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The Beat, CT Scan and Checkpoint

2 July 2015

The Beat

Mafia influencing Australian business and politics

The Mafia isn’t just limited to Italy; it’s thriving in Australia. A joint Four Corners/Fairfax report reveals the influence of the Calabrian ‘Ndrangheta in Australian businesses through organised criminal tactics. It also uncovers links to senior politicians, including lobbying to prevent the deportation of a senior crime figure. ASPI’s David Connery suggests that heightened cooperation around unexplained wealth could help, as well as using counterterrorism measures, such as Delayed Notification Search Warrants, in an expanded fight against organised crime.

Suspended sentence for friend’s drug death

A Sydney teenager has been convicted and placed on a good behaviour bond for supplying her friend with an ecstasy tablet at a music festival, leading to her death. Judge Graeme Henson noted that the ‘real evil was not present in the courtroom’ and welcomed attention in the case, claiming media and courts have a responsibility to highlight the dangers of taking of illicit substances.

Emu takes up his Beat

Finally, an emu (named Emu) has found some equine friends in the Alice Springs mounted police. Senior Sergeant Melinda Edwards claims Emu think he’s a horse and lives, eats and plays with the rest of the stable. He’s even assisted in desensitisation sessions, helping the horses get used to quick movements.

CT Scan

Attacks across three continents

Were this week’s attacks in France, Kuwait and Tunisia linked? International development expert Dr Denis Dragovic doesn’t think that there was a ‘master plan’, but that their occurrence during Ramadan is significant. Islamic State spokesperson Abu Muhammed al-Adnani recently called for attacks during this period, indicating that those ‘martyred’ during Ramadan are ‘10 times more likely to be accepted into paradise’.

The attacks occurred in vastly different contexts. Leela Jacinto at Foreign Policy argues that the recent attacks in France were perpetrated by individuals known to authorities who had ‘slipped through surveillance cracks’. On the other hand it seems that Tunisia’s reputation as the only success story to come out of the Arab Spring is paradoxically contributing to its vulnerability to terrorism. And as for Kuwait, it’s argued that the attack struck at fragilities in the Gulf Arab monarchy, particularly its inability to plug the flow of funding for extremist groups.

The American Terror Threat

The New York Times released a chilling video of how a British man with links to Islamic State developed a relationship with an American Sunday school teacher online. But while Islamist extremism poses a clear threat, America has a bigger problem on its hands; a recent study reveals that since 9/11, more Americans had been killed by right-wing extremists than Islamists. David Graham at The Atlantic explains.

Checkpoint

The Australian Border Force is up and running

Australia’s newest security agency, the Australian Border Force (ABF) began its operation yesterday. At the organisation’s launch, PM Abbott underscored his belief that ABF’s officers will be ‘guardians of our safety, our security and our prosperity’.

Turkey’s southern border security set to increase

Ankara’s concerns on terrorist attacks and the rise of an autonomous Kurdish state fuelled by the demographic changes along Turkey’s border with Syria are compelling the Government to take the necessary measures to reduce cross-border security risks. While it remains unclear whether a military intervention is to take place, PM Davutoglu stressed Turkey’s determination to change rules of engagement in the region and prevent its border from falling under control of either Daesh or Kurdish forces.

Calais migrant crisis continues

Last week we commented on the illegal migration attempts at the UK–France border; this week Britain has announced the deployment of a four-kilometre-long and over-two-meters-high security fence along the border to stop the illegal migrant flow trying to reach the UK. The situation, which saw the closure of the Channel Tunnel, has now affected thousands of tourists.

Sea, air and land update

30 June 2015

Sea State

Despite recent diplomatic tensions, two Indonesian navy vessels have docked in Darwin for annual Australian–Indonesian joint maritime exercises. Also known as AUSINDO CORPAT, the drills are designed to improve coordinated maritime security between the two nations’ militaries, and aims to target illegal activities that may take place in the two countries’ maritime zones.

Vietnamese newspapers reported last week that Chinese oil rig HD-981—the cause of last year’s conflict between China and Vietnam—has been redeployed off the coast of Hainan Island, into the disputed EEZs of the two countries. For a deeper look at the issue and its potential impact on the South China Sea tensions, have a look at The Diplomat’s piece here.

