Australia warns Asean of high- tech terror threat
SYDNEY: Use of encrypted messaging apps to plan terrorist attacks is the greatest threat facing intelligence agencies in modern times, Australia warned Saturday as Southeast Asian leaders vowed closer cooperation to counter extremism.
An Asean- Australia special summit in Sydney heard that use of the “dark web” was a spiraling problem and countries in the region must work together to keep on top of it.
Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton told the meeting “the use of encrypted messaging apps by terrorists and - cant degradation of intelligence capability in modern times.”
He said the only way to deal with the
problem, and the increasing use of the internet by groups like Islamic State to radicalize and recruit new members, was together.
“We have to be constantly alert, constantly working with our neighbors in the region,” said Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, pointing to the increasingly transnational nature of terrorism.
“Sharing of intelligence is critically important. As we all know, what may appear to be a not especially important, not especially consequential piece of intelligence, may be the piece that connects the jigsaw for somebody else’s investigation.
“Trust, sharing, collaboration, it is absolutely critical.”
Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( Asean) signed a memorandum of understanding after a day of counterterrorism talks, agreeing to work together to develop “best practice counter- terrorism legislation.”
They also agreed to regional dialogues and workshops covering elec-
and ways to tackle online radicalization.
Canberra is already helping Southeast Asian states choke terrorist financing and counter violent extremism.
The problem has been exacerbated by jihadists now being forced out of Syria and Iraq with the Islamic State caliphate mostly crushed, and into other countries.
The issue was driven home last year when pro- Islamic State militants seized the southern Philippine city of Marawi, with Australia aiding Manila to win it back.
‘ Warped and evil’
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak praised Australia’s initiative to strengthen cooperation, and said countering online extremist propaganda was especially critical.
“This is our new main battleground, to win the hearts and minds of our youth through social media, so that they do not easily succumb to the warped, perverse and evil ideology of Daesh,” he said, referring to Islamic State.
Najib added that “the more we
work together on these issues the more successful we will be.”
“The more united we are, the more effective we will be in combating this terrible and inhumane scourge. None of us is safe from it but together we will be safer.”
Australia has suffered six terror attacks in recent years and disrupted 14 more, including a plot to bring down a plane departing Sydney.
In response, Canberra has consolidated key functions such as national security, immigration, counter- terrorism, cyber- security, and border protection under a newly created Home Affairs department, headed by Dutton.
He said that to address the issue of apps which allow extremists to operate clandestinely, Canberra planned to introduce legislation to strengthen agencies’ ability to adapt to encryption.
This will include making companies that provide communications services and devices obliged to assist when asked, while also making the use of surveillance devices and computer network exploitation by authorities easier.
Turnbull said regional security would be at the heart of the key
Asean leaders’ summit on Sunday.
our most important duty, to keep our people safe. We’re stronger when we work together. Our people are saver when we combine our efforts and cooperate,” he said.
Asean groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, with Australia a dialogue partner since 1974.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Friday he wanted Australia to become a full member of Asean, keen on Canberra playing a bigger regional role in defense, trade and security matters.
In a report last month, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute argued that Canberra should aim for Asean membership by 2024— its 50th anniversary of being a partner — and use the Sydney summit as a launch pad.
“As the geo- strategic and geo- economic pressures build in Asia, Asean, as a middle- power grouping, needs the extra middle- power heft offered by Australia and New Zealand,” it said.
“The Sydney summit is the moment to launch the long conversation about Australia joining Asean.”