The Australian government has elevated its terrorism threat alert level from “possible” to “probable” — the midpoint of the country’s five-tier scale — for the first time since November 2022.
AP News reported that the action, recommended by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, stems from a change in climate that has increased the danger of an onshore attack or the planning of an attack.
Speaking at a press conference at Parliament House on Monday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said ASIO determined to raise the terrorism threat alert level, citing concerns about the quick radicalization of youths and an increasing number of Australians “embracing a more diverse range of extreme ideologies.”
While the premier clarified that the switch to “probable” does not mean there is an imminent threat or danger, he noted that governments worldwide, including the United States and the United Kingdom, are addressing youth and online radicalization and the rise of new mixed ideologies that could lead to violence.
ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess said, “More Australians are willing to use violence to advance their cause,” adding that politically motivated violence is now a principal security concern, similar to espionage and foreign interference.
Australia’s terror threat level was at the probable level for eight years before November 2022 but was reduced to a lower level following the Islamic State group’s territorial losses in the Middle East.