A 22-year-old Australian man was arrested yesterday at Sydney Airport as he attempted to travel to allegedly join Islamic State in Syria.
It seems to be one of the all too familiar stories of young, unsettled men who are radicalised through online communication and intend to participate in violent terrorist acts. However, Levi West, Director of Terrorism Studies at Charles Sturt University, says its important to be aware that while it might feel like this sort of thing happens often because it's in the news a lot, it does not. In Australia, it's exceedingly uncommon in comparison to what's happening elsewhere in the world.
The official figures for the years after 2014 state that 12 terrorist plots have been prevented by organisations such as ASIO and the Australian Federal Police, and about 70 people have been arrested. Since 2001, there have been five terrorist attacks in Australia, which include the Sydney siege, the shooting of police accountant Curtis Cheng in Parramatta and the stabbing of two police officers outside the Endeavour Hills police station.
When this violence occurs in our home towns and cities, what can we do to stay safe and aware? Levi West explains what we can do and what it will cost.