Catch up on stories from the past week (and beyond) at the Slashdot story archive

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror
×
Australia Crime News Politics

Australian Police Arrest 15, Charge 2, For Alleged Islamic State Beheading Plot 165

Posted by timothy from the even-in-the-nicest-places dept.
The Washington Post reports (building on a short AP report they're also carrying) that "[Australian] police have arrested 15 people allegedly linked to the Islamic State, some who plotted a public beheading." According to the Sydney Morning Herald, of the arrestees, only two have been charged. From the Washington Post story: “Police said the planned attack was to be “random.” The killers were to behead a victim and then drape the body in the black Islamic State flag, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. ... Direct exhortations were coming from an Australian who is apparently quite senior in [the Islamic State] to networks of support back in Australia to conduct demonstration killings here in this country,” Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said at a press conference, as the BBC reported. “So this is not just suspicion, this is intent and that’s why the police and security agencies decided to act in the way they have.”
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.

Australian Police Arrest 15, Charge 2, For Alleged Islamic State Beheading Plot More

Australian Police Arrest 15, Charge 2, For Alleged Islamic State Beheading Plot

Comments Filter:

  • Eh. (Score:4, Interesting)

    by TWX ( 665546 ) on Thursday September 18, 2014 @10:10AM (#47936059)
    Gotta do more than an insane passenger on a Greyhound bus does to another passenger to really shock me at this point.

    • I just read about the Tim Mclean case. What's even more horrific is that PETA sought to gain publicity for animal rights by running an ad. Eeek!

    • Garbage Disposal (Score:3, Interesting)

      by sycodon ( 149926 )

      Australia has a great garbage disposal system right off their west coast. Just toss these fuckers into the sea and the Great Whites will make them disappear.

      All you have to worry about is PETA getting upset over feeding toxic wastes to the sharks.

      • Re:Garbage Disposal (Score:5, Insightful)

        by ultranova ( 717540 ) on Thursday September 18, 2014 @11:56AM (#47936963)

        Just toss these fuckers into the sea and the Great Whites will make them disappear.

        But that would play straight to their hand. "Islamic State" is doing things like this because they're trying to tell a story: that they're a Caliphate straight from the dark ages. Treat their agents any differently than a common crazy murderer, and you're saying that you agree they are different, thus putting them a little bit closer towards having their story commonly accepted.

        Here, let Littlefinger explain it [youtube.com].

        So, what we must do is counter their story with our own: that they're nothing more than a bunch of brutal criminals. And we do that by treating them exactly like any other criminal. Counter the fantasy with banality, don't let them draw us into it. That's the mistake we did with Al-Qaeda: we allowed them to define themselves as "terrorists" rather than "murderers".

        • Re: (Score:3)

          by TWX ( 665546 )
          It not even hurt to brand them as crazy and to lock them up in an asylum for the criminally insane. That would allow the state to medicate them and in some ways, to make an example out of them.

          Martyrdom? Nope, straight-jacketed and drugged and forced to talk about your feelings. No rewards of heaven for you.

          • Re:Garbage Disposal (Score:5, Insightful)

            by ultranova ( 717540 ) on Thursday September 18, 2014 @01:01PM (#47937621)

            It not even hurt to brand them as crazy and to lock them up in an asylum for the criminally insane.

            Like we don't do to common criminals? Gee, you must be thinking of them as something else then, such as a legitimate if hostile power.

            That would allow the state to medicate them and in some ways, to make an example out of them.

            An example that the Islamic State can point to and say: "See, even our enemies agree that we're not just another gang and are afraid of us!"

            Martyrdom? Nope, straight-jacketed and drugged and forced to talk about your feelings. No rewards of heaven for you.

            "Our brave fighters are willing to face not only death but humiliation and torture before it! Truly, they shall be blessed and rewarded in Heaven!"

            Seriously, stop helping the Islamic State. Stop supporting their story. Every time you suggest a "clever" punishment for them you're supporting their claim of being a Caliphate rather than a criminal gang, thus bringing them closer to victory.

            You win a war like this by deciding on what view of reality you want to be commonly accepted, then behaving consistently as if it was. By doing this you're constantly telling a story to everyone you interact with, some of whom will accept it and start repeating it in turn. As the number of converts increases, it eventually reaches the tipping point and becomes the new "default" consensus reality, sweeping even those who originally rejected it in. That's what classic nation-building is about: storytelling. Islamic State is trying to short-circuit the process by baiting foreign powers into lashing out against them, effectively recruiting their enemies to testify for them. Such impatience is a serious weakness, since those foreign powers can as well deny the story. However, given how clumsily Al-Qaeda was handled, they probably thought the risk was worth it.

