January 2, 2024
Tuesday 2 January 2024
Alexi Demetriadi
The Australian
Parts of Lebanon should be designated a terrorist no-go zone to prevent other Australian citizens joining Hezbollah, the Coalition has demanded.
Two Australians, brothers Ibrahim and Ali Bazzi, were killed in the Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil last week, the latter claimed by terror group Hezbollah as one of its fighters.
“The Foreign Minister has the power to declare an area under the criminal code, which makes it an offence to travel there,” opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson said. “The Albanese government should consider doing so for southern Lebanon, consistent with the clear travel advice for months to avoid the area.”
Ali and Ibrahim Bazzi, and Ibrahim’s wife, Shourouk Hammoud, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Boxing Day.
In a statement, Hezbollah said “with great pride the Islamic Resistance celebrates the martyr Mujahid Ali Ahmed Bazzi ‘Qasim’ ”.
The group has not said Ibrahim Bazzi or Ms Hammoud were part of its organisation, nor is there a suggestion they were.
After Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the government was “establishing the facts”, Senator Paterson accused the government of dropping the ball.
“It’s very concerning that the government appeared to have no idea that a citizen was apparently fighting for Hezbollah,” he said. “They must pull out all stops to make sure no more Australians travel to the region to fight for any listed terrorist organisations, whether it’s Hezbollah, Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad.”
Senator Paterson urged the government, including Foreign Minister Penny Wong, to clamp down and make it an offence to travel to the area.
Section 119.2 of the criminal code made it an offence to “enter, or remain in, an area in a foreign country that is declared by the minister under section 119.3”.
The protocol was used to stop people travelling to parts of Syria and Iraq at the height of ISIS.
According to the government, “the areas targeted by these provisions are dangerous locations in which listed terrorist organisations are engaging in hostile activities”. Strategic Analysis Australia director Peter Jennings agreed the government needed to act, including creating a potential “exclusion zone” around southern Lebanon.
“If the government does nothing it’s a green light to potential jihadis,” he said.
“It’s saying: ‘you can go and we’re not going to stop you’.” Mr Jennings said he suspected that due to government “inattention or inexperience” a number of Australians already had gone to fight, and law enforcement should act before the conflict escalated.
“And the government won’t be able to ignore it, even if it’s domestically politically challenging.”
Australian Strategic Policy Institute head of law enforcement John Coyne said security agencies were “far better experienced” in dealing with terrorism than previously.
“One of the big challenges for the public is that much of the work is behind the scenes,” Dr Coyne said. “You wouldn’t know how many have been, or would be, turned away at the border.”
Dr Coyne said it was a “complex area” that dealt more with the “balance of probabilities” than hard evidence. “It’s intelligence based … (and) looks at the information coming in and determines whether something is probable.”
Dr Coyne said governments often “erred on the side of caution” and would be “closely monitoring” high-risk individuals.
“It’s a difficult proposition … (but we should be) asking people to report on those who might be travelling to fight. That’s better than (people) going and becoming further radicalised or killed.”
An ASIO spokeswoman said the organisation was “concerned about any Australian who sought to support violent extremist groups, including by travelling offshore to engage in hostilities”.
A Home Affairs spokeswoman said the government was “alert” to the potential for Australians travelling to fight and law enforcement considered those who return on a case-by-case basis.
In December, the government introduced new laws to enable the High Court to revoke the Australian citizenship of dual citizens convicted of terrorism offences.
An Australian Federal Police spokeswoman said the force was “carefully monitoring” the conflict and any overseas-inspired domestic terrorism threats.
