海角大神

A daily roundup of terrorism and security issues.

Security forces in Australia carried out a new round of antiterror raids today, resulting in the arrest of a 23-year-old man in Melbourne on suspicion of funding a US citizen to fight for Islamic State (IS).

The man, named by The Associated Press as Hassan El Sabsabi, is accused of sending about $12,000 to a US citizen he met on social media, in order to help fund his travel to Syria, where IS and other jihadist groups are active. Mr. El Sabsabi was arrested today after an eight-month investigation by Australian police, who were tipped off by the FBI.

鈥淭his is a terrorism financing case 鈥� we didn鈥檛 assess there being a significant community safety risk, or a significant risk to our officers,鈥� Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Graham Ashton said. Police from the state and federal level raided seven properties in Melbourne Tuesday.

IS has gained international notoriety for a series of beheadings of Western journalists and aid workers in Iraq and Syria, and the declaration of its caliphate. Earlier this month, Australia聽raised its terror level to the second highest category out of four. Days later, hundreds of policemen carried out anti-terror raids in Sydney and Brisbane in an attempt to foil an alleged plot to abduct and publicly behead citizens there. At least 15 people were arrested, and the plot was linked to IS.

Australia is now preparing to join the US-led coalition that鈥檚 been striking against IS in Iraq and Syria. Canberra is expected to sign off on its involvement in Iraq as early as today, reports Reuters.

Last week Australia鈥檚 Parliament introduced new antiterrorism laws, which would make it easier for the government to detain suspected terrorists and search their homes. The legislation could also allow authorities to force Australians returning from conflict zones to prove they hadn't engaged in terrorist activity,聽reports The Wall Street Journal.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott claims at least 150 Australian citizens are in the Middle East right now, either fighting or supporting the Islamic State and other militant groups, Reuters reports. At least 20 people are believed to have returned home to Australia, posing potential security risks. Another 60 people have had their passports revoked.聽

After an Australian man suspected of terrorist ties was shot by police last week after stabbing two officers, Mr. Abbott announced that聽the "delicate balance" between freedom and security at home "may have to shift" in light of a heightened terror risk, 海角大神 reports.

The uptick in apparent terrorist activity in Australia 鈥� and the government鈥檚 response 鈥� has sparked some heated debate. An editorial in the Australian Monday called for the creation of 鈥渘ew tools鈥� to fight terror threats and said new laws shouldn't stifle free speech.

Elaine Pearson, the Australia director for Human Rights Watch, falls on the other end of the debate. She wrote in an opinion for The Guardian last week that Australia鈥檚 proposed antiterrorism laws could suppress freedom of speech and make it harder to hold the government accountable for its actions.