Also in the region, India’s ‘Look East’ policy saw the Indian navy’s Eastern Fleet enter Thai and Cambodian waters last week. While visiting Thailand, INS Satpura and INS Shakti will be ‘fostering interoperability’ between the two nations, while the seamen of INS Ranvir and INS Kamorta will conduct training and medical exercises with the Cambodian navy.

And finally, check out some images of the final voyage of Australia’s oldest serving navy vessel, HMAS Tobruk, here. HMAS Tobruk has been in service since 1981, and most recently operated in PACIFIC ASSIST 2015 following Cyclone Pam’s damage to Vanuatu earlier this year. She will be decommissioned on 31 July.

Flight path

The development of new capabilities such as mobile weapons systems, advanced air and missile defences and electronic warfare systems has challenged the efficacy of US precision strike capability. Mark Gunzinger and Bryan Clark from the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments discuss this topical issue in their new report, ‘Sustaining America’s Precision Strike Advantage’. They argue that the US has too many direct attack short-range missiles and not enough affordable long-range missiles. To address the capability gap, they suggest short-term tactics such as ‘tunnelling’—depleting enemy defences with decoys, jammers and cheap bombs—and long-term strategies such as developing new intermediate- to long-range weapons.

Got a problem with your drone? Then the US-run counter-drone testfest Black Dart is the place for you. The annual event, started by the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2002, has been running secretly for more than a decade, and was only made public in 2014. Next month, they’ll begin testing 55 systems on their ability to detect and defeat large and micro drones. But don’t get too excited… one thing the program has shown is that there’s no one system that can beat every type of drone.

Finally, here’s something to look forward to. Instead of buying a top-of-the-line SUV for your next set of wheels, you could be buying a hoverbike! The British firm Malloy Aeronautics is working with the US Army to deliver its first hoverbikes, before releasing a commercial range. You can watch the hover technology here (at 0:14 and 1:30). Alternatively, you can opt for a jetpack with its own built-in emergency parachute.

Rapid Fire

In a show of strength against Russian aggression, the US has declared that it’s pre-positioning tanks, artillery, and other military equipment in eastern and central Europe. US Defense Secretary, Ash Carter, announced the plans last week to reassure NATO allies. Russia responded by announcing plans to increase its number of S-400 Triumf and Pantsir-S air defence systems along its NATO borders.

This weekend the world was rocked with a trio of terror attacks in France, Tunisia and Kuwait. A fourth less reported attack occurred in southern Somalia, where an al-Shabaab gunman reportedly killed at least 30 in an attack on an African Union military base.

The future of specialists and advisors access to the battlefield could be changing, with video chat through tablets and smartphones employed for real-time communication with troops. The US military is already testing the technology in Afghanistan. If successful, this new form of communication could vastly improve troops’ on-the-spot access to specialists and advisors from around the world. This could have widespread effects from creating a more hands-on approach for senior military advisors, to specialised medical knowledge being live fed to emergency situations as well as constant access to IED specialists.

The Beat, CT Scan and Checkpoint

25 June 2015

The Beat

Groomed for drug trafficking

An ABC report describes how an Australian man with disabilities was groomed by internet scammers to unwittingly traffic $300,000 worth of methamphetamine to China, where he was arrested and later died in a military hospital.

The case demonstrates how it’s not just the willing who get caught up in organised crime, but that organised criminals deliberately target the gullible, lonely and vulnerable. While the ACCC’s SCAMwatch is a good start, there is still significant room for greater public awareness about the dangers of grooming and scamming.

Guns of Melbourne

In the wake of the Charleston church shootings, President Obama praised the effectiveness of Australia’s gun laws which have prevented incidents of mass shootings since being introduced after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. So it’s alarming to hear that illegal firearms are being found in Melbourne’s north and west. Police are discovering guns in cars every two days along with evince of a ‘burgeoning’ gun culture in the area, presenting risks to those caught up in or investigating organised crime.

Dallas Buyers Club case update

The copyright owner of Dallas Buyers Club have served a letter to those alleged to have illegally downloaded the film, which gives 28 days’ notice to admit to piracy. Luckily for us, the Federal Court has rejected suppression of the letter, which you can read here. The news comes as the Parliament this week passed anti-piracy and website-blocking laws.