            You know, this kind of basic mechanism should really be covered in elementary education. All our technological and economic might won't help us any more than their muscles and armor helped the dinosaurs if our situational awareness continues being that of a brain the size of a peanut.

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by TWX ( 665546 )
              There are lots of murderers that are labelled as criminally insane and committed to institutions where they're subjected to psychological evaluation and attempt to improve their mental health.

            • Why would you think that they could not twist being treated like "normal" criminals as something special? In the US, Muslim recruiting is prisons is very effective.

              Liars are gonna lie, nothing you do is going stop that.

              • Why would you think that they could not twist being treated like "normal" criminals as something special?

                They can try and probably will. Think of it as attacking a heavily fortified bunker rather than open field; sure, it can be done, but it's a lot harder.

                In the US, Muslim recruiting is prisons is very effective.

                But this is only a problem if you buy Islamic State's claim of being a Caliphate and thus representing all Muslims. Otherwise we're just looking at criminals finding religion and straightening up

                • I got a better idea:

                  Let's get off oil, then they will have no power, no funding, and thus, no threat.

                  They can go back to pounding sand like they were 100 years ago.

                  • Let's get off oil, then they will have no power, no funding, and thus, no threat.

                    I'd love to, especially since that would also force Russia to ditch dictatorship and start developing or become irrelevant. However, it's easier said than done, as oil happens to be near-ideal power source. The only technologically realistic alternative is nuclear, but that has political problems.

          • Sorry, no. Too easily abused. It is the sort of thing they did in the Soviet Union to quell dissent.

        • Do murderers usually get bombed into the stone age?

          'Using' the criminal justice system against international groups like Al-Qaeda was Clinton's mistake. Or more correctly saying you were using the criminal justice system while if fact ignoring them unless you need something to push a story off the front page was Clinton's mistake.

        • Re: (Score:3)

          by stdarg ( 456557 )

          The reason a person from Islamic State is different than a run of the mill murderer or crazy person is that they are a large organized group with military grade weapons, rule over a sizable area of land, and revenue streams derived from the population they control.

          Ignoring them and hoping the problem goes away is just ludicrous. We tried it with the Taliban, and they harbored and supported al Qaeda.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by mlts ( 1038732 )

          Treating them as their own "special" category of evil people only strengthens their cause. If they are just another convict up for murder in max lockup in either a civilian prison or Leavenworth, all their "magic" is gone, compared to being stashed in a special offshore prison, called a "terrorist", and not given a trial.

          Who will get more recruits. Someone on Lockup showing their gang signs, or someone stashed in a special prison because they are "terrorists". Lets be real here. The murderers locked in

          • Treating them as their own "special" category of evil people only strengthens their cause.

            People not from Australia may not realise that we already do this with criminal gangs that also happen to like motorcycles.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by sycodon ( 149926 )

          The mistake we made (and continue to make) with Al-Qaeda is that we did treat them like murderers. We captured them, gave them lawyers, rights, etc. They should have been and should be exterminated on the spot. Pissing on the bodies optional.

          Wars seldom end through peaceful negotiations. They end because one side completely and utterly destroys the other.

          • Wars seldom end through peaceful negotiations. They end because one side completely and utterly destroys the other.

            Well, no. A war most often ends in a negotiated truce. Otherwise most still-existing nations would have no lost ones in their history.

            Then again, I can see you're working through some personal issues here, so I guess facts are of little importance. But perhaps you could choose some topic where you won't cause actual damage by venting?

  • News for nerds (Score:5, Insightful)

    by hooiberg ( 1789158 ) on Thursday September 18, 2014 @10:13AM (#47936089)
    While the IS stuff is rather a hot news item, I do not agree that slashdot is really the place for it. One of the reasons I look at Slashdot is to get a nice newsfeed without 5 items per day about wild muslims.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Agreed, this is not the place for normal news.

      I specifically do not bother with general news as it has entirely wrong priorities and serves more to scare people than giving a balanced picture of what is going on. General news is of no interest to me. Which is why I frequent places such as Slashdot. At least until now.

    • While the IS stuff is rather a hot news item, I do not agree that slashdot is really the place for it.
      One of the reasons I look at Slashdot is to get a nice newsfeed without 5 items per day about wild muslims.

      The problem is that the Slashdot geek seems increasingly resistant to any story outside his comfort zone.

      You see this most clearly when a story cuts close to the bone on issues of race and class and gender in tech --- but it comes through elsewhere as well.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Njovich ( 553857 )

      Great for you, why don't you buy Slashdot from Dice or set up your own blog where you can control things?

    • Well, I think we can expect to hear a "Look we caught a terrorist, this is why we needed all those powers" justification for running roughshod over everyone's right to privacy in the next few days. That's pretty on-topic for here - this is just the front-runner of it.

