ARMED Australian Federal Police officers will take back command and control of Parliament House in Canberra after fresh revelations suspected terrorists were planning a potential attack on the nation’s capital and the country’s highest office. 
 
The Daily Telegraph can reveal intelligence agencies had picked up “chatter” involving a potential random attack on Parliament House, with fears among national security and intelligence agencies that the Prime Minister and other senior government officials were prime targets.

Senior intelligence sources confirmed that “chatter” about Parliament House had been intercepted and they now held fears the building had already been “scoped out” for pre-planning of a “Mumbai” style attack involving automatic weapons. The chatter, intercepted by spy, police and counterterrorism agencies, ­revealing talk about access to Parliament House was confirmed by two senior intelligence officials. It is believed the chatter also involved possible reprisal attacks against ASIO.

In response, senior security sources have identified the most vulnerable entry point to parliament was the entrance to the ministerial wing, which could be infiltrated by “taking out” two unarmed parliamentary security officers who represent the only sentry point to prevent instant access to the PM’s own courtyard.

From there a potential terrorist would have a direct line of sight into the PM’s office, they confirmed.

It is understood several armed AFP officers have been redeployed to Parliament House. Over the next few days their numbers will be dramatically increased to secure the building, which under current arrangements is among the least secure official buildings in the country.

“The chatter has picked up talk of Parliament House, I can confirm that” a senior intelligence source told The Daily Telegraph. What we are concerned about is that there are thousands of people in that building including not only staff but MPs and members of the general public who visit on a daily basis.”

A senior government official also confirmed the new intelligence briefing on threats to parliament house and the vulnerability of the PM and other ministerial offices.

“There are a lot of lives in this building. And it is a building that is currently very vulnerable to a random act of violence,” they said.

“The weakest point is the ministerial wing. You could take out two blokes sitting at a desk and walk straight into the courtyard with a line of sight into the PM’s office.”

The Speaker, Bronwyn Bishop, is believed to have backed the move to reinstate the AFP as the command agency for security and has cut short an overseas trip to return to the capital. However the Senate’s presiding officers are understood to be resisting the move.

It is believed the Prime Minister has made his concerns known about the safety of staff, visitors and MPs that work in that building after being briefed on the new intelligence on Wednesday night.

It is not yet established whether the Canberra plot is linked to the suspects netted in yesterday’s dramatic pre-dawn raids in Sydney and Brisbane. who had allegedly planned to snatch innocent members of the public of the street and behead them on camera.

The Australian Federal Police was removed from the parliamentary security committee under the previous government in March last year, with the Department of Parliamentary Services taking over security at the building entrances.

Concerns have been consistently raised about the level of security in the nation’s most important building since the downgrading. Of most concern to security agencies was the Prime Minister and other senior government officials, with little ­security to prevent an armed person gaining access to the building.

A senior security source said Parliament House was deemed “an attractive option” for a terror attack because of its high status and the easy access to the public area, where hundreds of visitors mingle on a daily basis. But access to the more ­secure ministerial wings of the parliament building was also deemed unacceptably vulnerable.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/terror-raids-red-alert-over-the-plot-t...

Its time wrote on Sep 19^th, 2014 at 6:44am:


Whoa there! This report has nothing to do with Abbott other than naming him as a potential target. It's from intelligence personnel in the AFP and ASIO, not the government. Try getting it right once in a while.

Armchair_Politician wrote on Sep 19^th, 2014 at 6:55am:


Tony will dodge bullets from a make believe terrorist attack but nothing will stop his murder come election day.

It's all msm hype to put fear into the public. ISIS is coming to behead me whaaaaaaa!!!!!!


Those people that have been arrested are simply easy prey by an unpopular Government that is using the age old ploy of racism and sensationalism to boost public opinion into a witch hunt.

More Islam compensation claims for wrongful detention?

Of course we have Muslim fanatics here, but were they really planning public beheadings? I'd want more proof than a guy watching a video of beheadings.

Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Sep 19^th, 2014 at 7:13am:


Strange? I believe the word is transparent.

Armpit must spend his nights hiding under the bed for fear of terorists coming to behead him

John Smith wrote on Sep 19^th, 2014 at 8:02am:



Never a good one around when you need 'em...

OP quoting the DT  —try a credible source next time Armpit!