CT Scan

Citizenship laws tabled in Parliament

The Australian Government this week unveiled their much-discussed and controversial citizenship bill. The proposed laws automatically cancel the Australian citizenships of dual nationals should they fight with terrorist groups overseas, or are convicted of terrorism offences. See the full text here and a summary here. Lawyers’ reactions have been mixed.

Counterterrorism commentator Greg Barton predicts that the laws will only affect a small number of individuals. He reports that while Britain—a nation with 600–800 citizens thought to have left to fight in Iraq and Syria—introduced similar laws in 2006, only 22 individuals have had their citizenship revoked.

US surveys global terrorism

The US released its annual Country Reports on Terrorism last week. The bad news is that in 2014, the number of terrorist attacks worldwide jumped by a third. But to keep some perspective, 7% of the all violent deaths last year were motivated by terrorism. Take a look at Micah Zenko’s article over at Foreign Policy for the key outcomes.

Checkpoint

Organised immigration crime in the UK

This week at the French port of Calais, hundreds of migrants tried to exploit a wildcat strike action by attempting to board UK-bound vehicles forced to slow or stop due to traffic. In response, the UK’s Immigration Minister announced the creation of a law enforcement team drawn from the Border Force, the National Crime Agency, Immigration Enforcement and the Crown Prosecution Service to contain the emerging migrant crisis at the French border. Over 3,000 migrants wait on the outskirts of Calais for any chance to reach British soil, where a black market smuggling operation has emerged.

Human trafficking tragedy at Thai–Malay border

21 of the 106 victims found in an abandoned migrant trafficking camp at the Thai–Malay border were given proper burial last Monday. The discovery has shone a light on the cover provided by dense forests at the Thai–Malay border to smuggle people escaping persecution from Myanmar and Bangladesh. Malaysia’s Home Minister Zahid stressed the importance of the security agreement between Malaysia and Thailand currently being revised to boost border security.

Sea, air and land wrap

23 June 2015

Sea State

Japan’s Defense Ministry plans to build two new destroyers armed with Aegis’ upgraded Ballistic Missile Defence system, which is capable of shooting down both high-altitude ballistic missiles and low-altitude anti-ship missiles. The first of the new vessels is scheduled to be commissioned in 2020, but before that, two of Japan’s older destroyers will be fitted out with the system.

The Diplomat has released a breakdown of how much China’s warships actually cost, focusing on the PLAN’s Type 054A frigate. The final figure—US$365 million a pop—is equivalent to the annual salaries of 64,000 junior PLA officers.

Also in the Asia–Pacific, Indonesia’s Chief of Navy, Admiral Ade Supandi, announced that his service will be reviving an anti-submarine warfare aviation squad that was last active in the 1970s. The establishment of squadron doesn’t have a date yet, but will likely be commissioned at the same time as the 11 AS-565 MBe Panther helicopters, within the next three years.

And finally, check out Subrata Ghoshroy’s piece for The Bulletin on whether the US Navy’s laser weapon plans are realistic. He references the tests that took place last December, stating that they ‘look like they were conjured up in a hurry—perhaps to impress those in charge of the purse strings’.

Flight Path

Are mini drones still annoying you? The Germans have created lasers capable of identifying, tracking and precisely knocking out mini drones at a 3 km range. The laser weapons system is expected to reach a 5 km range when it achieves operational status in five years. However the cost of lasers, as well as the risks associated with burning small UAVs in urban areas, still remain serious weaknesses.

Turning now to the mental health of drone pilots, Defense One recently spoke to a psychologist working with US drone pilots at the Creech Air Force base in Nevada, who found that the vast majority of pilots aren’t being traumatised by what they’re seeing. Many pilots are leaving because of the isolation and lack of ‘dwell time’ from the perpetual frontline deployment. Some pilots are also leaving for the private sector, which offers four times the wage of the Air Force. Despite efforts of the US Air Force to double financial incentives, pilot shortages have pushed a cut in combat air patrols—keeping a drone on target ‘around the clock’—down from 65 to 60.

Rapid Fire

It’s just a few more days until the ASPI Future Force Structure Options conference at QT Canberra, which will run from 24 to 26 June. For those who can’t make it, keep an eye on the ASPI Twitter account @ASPI_org, and use #FutureForce2015 to contribute to the discussion.