      • 800 hundred coppers involved in an operation that arrested one person for a phone call made months ago - and found one more with an unlicensed weapon.

        If they weren't trying to prop up a government failing in the polls and gain their own extra powers - they could have done this with two coppers and not sensationalised the issue.

        Seriously - the new laws due to be voted next week give asio the power to torture with impunity. Obviously they were jealous of the cia.

    • Yeah, because slashdotters never post on invasion of privacy articles with statements on how terrorists either don't exist or are not a threat. Like it or not, the article is relevant to the readers here.
    • Is this because ISIS stories conflict with your worldview of Muslims as peaceful? It is very important to see stories that challenge us. If we don't do that, then we're nothing but redneck hillbillies. Do you or don't you agree with stories that challenge us to change our preconceptions that were formed from the basis of feeling rather than fact?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by ignavus ( 213578 )

      While the IS stuff is rather a hot news item, I do not agree that slashdot is really the place for it. One of the reasons I look at Slashdot is to get a nice newsfeed without 5 items per day about wild muslims.

      Damn! There goes my new article about about "Emacs or Vi? Which do wild Muslims prefer?"

  • Look, over there! (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 18, 2014 @10:17AM (#47936107)

    Of course the poor polls, the terrible budget, the scandals, the deaths in custody, the lies of the Abbott government have absolutely nothing to do with the Prime Sinister's current attempts to take us to war.

    Nothing at all. Nope. Nu uh.

    Oh look, a shiny!

    • Human nature? Yes. People naturally tune out to the horrible and try to move on.

      RadioLab had a nice piece on the topic called "In The Dust Of This Planet"

      http://www.radiolab.org/story/... [radiolab.org]

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by mjwx ( 966435 )

      Of course the poor polls, the terrible budget, the scandals, the deaths in custody, the lies of the Abbott government have absolutely nothing to do with the Prime Sinister's current attempts to take us to war.

      Nothing at all. Nope. Nu uh.

      Oh look, a shiny!

      Pretty much this.

      Its classic misdirection to keep people distracted from the increasing unemployment, worsening economy, political infighting and other Abbott government failures. Seeing as shouting "boats, boats, boaty boat boat boat" stopped working a while ago they need a new plan to keep people from seeing the horror of the current government.

      At least we only have two more years of this fool to go.

  • At least they were arrested (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward

    No matter what anyone thinks about surveillance, etc., these asshats were arrested and prevented from doing their thing. Were I the leader of Australia, I'd turn them over to the law of their original country of origin, stating they have lost their Australian citizenship (if they began citizens) by dint of plotting against Australians. If the countries of origin will not take them, line them up and shoot them for conspiracy. Most governments would dearly love to just shoot the extremists but shy away becaus

    • In this case, I believe, for one or more of them is Afghanistan. i.e. they were child refugees from the post 9/11 conflict whose homeland we bombed to smithereens.

      Now grown up, they've become radicalised in Sydney by foreign born clerics.

      We don't have the death penalty here.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      in other news, every one on 4chan was arrested... o wait thats coming.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Devil's advocate here (thus posting as AC), but isn't this exactly what surveillance and police work is supposed to prevent? The Aussie police did their work and saved a number of lives.

      The ironic thing is that here in the US, this would make a great plot for a blockbuster movie.

      If this happened in the US, I'm sure the press here would take interviews of all the arrestees and do a multi-day story of each and every one's biography as well as their IS sentiments, with their manifestos published and read mult

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      And what if Australia *is* their country of origin?

  • An Insightful Quote (Score:3, Interesting)

    by GlennC ( 96879 ) on Thursday September 18, 2014 @10:39AM (#47936339)

    From the Sydney Morning Herald article:

    "I dunno, I got a lot of anger," he said. "It's a war on Islam just because we grow our beards. They want to label us as a terrorist, or supporters of IS, whatever, that's up to you."

    As long as the more stable regional powers refuse to directly confront the extremists, it becomes very easy for this view to continue.

    • Re:An Insightful Quote (Score:5, Informative)

      by wonkey_monkey ( 2592601 ) on Thursday September 18, 2014 @11:43AM (#47936861) Homepage

      Context:

      It's a quote from the brother of one of the arrested men:

      Raban Alou said police were targeting his brother Kawa because he hung around a "bunch of hotheads" who were being investigated by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.

      He said police were searching for any material that could link his family to al-Qaeda or Islamic State.

      "I dunno, I got a lot of anger," he said. "It's a war on Islam just because we grow our beards. They want to label us as a terrorist, or supporters of IS, whatever, that's up to you."

      I'm not sure it's all that insightful, though.

