Counterterrorism Yearbook 2019

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The Counterterrorism Yearbook is ASPI’s annual flagship publication curated by the Counter-terrorism Policy Centre, now in its third year of publication.

It is a comprehensive resource for academics and policymakers to build on their knowledge of counterterrorism developments in countries and regions around the world.

Each chapter in the yearbook is written by an internationally renowned subject-matter and regional expert who provides their insight and commentary on counterterrorism policy, legislation, operations and strategy for a specific country or region, looking at both the year in review and the challenges for the year ahead.

Publication launch

Safety in numbers

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The private security guarding sector is a vital piece of the national security puzzle that has not been drawn into Australia’s counterterrorism planning.

There are more than 120,000 licenced security guards in Australia.  The security industry has more than double the personnel of Australia’s combined police agencies and permanent Australian Defence Force. Private security staff provide the ‘eyes, ears and hands’ before any terrorist attack and an ability to be first responders after any security-related incident.

This report outlines the problems that are holding the guarding sector back from being an active participant in national counterterrorist plans and presents recommendations to enable the private security industry to become an effective part of our counterterrorist capability. 

Weapons of mass economic disruption

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While Australia no longer rides upon the sheep’s back, strong economic and cultural links with agriculture remain and our economy is still intrinsically linked to agricultural production.

As the so-called ‘strawberry sabotage’ clearly demonstrates, accidental or deliberate biosecurity breaches present very real existential and economic threats to Australia that can harm agricultural exports as well as impact food security and trigger concerns about its safety.

ASPI’s latest research report ‘Weapons of Mass (economic) Disruption: Rethinking Biosecurity in Australia’ highlights the importance Australia’s effective and successful plant and animal biosecurity systems and border protection services to our wellbeing and economy and adds a further perspective on new and emerging threats that need to be addressed.

A primer on the ideological and theological drivers of AQ and Daesh: al-Qaedaism

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In 2018, it’s more appropriate to see al-Qaeda as not only a terrorist group, albeit one that’s less engaged in mass-casualty attacks but as the progenitor and promoter of a distinct theological–historical–political ideology.

This special report aims to explain the persistent and enduring allure of al-Qaedaism as an ideology that is apocalyptic and conspiratorial.

By understanding al-Qaedaism, we could better counter the violence that it perpetrates, inspires and advocates and recognize that we’re engaging in a cosmic, generational conflict, led by individuals who corrupt the key tenets of Islam.

Counterterrorism Yearbook 2018

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The Counter Terrorism Yearbook is ASPI’s annual flagship publication curated by the Counter Terrorism Policy Centre, now in its second year of publication.

It is a comprehensive resource for academics and policymakers to build on their knowledge of counterterrorism developments in countries and regions around world.

Each chapter in the Yearbook is written by internationally renowned subject matter and regional experts, who provide their insight and commentary on counterterrorism policy, legislation, operations and strategy for a specific country/region, concerning the year in review, and looking at challenges for the year ahead.

3rd Australia-Europe Counter-Terrorism Dialogue: ‘Transforming the New Threat Landscape’

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Europe and Australia are connected in many ways. As liberal democratic societies, they share a common normative foundation of values that set the parameters for what the state may or may not do.

Based on that background, in September 2017 a delegation from Australia composed of practitioners, policymakers and academics travelled to Germany and Belgium to participate in the 3rd Australian Strategic Policy Institute – Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Australia–Europe Counterterrorism Dialogue, entitled Transforming the New Threat Landscape.

Understanding the BRI in Africa and the Middle East

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This Strategic Insight aims to expand on Paul Dibb and Richard Brabin-Smith’s powerful, provocative paper, Australia’s management of strategic risk in the new era. Dibb and Brabin-Smith, two of Australia’s leading strategic thinkers, examined China’s growing assertiveness in our region. Here, I look beyond our region and beyond China’s One Belt, One Road Initiative (BRI) to highlight how China is expanding its influence in Africa and the Middle East. I examine some selected cases, such as Zimbabwe, Israel, Turkey and Iran. I also try to situate the BRI in President Xi Jinping’s grand strategy.

Submission to Independant National Security Legislation Monitor

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Jacinta Carroll, Head of ASPI’s Counter-Terrorism Policy Centre, was invited by Dr James Renwick SC, the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor (INSLM), to make a submission to his Statutory Deadline Review into certain elements of Australia’s counter-terrorism legislation. The review is considering:

  1. Division 3A of Part IAA of the Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) introduced by the Anti-Terrorism Act (No 2) 2005 on stop, search and seizure powers; 
  2. Sections 119.2 and 119.3 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth) introduced by the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Foreign Fighters) Act 2014 (Cth) which clarified declared areas; and 
  3. Divisions 104 and 105 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth) on control orders and preventative detention orders introduced by the Anti-Terrorism Act (No 2) 2005, including the interoperability of the control order regime with the Criminal Code Amendment (High Risk Terrorist Offenders) Act 2016 (Cth).

Ms Carroll’s submission to the INSLM provides advice on the terrorist threat environment in Australia and how this legislation works as part of Australia’s overall approach to counter-terrorism, with a particular focus on the importance of these laws in preventing terrorism. The submission notes that the laws under review are part of a broad suite of legislation that has been developed to provide appropriate powers to prevent and deal with terrorist-related crime. They have been developed and revised at different times to deal with the changing nature of the threat and, overall, serve Australia’s counter-terrorism efforts well.

The submission can be accessed via the ISLM site here and a direct link to the PDF fiile is here.

COUNTERTERRORISM YEARBOOK 2017

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This yearbook looks at those areas around the world where terrorism and counterterrorism (CT) are in greatest focus. Each chapter examines CT developments in 2016, including the terrorist threat being faced and how governments and others have approached CT through both policy and operations. Countries and regions covered include Australia, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Turkey, UK, USA, Canada, Africa, Russia and China.

Through this first Counterterrorism Yearbook, in what will be an annual publication, we aim to promote understanding and contribute to shared knowledge of CT.

The authors of individual pieces are Anthony Bergin, Jacinta Carroll, Colin Clarke, Michael Clarke, Virginia Comolli, Greg Fealy, Fadi Hakura, Peter Jennings, Shashank Joshi, Lydia Khalil, Joseph Chinyong Liow, Olga Oliker, Raffaello Pantucci, Thomas Renard, Vern White, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The Sultanate of Women: Exploring female roles in perpetrating and preventing violent extremism

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This paper examines the appeal of Islamic State (IS) to Western women and explores how women can be employed in countering violent extremism (CVE) structures to prevent further involvement. It aims to deliver a comprehensive analysis for academics, policymakers and practitioners working in CVE program and policy design and implementation in order to bridge the gap between community development work and security and intelligence.

Two case studies of Australian women—Zehra Duman (a.k.a. Umm Abdullatif al-Australi) and Zaynab Sharrouf (a.k.a. Umm Hafs)—illustrate the appeal as well as the contradictions.

A series of recommendations suggests changes to existing CVE structures and their approaches to integrating, women.

Sofia Patel discusses the paper.