internet to go out and kill and “new thinking” was required.
He cited the success of Operation Griffin in the UK which through Bank of England security chief Don Randall, melded intelligence sharing between public and private law enforcement sectors, for which he was awarded an MBE and was the recipient of the International Police and Public Safety 9/11 Commendation Medal.
He said Mr Randall had tried to introduce that intel sharing operation to Australia a few years ago but the security industry then lacked maturity and some practitioners were linked to organised crime figures.
That situation had now changed through better vetting laws and it was time to relook at the option.
Mr Kaldas added: “The intelligence and law enforcement community in Australia come from a culture that is not automatically geared for wide sharing of information, that’s not a criticism it’s simply the situation and environment which we operate … It’s probably timely to reconsider those relationships and free flow exchange of information to see if we can enhance it or improve it and there are good examples in the US and the UK and I’m certainly keen to pursue those.”
He said it was pointless having security of major CBD businesses, bank and assets or attractions like Sydney’s Opera House be kept in the dark by police about direct threats and only reach out after an attack.