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by GlennC ( 96879 )

        The point is that if disaffected Islamic youth in Australia are buying the "war on Islam" propaganda, what chance does the U.S. and their allies have in Iraq and Syria?

        Anything they do there will only amplify the view that they are modern day Crusaders.

        The additional context only bolsters that opinion.

    • Beards... seriously? If that were such an issue, The Duck Dynasty guys would have warrants out on them.

  • news for ___? stories that ___? (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    I can't make any connection between this story and Slashdot's niche. Maybe I should go to the Drudge Report for technology news?

  • hey everyone (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Cardoor ( 3488091 ) on Thursday September 18, 2014 @10:42AM (#47936367)
    let's have a massive disproportionate reaction!! you know.. lots of fear mongering and maybe we can invite more surveillance!!

    just remember.. we need to reserve these blissful over-reactions for only 'threats' that involve the terrorist-boogey-man... if we reacted this way to comparable threat-per-capita non-terrorist criminals, we would run out of resources in about a week. (plus, the whole surveillance thing would be harder to jam down the masses throats)

  • Hmmmmm...should I?

    Ok, you have been warned.

    Since it's in Australia, wouldn't it be a bebodying?

  • If I was a member of a spy/security agency who wanted more than anything to wipe away the last, feeble laws protecting the privacy and freedom of my country's sheeple, this is precisely the kind of operation I'd set up. All it would take is a few words whispered in the right ear.

    The most idiotic of the Muslim fanatics would jump on the idea with glad little cries, and the usual gang of fascists would gleefully portray the descent into a police state as the ultimate expression of First World freedom and sec

    • If I was a member of a spy/security agency who wanted more than anything to wipe away the last, feeble laws protecting the privacy and freedom of my country's sheeple, this is precisely the kind of operation I'd set up. All it would take is a few words whispered in the right ear.

      The problem is that there is no shortage of extremists around the world that actually want to do this sort of thing, and they actually have caused enormous problems for many governments.

      One of the problems with "cynicism" is not knowing where to stop, or when you've gone too far. Then you end up being a kook.

      • I don't think you're looking at the problem the right way. There was never any doubt terrorists exist, and that there's nothing they'd like better than to kill us. There isn't any doubt lightning exists, either. It can strike anywhere, any time. This doesn't mean I'm going to give up the right to go outside whenever I damn please to be "safe" from the small chance that I'll wind up falling victim to a lightning strike.

        Actions like those described in TFA and what they say about us as a society are, as

  • If Abbott lost his head? http://www.theguardian.com/wor... [theguardian.com]

  • Muslims are infuriated, claiming that they are the true victims. Muslims are very upset about the arrests, saying they were dishonored. Muslims are protesting, carrying signs that say "Raids Terrorize Woman and Children."

    Muslim community apprehension after raids leads to 'snap protest'
    > Wassim Doureihi, a prominent member of the group, told the crowd that the community was deeply upset by the raids.
    > "What would be your reaction if your home was raided and your women dishonoured?" he said.

    http://www.s

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by mjwx ( 966435 )

      Muslims are infuriated, claiming that they are the true victims. Muslims are very upset about the arrests, saying they were dishonored. Muslims are protesting, carrying signs that say "Raids Terrorize Woman and Children."

      Muslim community apprehension after raids leads to 'snap protest'
      > Wassim Doureihi, a prominent member of the group, told the crowd that the community was deeply upset by the raids.
      > "What would be your reaction if your home was raided and your women dishonoured?" he said.

      http://www.smh.com.au/national/muslim-community-apprehension-after-raids-leads-to-snap-protest-20140918-10iupz.html

      In this case, they'd be right.

      They were targeted by a government that is extremely unpopular at the moment to serve as a distraction from the other problems Australia has like increasing unemployment and a worsening economy (all the things that the previous Labor govt kept ticking along). This couldn't look more staged if Joe Hockey came out and said, "we staged this". Unfortunately there is a large wave of xenophobia in Australia and the xenophobes and racists are the LNP's (Liberal/National Party) most

      • If you really think IS isn't going to kick off a terror campaign in the west you truly have your head stuck way up your arse. You are probably some lefty dreamer who thinks that the Cronulla riots were all white people. idiot.

    • There are no doubt a small minority of Muslims in Australia that just might commit violence. The sort of unreasonable, widespread and unjustifiable arrests and other attacks by the Federal Police might just be enough to push them off over the edge.

      Remember, that terrorists do not just kill people "because they are evil" as we are told. It is because they are fighting for a (mad) cause which they are willing to die for. With this sort of action the police might just push a few of them over the edge. Plus

  • Well now we know *what* the NSW Police were spending their money on Finfisher licenses for.

Slashdot Top Deals

"The four building blocks of the universe are fire, water, gravel and vinyl." -- Dave Barry

Close