Fed: Terror group should be listed: Brandis

AAP General News (Australia)
08-09-2009
Fed: Terror group should be listed: Brandis

CANBERRA, Aug 9 AAP - The Somali-based terror group al-Shabaab should be listed as
a terrorist organisation, opposition legal affairs spokesman George Brandis says.

His comments come five days after five men were charged in Victoria over their alleged
links to the a terrorist plot and the radical fundamentalist group.

The men, of Somali and Lebanese descent, had planned a suicide shoot-out at Sydney's
Holsworthy military base.

"In view of the events that happened in Melbourne this week, we would be most surprised
were al-Shabaab not to be listed," Senator Brandis told Sky News on Sunday.

Al-Shabaab is not listed as a terrorist group in Australia but has been listed in the
United States since February 2008.

When asked if proscribing al-Shabbab as a terror group would send them underground,
Senator Brandis said the group was a covert operation picked up by the Australian Security
Intelligence Organisation (ASIO).

"So, I don't think driving them underground is really the issue."

Senator Brandis said the opposition would await the details of national security assessments,
but he accused Attorney-General Robert McClelland of "dragging his feet" on counter terrorism
policy.

Mr McClelland on Saturday said the federal government would consider changing the regime
that governs whether or not radical groups are listed as terrorist organisations.

He said the government was considering a review of the proscription process, making
more transparent the criteria applied when identifying a terrorist group.

"In the next couple of weeks it is anticipated we will be issuing a discussion paper
on the proscription regime and specifically identifying the informal criteria that are
applied by the security agencies," he told ABC radio.

AAP saj/jfm/cdh

KEYWORD: TERROR BRANDIS

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