America’s controversial decision to train Syrian rebels as part of its strategy to combat Islamic State has been in operation for over a month now. Pentagon spokesman Army COL Steve Warren indicated that fewer than 200 Syrian rebels have begun training, with hopes that the number will increase to 3000 by the end of the year.

A report from the Afghanistan Analysts Network called ‘Reach the Women’, discusses the motivations behind the US Female Engagement and Cultural Support Teams operating in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. The report highlights the military purpose behind the strategy, saying that regardless of the altruistic appearance it was first and foremost ‘something the Americans needed to help the military effort’.

Finally, Chinese military deployments of troops and tanks along its border with North Korea to counter defections and stem violent incidents, as reported last month, appear to be starting to take effect. Mid-last week a teenage North Korean soldier attempted to defect to South Korea across the risky DMZ, instead of using the usual route to China.

The Beat, CT Scan and Checkpoint

18 June 2015

The Beat

New tools to fight organised crime

Commenting on the UK’s Serious and Organised Crime Act 2015, Anna Sergi argues that the new law may create more problems.

She considers criminalising association with organised crime groups to be problematic because legislation struggles to deal with the complex reality of organised crime. (Australian researchers have made similar arguments.) Sergi thinks the law is unnecessary because crimes like conspiracy exist, and proving ‘association’ will be difficult.

Australia doesn’t have a law criminalising association with organised crime groups, although there’s currently a bill before Parliament that would criminalise being ‘knowingly concerned’ with a criminal enterprise. Perhaps it’s time to discuss whether law enforcement might find additional tools useful to hold those who are disengaged, yet involved in crime.

Counterfeiters want a piece of the pie

It’s no secret that Australian coffee and smashed avocado are taking the world by storm, but it’s Australia’s reputation for quality food that’s under threat. Our food safety standards mean Australian products are highly regarded overseas, which makes us vulnerable to exploitation from food counterfeiters. Check out the full ABC report here.

CT Scan

Reformed extremists

This week, Emmy award winning filmmaker Deeyah Khan released a documentary (see a preview here) that includes interviews with former Islamist extremists and ordinary Muslim youth (50 mins). In revealing footage, one of the ‘founding fathers of Western Jihad’ Abu Muntasir weeps as he explains his regret about his past of recruiting foreigners to extremist groups. The documentary offers firsthand accounts of the alienation experienced by some children of immigrants that can leave them vulnerable to radicalisation. Equally, it exposes the revelations that can lead some to turn away from extremism. See here and here for the key takeaways.

Southasian militant groups

Quilliam’s new report sets out Islamic State’s impact on militant groups in Pakistan, Afghanistan and India. The authors explore regional and international trends to produce a set of recommendations for how governments and civil society can work to tackle radicalisation.

Countering online propaganda

Former reviewer of the UK’s counter-terrorism laws Lord Carlisle recommends that we ‘fight fire with the same sort of fire’ and recruit computer game developers to help with online counter-narratives. On the other hand, James Carafono of The Heritage Foundation writes that the most effective way to counter online propaganda is to target those committing terrorism in the physical world. Without people to carry out physical attacks, ‘the online threat is little more than an angry troll.’

Checkpoint

MERS likely to reach Australia

While Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) hasn’t yet reached Australia, Professor Sanjaya Senanayake, an infectious disease specialist at ANU, said the first case likely isn’t too far away. While authorities here continue to implement prevention measures and plan for patient zero, Seoul has reported 20 fatalities and 162 infections. The outbreak in has encouraged more than 100,000 foreign visitors to cancel their trips to South Korea.

Central American migrants now caught in Mexico

The Washington Office on Latin America has reported that Mexican migration authorities have been intervening to stop the flow of US-bound migration from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. In 2013–14, such migration led to more than 162,000 arrests at the US border.

Mexico recorded almost 93,000 migrant detentions in 2014–15, dwarfing the 49,000 cases recorded in the US. Mexico now detains more Central American migrants than the US does, suggesting that the migrant crisis has been transferred rather than addressed.

Sea, air and land updates

16 June 2015

Sea State

The Friday before last, Defence Minister Kevin Andrews announced that the panel overseeing the competitive evaluation process for Australia’s future submarine project will be headed by Professor Donald Winter—a former secretary of the US Navy. Many look at the process with a skeptical eye, suspecting that it’s already favoring Japan over the German and French contenders, but Andrews maintains that all three bidders will be treated ‘fairly and equally’.

