Terrorist slipped through cracks

THE Bourke St terrorist slipped through the cracks of spy agencies, despite his movements and electronic device use being monitored.

Hassan Khalif Shire Ali was one of more than 400 “persons of interest” being monitored by ASIO after he was investigated for his association with other individuals linked to terrorism.

It can be revealed the Somalia-born Shire Ali was the subject of electronic monitoring in the wake of his passport being cancelled in 2015 over fears he planned to travel to Syria.

It is understood Shire Ali was monitored on his phone, email and social media after he caught the attention of police and intelligence agencies in 2015.

It remains unclear if the high-level electronic monitoring continued until Friday’s attack, but a source said Shire Ali had shown no signs of the level of radicalisation that would have justified ongoing surveillance.

“The level of resourcing just to monitor one of these guys is immense. If someone is not raising red flags through their electronic activities, it is unlikely they are going to be watched as closely,” a source said.

Melbourne continued to mourn city icon Sisto Malaspina, of Pellegrini’s Espresso Bar, who had gone to help after Shire Ali’s vehicle caught fire before the attack.

As two other victims recover after being injured in the knife attack — including re- cently retired Launceston businessman Rod Patterson — police stepped up the hunt for clues.

Police will also use CCTV cameras around the city to map Shire Ali’s journey into the CBD and see if he had been scoping out the area.

Police sources have said there were no reports of alarming behaviour, such as erratic driving, before the incident.

Shire Ali was known to police and smoked drugs including cannabis, but his offences were considered lower level.

Mobile phone footage shot by bystanders will also prove vital.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton defended police and intelligence services when asked why it appeared Shire Ali wasn’t being monitored.

“Where there is not [that information], where someone makes a spur-of-the-moment decision — under the influence of drugs or alcohol — the police can’t contemplate every circumstance,” Mr Dutton said.

“Police did not have intelligence in relation to this person that he was about to commit an act.”