Australian spy boss says he shifted resources from counterterrorism before Hanukkah attack
Burgess said ASIO shifted staff to espionage and foreign interference work as antisemitic violence rose and counterterrorism tasks eased.
- ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess told an inquiry the agency redirected resources from counterterrorism to espionage and foreign interference investigations several years before the Sydney Hanukkah attack.
- Burgess testified before a government inquiry examining the rise of antisemitism in Australia following the Dec. 14 attack at Bondi Beach, where two gunmen killed 15 people.
- Australia’s National Terrorism Threat Level was lowered from “probable” to “possible” in November 2022 after the defeat of the Islamic State group in the Middle East.
- Burgess said ASIO increased its focus on foreign interference and espionage while still maintaining adequate resources for its counterterrorism operations.
39 Articles
39 Articles
Newcastle Herald
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