Meanwhile, The Australian has reported that French contenders are considering a ‘strategically important’ collaboration with Japan as both nations prepare to bid. At last week’s G7 conference, French President Francois Hollande and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared their relationship was strengthening—with a possible trip to France on the books for Abe in October.

And finally, if you thought catapults were purely weapon systems of the Middle Ages, think again! Watch a video of the US Navy testing its next-generation catapult—to be used for launching fighter jets off aircraft carriers—here. While it’ll still be some time before the system is tested with actual aircraft, this is the first time a steel sled weighing the same as a fighter jet has been used.

Flight Plan

Last Friday, China’s defence ministry confirmed its fourth test of a new hypersonic-capable strike vehicle with advanced manoeuvering capability that’s able to evade missile defences. It’s believed that the vehicle can only be countered by an extended-range version of the US Army’s Terminal High Altitude Areas Defense missile defence system. Some Chinese analysts have interpreted the timing of the test as an expression of Chinese strength in the lead-up to meetings with US military leadership on the South China Sea.

In drone news, Breaking Defense’s Sydney J. Freedberg Jr. discusses the impending swarm of small, less-sophisticated drones, and the challenges they present to detection and defences. There seems to be no fool-proof solution. Jamming, despite being the best option, risks interfering with civilian phones and other communication devices. Kelley Sayler from the Center for a New American Security also discusses these issues in her recent report on the proliferation of drones and the implications of new capabilities on the strategic landscape.

Finally, if you missed Defense One’s video on the progress of the US air war against ISIS, it’s definitely worth a watch. The video maps the 3,800 airstrikes that have occurred since August 2014 in Iraq and Syria, and reveals how little the US-led air war has actually achieved.

Rapid Fire

American involvement in Iraq in the fight against Islamic State is set to increase. 450 more US personnel will be sent in non-combat roles to train the Iraq army. This move will increase the American presence in Iraq to 3,550. The decision has been slammed by Senator John McCain who called it a ‘Band-Aid’ response.

Conspiracy theories continue to surround the US military training exercise Jade Helm 15, which is purportedly a plan for the US Government to invade Texas. For those still confused about how such a seemingly innocuous training operation incited such fervour, Peter Storey gives an overview of its rise to fame at Cicero magazine. Ultimately, he argues that such training operations will be more common in the future due to the rise of military operations in urban terrain.

For the tech junkies, word has it that the US Army is developing a mobile arm exoskeleton for firearm aim stabilisation (MAXFAS). The prototype is currently immobile but the goal is to attach a lightweight motor so that the gear can be used in the field.

The Beat, CT Scan and Checkpoint

11 June 2015

The Beat

FBI and NSW Police combat art crime

Members of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and New South Wales Police will meet in Sydney this week to discuss art crime. Bonnie Magness-Gardiner, who manages the FBI’s Art Theft Program, claims there are links between terrorism and the illegal art trade, which is estimated to be worth more than $1 billion per year. Recent looting of archaeological sites, historical monuments and places of worship by Islamic State was deemed a concern.

Dr Magness-Gardiner and NSW Deputy Police Commissioner Nick Kaldas will be among the speakers at the Art Game Symposium, which will analyse illegal trafficking in cultural heritage, at the University of Western Sydney this Friday.

Lawyers as professional facilitators for money laundering

A new AUSTRAC strategic analysis brief, Money laundering through legal practitioners, outlines ways that legal professionals are being implicated in money laundering. The report provides information on methods, indicators and vulnerabilities of money laundering relevant to the legal industry.

AUSTRAC CEO Paul Jevtovic expressed concerns that some lawyers are not undertaking the required due diligence, exposing themselves to manipulation. He urged lawyers to be aware of the risks, and cited plans to work with legal bodies to address criminal issues.

CT Scan

Victoria’s push for mandatory deradicalisation

Victoria Police proposed new laws this week that target potential extremists, allowing officers to obtain orders that can force attendance at deradicalisation programs, ban Internet use and limit movement and associations. Victorian Attorney-General Martin Pakula explained that these preventive measures aim to ‘nip’ youth at the ‘edge of radicalisation… in the bud.’ However, former police chiefs penned an open letter condemning policing of terrorism in Victoria as a return to the ‘dark ages’, moving further away from community engagement and toward alienation.

