Daniel Andrews rejects Melbourne is ‘terror central’, says evil manifests itself across nation

Daniel Andrews has rejected suggestions Melbourne is “terror central’’, arguing Islamic extremism “manifests” itself across Australia.

Daniel Andrews goes to the polls on Saturday. Picture: AAP

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has rejected suggestions that Melbourne is “terror central’’ instead saying Islamic extremism “manifests” itself across Australia.

Police yesterday charged three men who were allegedly planning to use at least one semi-automatic gun to shoot as many people in the city as possible. The alleged plot is one of a string of threats foiled or dealt with by Victoria police and security organisations since 2014.

Asked by Karl Stefanovic on Nine’s Today show this morning why Melbourne was “terror central”, Mr Andrews said: “This evil manifests itself in lots of different places across our nation.

“We know this is a very real issue. Very serious threats. No getting around that.”

The premier pointed to the creation of Victoria’s counter-terrorism command after Labor was elected to government four years ago. “We saw the results of that work yesterday,” he said.

.@KarlStefanovic asks @DanielAndrewsMP why Melbourne is terror central. #9Today pic.twitter.com/tUoCqiAggJ

— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) November 20, 2018

Samed Eriklioglu, 26, his 30-year-old brother Ertunc and Hanifi Halis, 21, were charged after being arrested at separate addresses in Melbourne’s north early yesterday morning.

Melbourne is still reeling from the Bourke St terror attack which claimed the life of beloved cafe icon Sisto Malaspina who was honoured at a state funeral yesterday.

The Victorian Labor government is under intense scrutiny after Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton contradicted claims by state Attorney-General Martin Pakula that the police were not told Bourke St attacker Hassan Khalif Shire Ali’s passport had been cancelled.

Mr Andrews said the Victorian government had given security and law enforcement agencies everything they needed.

“We have been very clear to give to the chief Commissioner …. and our partners at the AFP and the ASIO organisation and their international partners... Every support, every resource, and a steely resolve to make sure we stay the course on this,” he said.

“That we have deradicalisation programs, we have community engagement. But at the same time we have the best intelligence and law enforcement that we can possibly have.”

Mr Andrews became emotional when speaking about the death of Sisto Malaspina who he called a “beautiful man.”

“Yesterday we had a marvellous tribute to a very beautiful man that was a celebration of his life on Bourke Street. It takes a lot to fill St Patrick’s cathedral in Bourke Street ... but it was full and then some.”

Victoria heads to the polls in three days.

RECENT ALLEGED ATTACKS AND FOILED TERROR PLOTS IN MELBOURNE

2018

NORTH MELBOURNE

November 20 - Three men arrested over an alleged ISIS-inspired Melbourne terror plot that aimed to kill as many people as possible.

BOURKE STREET

November 9 - Hassan Khalif Shire Ali shot dead by police after killing one man and injuring two others during a stabbing rampage in central Melbourne. QUEEN VICTORIA MARKET

June 11 - The tourist hot spot was revealed as one of the multiple targets of a man who claimed to be part of an overseas terrorist network planning to make a car bomb and drive it at a crowded corner of the market.

MILL PARK

February 10 - Momena Shoma, a 24-year-old Bangladeshi woman, stabbed a man in his sleep in an alleged Islamic State-inspired terrorist attack at his home. She pleaded guilty to terrorism charges.

2017

FLINDERS STREET

December - Saeed Noori allegedly ploughs into a group of pedestrians on the corner of Flinders and Elizabeth Streets, killing one man and injuring 19 people. He has been committed to stand trial on murder and attempted murder charges.

NEW YEAR’S EVE

November - Ali Khalif Shire Ali, 20, charged with allegedly planning to shoot New Year’s Eve revellers at Melbourne’s Federation Square. He is due to stand trial in 2019.

BRIGHTON SIEGE

June - Terrorist Yacqub Khayre shot serviced apartment receptionist Nick Hao dead and wounded three police officers before being cut down in a hail of bullets at Brighton.

BOURKE STREET

January - James Gargasoulas kills six people and injures 27 others when he deliberately drives into scores of people in the busy shopping area. He was found guilty of murder and endangering the lives of people.

2016

CHRISTMAS

December - Hamza Abbas, Ahmed Mohamed and Abdullah Chaarani planned Christmas Day terror attacks on Melbourne’s Flinders Street Station, Federation Square and St Paul’s Cathedral. They were found guilty.

ISLAMIC CENTRE

December - Three men, who can’t be named for legal reasons, allegedly firebomb the Imam Ali Islamic Centre, Fawkner, in what police described as an Islamic State-inspired attack. They are yet to stand trial.

TEEN TERROR

December - An 18-year-old man, who can’t be named, jailed for seven years for planning to set off a home-made bomb in a crowded part of Melbourne’s CBD in 2015.

ANZAC DAY

September - Sevdet Ramadan Besim, 19, jailed for at least seven-and-a-half years after admitting he was plotting to run down and behead a police officer on Anzac Day, 2015.

BOMB

August - Phillip Galea, an alleged far-right extremist, is charged with making preparations for terrorist bomb attacks on the Melbourne Anarchist Club and Melbourne Resistance Centre between November 2015 and August 2016. He remains in custody.

2014

KNIFE ATTACK

September - Numan Haider, 18, stabbed two counter-terrorism officers outside a police station before he was shot dead.