ASIO points finger at allied ‘friend’ countries for domestic interference

Allied ‘friend’ countries have been caught threatening Australians on our home soil, Australia’s domestic spy boss says.

The boss of Australia’s domestic spy agency says allied “friend” countries have been caught threatening Australians on our home soil.

ASIO director-general Mike Burgess only specifically named Iran as a nation which had “threatened diaspora communities in Australia”, but added “three or four” foreign nations had been caught out.

“I can think of at least three or four that we have actually actively found involved in foreign interference in Australian diaspora communities.”

“Some of them would surprise you, some of them are also our friends,” Mr Burgess said.

The ASIO director-general made the comments on ABC on Sunday, days after Australia’s terror threat level was raised to “probable”.

ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess says other nations threat diaspora communities in Australia. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

The threat level was raised because of a heightened chance of politically-motivated violence, so the upcoming federal election would be a “focal point” for ASIO, Mr Burgess said.

But foreign interference and espionage remain principal concerns for the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.

The most likely terrorist attack in this country would be from an individual who “goes to violence” with little warning and little-to-no planning, the ASIO boss said.

“It could just be a reaction to language they’ve heard used from someone, including a politician.”

“Most” politicians did not deliberately use language which inflamed tensions, he said.

“There is a direct connection between inflamed language, inflamed tension and violence.”

Iran was one country which had been caught threatening diaspora communities in Australia, he said.

Mike Burgess said anti-immigration riots like the ones seen in the UK this week were unlikely in Australia. Picture: Christopher Furlong /Getty Images

Asked if India also threatened diaspora communities in Australia, Mr Burgess said there were “three or four” countries that had been caught, some which “may surprise your viewers”, but said he could only cite Iran because former Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil had publicly identified that Gulf state.

The Iranian ambassador to Australia recently took to social media calling for a “wiping out” of Israelis in Palestine by 2027, and referred to Israelis as a “Zionist plague”.

The ambassador “absolutely” made a “classic, terrible” example of inappropriate, unacceptable language that could actually drive violence, Mr Burgess said.

“That was an example of one worthy of being called out.”

Speaking in Adelaide on Sunday, the Prime Minister said he encouraged Mr Burgess to give interviews and explain what threats Australians faced.

Parramatta MP Andrew Charlton had been appointed a Special Envoy on cyber security to look at long term issues, Anthony Albanese added.

The Prime Minister Anthony would not say which countries Mr Burgess referred to. Picture: Yothu Yindi Foundation / Nina Franova via NewsWire

Asked which countries the ASIO boss had flagged as interfering in Australia, the Prime Minister only slipped in an Olympics reference.

“No, in a word. It’s important, our priority here isn’t to get a headline. Our priority here is to keep Australians safe.

“First, second and third priority. Gold, Silver and Bronze, in the spirit of the Olympics. They are our priorities, and so we are careful about, I’m careful about information that I give out being consistent with the advice that I receive from the agencies.”

Generally speaking, heading into the federal election political rhetoric needed to cool, Mr Albanese said.

“We need to lower the temperature of political debate. You can have an agreement, or sometimes a disagreement, and have it respectfully. Respect each other’s views.”