ISIS Manual: How to Survive in the West

This week’s podcast pick is the first episode of the Jihadology Podcast. The episode unpacks materials released by extremist groups andIslamic State’s strategy in Iraq and Syria. Speaking of primary sources, Islamic State published a 71-page manual for Western supporters that gives us extraordinary insight into the group’s propaganda. Chapters include ‘hiding the extremist identity’, and ‘what happens when you are spied on and raided’.

Blind eye of the foreign fighter laws

All foreign fighters face up to life imprisonment for their crimes, but not all of them are joining extremist groups. Take a look at myrecent article on ABC’s The Drum for how the laws can accommodate for vastly different involvements.

Checkpoint

India tackles terror at the border and in the region

Earlier this week Indian Special Forces crossed into Burmese territory to kill over 30 rebels at two different locations inresponse to last week´s assassination of 18 Indian soldiers in the country´s northeast border. Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered the operation after intelligence indicated that more attacks on Indian Soldiers were planned. The two successful operations represent a shift in Indian strategy to tackle terrorist threats in the region.

Concern at the US–Mexican border

Mexican drug syndicates are believed to have brought down a US Customs and Border Protection helicopter near the Rio Grande in Laredo last week. While the action coming from the Mexican side of the border left no human casualties, it has sparked concerns over the US government’s assessment of cartel violence in the area.

Various US Congressmen have since visited the border and urged the State Department to take all possible steps to reduce the level of violence and to protect the lives of Americans working in the are, who fear that cartel violence isn’t taken seriously enough.

The Beat, CT Scan and Checkpoint

4 June 2015

The Beat

FIFA arrests

The world’s most popular sport received more attention than usual last week when Swiss police arrested nine current and former FIFA officers, charging them with various corruption offences over a 24-year period. Since then, Sepp Blatter has stepped down as FIFA president. But this arguably isn’t enough; there have been calls for more reform to fully rid FIFA of corruption. One suggestion for cleaning up the game is to separate the business arm of the World Cup from the charitable activities of FIFA, to allow for more accountability.

Real estate money laundering

AUSTRAC’s latest strategic analysis briefs examines how real estate is a money laundering channel in Australia, and how legal professionals help criminals (knowingly or not) by acting as ‘entry points’ to the legitimate economy. This adds to our knowledge of how ‘professional facilitators’ support crime and what legitimate operators can do to guard themselves, and the community, from attempts to launder cash.

Old solutions for a new problem

Digital piracy has been a concern to us at The Beat since the Federal Court ordered internet providers to hand over the details of those who had illegally downloaded Dallas Buyers Club. But it’s by no means a recent problem. Vox examines pirating literature during the Elizabethan area, and how relaxing restrictions eventually helped to fix the problem.

CT Scan

Citizenship revocation

There’s been a lot of talk about citizenship revocation powers this week. Daniel Flitton at The Age cuts through the noise, laying out the proposed laws and considering their ramifications. Key critiques include concerns that removing citizenship from sole Australian citizens would leave people stateless, and that the power should be exercised by the courts, not a minister. Andrew Zammit thinks that revoking passports is a ‘pointless and absurd’ strategy; Rodger Shanahan thinks otherwise.

Why isn’t deradicalisation working?

Hussain Nadim argues that our deradicalisation efforts need to recognise that the ‘radicalisation of Muslims starts in the home’. He writes that conflict between Islamic values and Australian culture leaves some isolated Muslim-Australian youths vulnerable to the Caliphate narrative.

As for online radicalisation, Sameena Yasmeen of the University of Western Australia thinks that focusing on the Internet alone is ‘reductionist’ and its interplay with other factors should be further considered, including personal interactions and the development of feelings like loneliness and a desire for purpose.

Till Martyrdom Do Us Part

‘Warped feminism’ and sisterhood are luring Western women to Islamic State, according to the Institute for Strategic Dialogue’s new report. In analysing the online activity of over 100 females who have left for the Caliphate, the report pins down their motivations, revealing that it’s much more than wanting to be a jihadi bride. Islamic State’s propaganda has exploited discontent with the sexualisation of Western women and feelings of social isolation, painting Islamic State as a ‘safe haven’ where women will be valued. See the highlights here and an interview with a co-author here.

