Australia’s national intelligence agency (ASIO) on Monday downgraded the terror threat level for the first time since 2014, eight years ago.
Australian Director General of Security, Mike Burgess, announced that his agency is downgrading the threat level from «probable» to «possible» after no major attacks or disruptions have occurred this year.
Despite this move, he has qualified that the country «remains a potential terrorist target», despite the fact that «there are fewer extremists» than when the threat level was raised to «probable».
«This does not mean that the threat has been extinguished. Nothing could be further from the truth. ‘Possible’ does not mean ‘negligible,'» he qualified, before asserting that the organization «works day and night to prevent that (a terrorist attack) from happening.»
Burgess explained that ASIO’s decision to set the threat level in 2014 at «probable» was «tragically justified,» pointing to the formation of Islamic State in the Middle East, as «a significant number of Australians were seduced by the slick propaganda.»
«Since 2014, there have been eleven terrorist attacks on Australian soil, while 21 significant plots have been detected and disrupted. Fortunately, there have been no major attacks this year,» the ASIO director reported from Canberra.
In this regard, he added that the country’s intelligence services keep the terrorism threat level under constant review: «A decision of this nature is not taken lightly.
In addition, the Intelligence chief wanted to emphasize «the maturity of the anti-terrorism legal frameworks» of the country. «Australia is a safer place not only because of the actions of our organization and our partners, but also because of the decisions of successive governments,» he assured.
Australian Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s administration has welcomed ASIO’s decision to reduce the national terrorist threat level.
«Our security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies continue to work together to counter terrorism and with our international partners,» she said in a statement released by her ministerial portfolio.
O’Neil maintained that the threats will continue to evolve: «We expect to see changes in the security environment over time».
She added that a lower threat level does not mean a reduced operational tempo for security agencies.
