Australia foils Islamist-inspired terror plot to bring down plane
MELBOURNE: Australian authorities have foiled an alleged Islamist-inspired “terrorist plot” to bring down an aeroplane with an improvised explosive and arrested four people in a series of anti-terror raids in Sydney.
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said security has been beefed up at all major domestic and international airports following the arrest of four men.
“I can report last night that there has been a major joint counter-terrorism operation to disrupt a terrorist plot to bring down an airplane,” he said.
“We face a range of terrorist threats. Some of them are lone actors, who activate very quickly with very little warning.
On other occasions you get quite elaborate conspiracies this appears to be in that category,” he added. Earlier, four men were arrested during antiterror raids carried out by federal police, New South Wales police and ASIO at five properties in Sydney on Saturday.
Police said that they found the material and items that could be used to make a homemade bomb, when they raided the house at Surry Hills on Saturday. Police alleged that the arrested men were planning to use an “improvised device” to carry out an attack to bring down an aircraft but no details on a particular target, location, time or date were uncovered.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin said they had no reason to believe airport security had been “compromised” but a heightened state of security has been implemented.
“We do believe it is Islamicinspired terrorism. Exactly what is behind this is something that we will need to investigate fully,” Colvin said.
“We are investigating information indicating the aviation industry was potentially a target of that attack,” he added.
Prime Minister Turnbull said those with plans to travel should do so with confidence, but allow extra time for security screening because of the threat. DUBAI: Four Arab states that cut ties with Qatar met on Sunday to discuss the diplomatic crisis, insisting on compliance with a list of sweeping demands while refraining for now from imposing more punitive measures against the Gulf state.
It was the second meeting for the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain since the countries cut diplomatic ties and transport links with Qatar on June 5.
The quartet accuses Qatar of supporting extremists and interfering in the affairs of other Arab states. Qatar denies the charges and sees them as politically motivated.
After their meeting in Bahrain’s capital, Manama, the four foreign ministers held a joint press conference, saying the bloc will continue to keep current measures against Qatar in place, but are open to dialogue with the Gulf state if it shows a willingness to change course and complies with their demands.
Bahrain’s Foreign Minister read a statement by the ministers that said the bloc was still insistent that Qatar comply with a list of 13 demands the countries had previously issued.
“The four countries are ready for dialogue with Qatar on condition it announces its sincere desire to stop supporting and funding terrorism... and implements the 13 demands that ensure peace and stability in the region and world,” said Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al-khalifa.
The list includes demands that Qatar stop terrorism financing, but also that it shut down its flagship Al Jazeera news network, which the quartet say has been used by Qatar to promote its policies. Other demands include closing a Turkish military base in Qatar, limiting ties with Iran, expelling Islamist political opposition figures and paying restitution for victims of terrorism allegedly linked to Qatar.
Qatar rejects the list as an affront to its sovereignty, but has vowed to combat terrorism financing and in recent weeks issued a decree revising the country’s counterterrorism laws.
At issue is Qatar’s support for opposition groups like the Muslim Brotherhood, which Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt deem a threat to their ruling systems and have labeled a terrorist organisation.
The four ministers had met previously in Cairo in early July to discuss Qatar’s response to the list, which was not made public but which they described at the time as “negative”. In the weeks since that meeting, the bloc appears to have reined back some of those demands, urging Qatar to commit to six principles on combatting extremism and terrorism and to negotiate a plan with specific measures to implement. The dispute has prompted a flurry of international visits and meetings to try and resolve the crisis.
The Gulf states are key US allies. Qatar hosts al-udeid Air Base, the hub for Us-led operations against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. Bahrain is home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, while American surveillance planes and other aircraft fly from the UAE.