Checkpoint

Before the boat: understanding the migrant journey

The Migration Police Institute’s recently released report Before the Boat: Understanding the Migrant Journey, could well provide pivotal advice for those trying to address the Rohingya crisis. The authors argue that the policy debates on border security strategy are not based on a sufficient understanding of the decision-making, risk assessments, and information gathering processes of migrants.

What to do when screening isn’t screening

On Monday the US Department of Homeland Security revealed that during recent red team testing of the US Transport Security Administration’s (TSA) screening operations, staff failed to identify 95% of explosives and weapons. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh C. Johnson has responded by focussing on diagnosing and fixing the screening process. With the continued growth in the number of passengers flowing through the world’s airports, perhaps the focus shouldn’t be on doing more and better checks. Instead TSA could consider Sheldon H. Jacobsen’s perspective that the key strategy should be risk-based screening.

Is Australia’s ice epidemic part of a regional pandemic?

While Australia’s National Ice Taskforce continues to collect information on the nation’s ice epidemic, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has released a report on synthetic drugs in East and Southeast Asia and Oceania. The report—The Challenge of Synthetic Drugs in East and South-East Asia and Oceania—indicates that the ice epidemic might be more akin to a regional pandemic.

Sea, air and land updates

2 June 2015

Sea State

The 2015 Shangri-La Dialogue ran over the weekend, and maritime security issues featured prominently in the wake of escalating tensions in the South China Sea. In his keynote address, US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter drew attention to developments in the region, stating: ‘The United States is deeply concerned about the pace and scope of land reclamation in the South China Sea’. Australia’s Defence Minister Kevin Andrews echoed these sentiments, without naming China explicitly, by saying that ‘Australia has made clear its opposition to any coercive or unilateral actions to change the status quo in the South and East China Sea’. Chinese Admiral Sun Jianguo, however, deemed China’s actions to be ‘justified, legitimate and reasonable.’

The Weekend Australian’s defence supplement contained plenty of information for those keeping up with the ADF’s two ‘mega-projects’: the Future Submarines and Future Frigates. Read Brendan Nicholson’s piece on RAN’s plans to train and equip to ‘fight serious sea battles far from the nation’s shores’, discussion from Kym Bergmann, Julian Kerr and Geoffrey Barker on the international design contenders for SEA 1000, and ASPI’s Andrew Davies on what sort of navy Australia needs, where he makes the case for corvettes as an adjunct to larger warships.

To that end, the Indonesian Navy test-fired an Exocet anti-ship missile from a Bung Tomo-class corvette for the first time last Thursday. The Indonesian Navy released a pointed statement after the successful launch:

‘We hope that the successful test firing of the missile will be a deterrence to both state and non-state actors who intend to violate Indonesia’s territorial sovereignty’.

Flight Path

Last Tuesday the USS WASP amphibious assault ship test launched six F-35Bs in the lead up to their operational debut in July. The test flights were piloted by marines; it was the first time six F-3Bs completed simultaneous sorties. You can watch the footage here at Aviation Week (short take off at the 2’00”,vertical landing at 2’45”).

The utility of the West’s fifth generation F-35 fighters might soon be tested with the arrival of Russia’s own fifth generation Sukhoi T-50 PAK FA fighter jet in 2020. The Commander of the Russian Air Forces, Lieutenant General Viktor Bondarev recently claimed Russia’s fifth gen fighter can neutralise the stealth capability of an enemy plane and will be able to engage targets such as the F-22s and F-35s.

Turning to the Asia–Pacific, it seems the F-35’s stealth capabilities could also be challenged by China’s new Devine Eagle (Shen Diao) drone. Last Friday, hazy images of China’s 18-metre-long high-altitude ‘stealth hunting’ drone were released online. The twin-fuselage tandem-wing aircraft is said to able to detect stealth aircraft and warships at long ranges using a combination of radar wavelengths, and is expected to strengthen China’s A2/AD capabilities.

