The latest bill allows a single government minister, or in “emergency” situations an intelligence chief, to authorise ASIS to give the Australian Defence Force (ADF) intelligence on “one or more members of a class of Australian persons” and to assist the ADF in activities likely to “have a direct effect” on them. This is a euphemism for being targeted for military attack or assassination. In effect, government ministers will be able to place Australians on “kill lists,” like those drawn up by US President Barack Obama for drone attacks. Without any criminal charges even being laid, let alone proven in court, designated people or “classes” of people can be executed. Due to overwhelming public opposition to it, the death penalty was abolished decades ago in Australia, but now it is being authorised by military means. Nothing in the provision confines its operation to Iraq, ISIS or even terrorism. “Classes” of people can be specified on the basis that they “are, or are likely to be, involved in an activity or activities that are, or are likely to be, a threat to security.” “Security” is defined by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) Act. That definition is sweeping. It includes “politically motivated violence,” which is also defined in far-reaching terms, such as “acts or threats of violence or unlawful harm that are intended or likely to achieve a political objective, whether in Australia or elsewhere.” Those who can authorise lethal ASIS collaboration with the military include the prime minister, defence minister, foreign minister and attorney-general. In an undefined “emergency” this can be done orally, i.e., over the phone. Control orders can be imposed without any criminal charge, simply on the “balance of probabilities” that the order would help prevent a terrorist act. Those grounds will now be extended to preventing “support” for a terrorist act or support for “hostile activity in a foreign country.” People accused of advocating opposition to Australian military interventions, for example, could be placed under house arrest. This bill is the third tranche of the Abbott government’s “security” legislation. The first, the “ASIO powers bill,” permits the spy agencies to covertly take control of computer networks and imposes jail terms of up to 10 years on anyone who exposes their undercover operations The second tranche, dubbed the “foreign fighters bill,” includes lengthy jail terms for supporting “subversive activity” in any country, or for even indirectly and recklessly “promoting” terrorism. A fourth tranche, the yet-to-be-passed “metadata retention bill,” provides for surveillance of the entire population, via the storage of all telecommunications and on-line information. globalresearch.ca/new-australian-terrorism-bill-to-facilitate-targeted-military-killings/5417140
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 08:18:39 +0000
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