Aussie wrote on Jul 16
th, 2014 at 7:38pm:
If I was some extremist looking to get a military force together in Australia, would it make sense that I send them to the Middle East for training, or would it be far smarter to have them trained here by the ADF?
It might be easier here, you would think, but on the whole, most extremists might not want to be in the ADF, being monitored. Plus some of the things they need to learn as terrorists might be better off coming from the real experts.
I suppose there could also be secret, private training camps here in Australia, but they would run the risk of being sprung.
On the whole, it is probably easier and certainly quicker to pop overseas. They can control the time spent in training and it may only have to be weeks, not years, and the other advantage is they are with like minded people and can have their values reinforced. That is probably a big part of the benefit, if not the main benefit.
If you are a terrorist leader, you want to be absolutely certain your terrorists are all loyal and up to speed with the behaviour expected.
I suppose there is also a sense, with some of these boys, that they want to see the homeland-curiosity.
I taught at a school where multiculturalism was celebrated, and 'respect' was the main value taught. Some of the students though never identified with Australia, and it turns out now that a few went overseas for training, were planning to blow up one of the local shopping centres, so I have been told. Now not allowed back into Australia and the parents are kicking up about that.
But it is a fair enough consequence, I believe.
Those boys were not that old and were not away for years, as may have been the case with ADF.
Obviously lots of easy benefits with sending the raw product overseas and importing the finished terrorist. Easier and cheaper.