Rapid Fire

The debate continues on the role of coalition forces in Iraq. US GEN Raymond Odierno, the US Army Chief of Staff, argued last Thursday that while the US shouldn’t deploy combat troops to fight Islamic State, there’s the possibility of advisors accompanying Iraqi forces onto the battlefield. These remarks were echoed by former Australian Chief of Army, LTGEN Peter Leahy who’s unconvinced that Australia should be heading into direct combat. Leahy argues instead that we should expect more from the Iraq army. However this opinion isn’t universally shared, with ASPI’s Peter Jennings advocating an ‘advise, assist and accompany’ role for Australia

Paul McCleary at Foreign Policy has an analysis of the shortcomings of Iraq commanders compared to commanders of Islamic State. The article highlights an imbalance not only of military skill but also of commitment to the fight.

Finally, UN Women have launched a pilot project tackling gender-based violence in armed conflict, in conjunction with the Centre for UN Peacekeeping in India. The two week course will train female military officers to address and prevent gender-based physical and sexual violence, and will also aim to resolve the gender imbalance currently found in UN peacekeeping missions.

The Beat, CT Scan and Checkpoint

28 May 2015

The Beat

Agreement on firearms information

The Law, Crime and Community Safety Council—a forum for national Attorneys-General, police and emergency services ministers—met last Friday to fast-track a new firearms database. The National Firearms Interface will include information about firearm’s ownership, whether the arms are suspected of being used in a crime or has been reported stolen. Using information gathered by federal, state and territory police, the database will be completed by the end of 2015, two years ahead of schedule.

The Joint Commonwealth–NSW Review into the Martin Place siege recommended the interface be implemented this year. Calls to hasten gun reform coincide with the coronial inquest resuming this week.

National coordination against organised crime

The Attorney-General’s Department has released its National Organised Crime Response Plan 2015-2018, outlining initiatives for countering organised crimes, namely methamphetamine use and trafficking, gun crime, cybercrime, financial crime, criminal proceeds of crime and inter-agency information sharing.

One project involves a National Facial Biometric Matching Capability, which would match faces to passports, visas and driver’s licences in an effort to counter increasingly sophisticated use of fraudulent identities.

The plan recognises existing gaps, including information sharing with business and communities, holes in the national legal framework (including around unexplained wealth), and the importance of extending anti-money laundering provisions to potential professional facilitators to prevent exploitation of business structures and financial systems.

CT Scan

Australian CT directions

In the latest review of Australia’s counter-terrorism settings, Prime Minister Abbott has flagged a plan to strip dual-nationals of their Australian citizenship (see analysis here and here). Former diplomat Greg Moriarty has also been appointed as our first national CT coordinator. The government hasn’t managed to clearly explain the new division of labour, reminding The Age’s Mark Kenny of The Hollowmen. In one episode of the show, a review concluding that there are too many CT agencies leads to the creation of an entirely new agency.

As Clare mentioned above, the Sydney siege inquest was resumed on Monday. It seeks to answer some outstanding questions such as was the siege an example of terrorism, or a grim event borne of mental illness? Listen here for key takeaways from the first day back (9 mins).

Reforming al-Shabaab defectors

The BBC has shone a light on an organisation quietly rolling out a ‘disengagement programme’ for former al-Shabaab militants. The programme provides a sanctuary for defectors by helping them to come to terms with their actions and retraining them with new skills, including in building and sewing. The initiative also looks at reasons why people joined the group, ranging from being kidnapped to mere curiosity.

Comic relief

How has comedy served as a counterpoint to extremist propaganda? Parody Twitter account @MawlanaBaghdadi recently gave Ireland a thumbs-up for its new-found marriage equality with this viral photo of a man dressed in pink, reclining in front of a composite black rainbow standard flag.

Checkpoint

Australia´s self- processing border gates

The planned expansion of the Smartgate e-passport system will increase both speed and security at Australia´s major international airports. With passenger flows expected to reach 50 million per year by 2020, the Government’s automated self-service response will ensure that 90% of passengers are screened through biometrical facial recognition.

Automated border processing will pull officers from high volume, low value activities, and into targeted work where a human being is needed, Randall Brugeaud said. Currently, only 35% of passengers are processed through biometrical facial recognition systems.

Canada´s transnational highways go driverless

A proposal to build a robot highway from Canada to Mexico crossing the US may not be as outrageous as it seems if it should be used exclusively by unmanned trucks. The commodities trade between Mexico, the US and Canada have pushed for feasibility studies to start. The proposed route would aim to secure a commercial lifeline for the region, and has gained attention from the border security community.