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

Burgess said he ordered a review immediately after the Bondi Beach mass shooting perpetrated by Naveed and father Sajid, that was led internally but conducted by an outside reviewer with access to records at the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation (ASIO).

The review was highly classified.

“If ASIO is found to have made mistakes, we will own them, and we will learn from them,” he told the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee.

“It’s critical to also acknowledge the handicaps of hindsight,” Burgess said.

“Assumptions, assertions, hypotheticals and opinions quickly became accepted as facts by some they were recycled and exaggerated in the following weeks, this resulted in calls for action that were not supported by any fact,” he said.

Burgess said the Bondi Beach terrorists deliberately avoided detection, and acknowledged ASIO did not know what they were planning.

“This is a matter of grave regret for me and my officers. It weighs heavily on us. But that does not mean intelligence was ignored or my officers made mistakes,” he said.

He said ASIO and law enforcement partners had disrupted 28 major terrorism plots since September 2014, but said the agency could not stop every attack.

“The grim reality is, as I have said many times, ASIO is not all seeing and all knowing,” Burgess said.

“We cannot stop every terrorist, just as we cannot catch every spy, but we work around the clock to keep Australians safe, and I can assure the committee will continue to use all our powers and all our capabilities over and covert to protect Australia.”

On Clash with the ABC

Greens Senator David Shoebridge also pressed Burgess over his dispute with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

On Feb 9, ASIO took the rare step of publicly rebuking—and pre-empting—the national broadcaster ahead of a Four Corners episode on the Bondi Beach terror massacre.

It posted its full written response to the program’s interview questions online, accusing the taxpayer-funded ABC of relying on “uncorroborated claims” from a supposed “single, unreliable and disgruntled source.”

The ABC’s program published on Feb. 9 is the second instalment of its two-part investigation into the Dec. 14 attack, where the Akrams killed 15 people at a Hanukkah gathering.

Burgess said he was still considering further action.

“So I can’t say anything more at this stage, because I haven’t formed a view on what that could be,” he said.

AFP Continues Warning on Youth Radicalisation

AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett told the same committee police were dealing with a growing trend where personalised grievance and online threats escalate into real-world violence.

Barrett said offenders were increasingly acting alone, sometimes driven by isolation, exclusion, or fixation on people or weapons.

“A majority of our terrorism caseload continues to be ’religiously motivated violent extremism,‘ but we are also recording increasing incidents of ’ideologically motivated violent extremism.'”

She also reported a growing cohort of young people susceptible to hate and violence.

Envoy Warns Against ‘Collective Blame’ of Muslim Australians

Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia Aftab Malik told the committee the Bondi attacks have triggered a rise in hostility towards Muslim Australians.

“This widespread Islamophobic response, both online and offline, has led to harassment, vilification and threats against Muslim Australians, unfairly holding entire communities responsible for the actions of criminals,” Malik said.

“Collective blame undermines social cohesion and weakens public safety. All Australians must be safe to worship, participate in public life and live free from discrimination, harassment, vilification or violence.”

Malik also defended the view that religion should not be included as a motivating factor in the definition of terrorism, saying the Bondi mass shooting should not be framed as “Islamic.”

“I’m not saying that Muslims are unable to conduct acts of terror. I’m not saying that at all, Muslims can, like anyone else, commit horrific acts of terrorism,” he said.

“What I’m saying is that the Muslim community believes that it’s not religion that motivates them to this ideology.”