Spy Chief Stands by 2019 Assessment of Bondi Gunman, Warns of Intelligence Limits

The Islamophobia Envoy Aftab Malik also told the committee the Bondi attacks triggered a rise in hostility towards Muslim Australians.

Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) Director General Mike Burgess poses for a portrait ahead of his annual threat assessment speech at ASIO headquarters in Canberra, Australia on Feb. 28, 2024. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

Chief of Australia’s domestic spy agency Mike Burgess has defended its 2019 assessment of Naveed Akram, saying intelligence officers did not believe he posed a threat at the time.

“I can say that we stand by our 2019 assessment, they did not adhere to or intend to engage in violent extremism at that time,” Burgess told a parliamentary committee on Feb. 10