Latest news with #FiveEyes
2 hours ago
Police arrest suspect in Melbourne synagogue arson attack
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Australian police say they have arrested one of three men they suspect are responsible for an arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue that marked a major escalation in antisemitic violence across the nation. A 21-year-old Melbourne man was arrested at a house on Wednesday on suspicion that he had set fire to the Adass Israel Synagogue in December, Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Wendy Steendam said. The predawn attack destroyed the synagogue and left a worshipper with minor burns. The arrest is a major breakthrough for investigators in the Victorian Joint Counter-Terrorism Team that is treating the attack as politically motivated. The team involves Victoria state and federal police as well as Australia's main domestic spy agency. More than 220 law enforcement officers have devoted more than 50,000 hours to the investigation. The suspect, who has not been named, was being questioned on Wednesday about offenses including arson, conduct endangering life and car theft, Steendam said. An arson conviction carries a potential maximum of 15 years in prison, while the other two offenses are each punishable by 10 years imprisonment. The suspect has yet to be charged. 'This investigation remains ongoing and we anticipate there'll be further arrests,' Steendam told reporters. 'I want to reassure Victorians, particularly those in the Jewish community, that we remain relentless in our pursuit in finding all those responsible for this crime and holding them to account,' she added. Police suspect offshore criminals had worked with associates in Victoria to orchestrate the attack, Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Krissy Barrett said. 'The motivation is still being assessed,' Barrett said. 'We are … working closely with our Five Eyes partners and international partners to ensure our collective powers and capabilities are drawn upon to help bring those responsible to justice,' she added. Five Eyes is an intelligence-sharing partnership that includes Australia, the United States, Britain, Canada and New Zealand. Barrett declined to say who the offshore suspects were or identify the countries they were operating in. Two weeks ago, a 20-year-old man was charged with stealing the car used in the synagogue attack. But that suspect has not been accused of being one of the masked men who used brooms to spread a liquid accelerant across the floor of the synagogue before igniting it. A wave of antisemitic attacks has roiled Australia since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas assault on Israel triggered the war in Gaza. The synagogue attack is the only incident that has been classified as an act of terrorism, a designation that increases the resources available to the investigation. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke welcomed the arrest in connection with what he described as a 'hate crime.' Burke noted that his government had promised 30 million Australian dollars ($20 million) to rebuild the synagogue. 'This arrest cannot undo the pain and fear that it (arson) caused, but it does send the strongest message that this kind of hate and violence has no place in Australia,' Burke told Parliament. 'This attack was not simply an attack on Jewish Australians An attack on a synagogue is an attack on Australia and is treated as such,' he added. Daniel Aghion, president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the main advocate for the nation's Jewish community, hoped more arrests would be made and that the masterminds of the crime would be quickly brought to justice. 'Only then will a deterrent be established against this sort of chilling behavior,' Aghion said.
The Age
3 hours ago
- The Age
Overseas criminal suspects linked to synagogue firebombing probe
Police are examining exiled tobacco kingpin Kazem 'Kaz' Hamad as part of investigations into whether offshore criminals worked with Victorian associates to firebomb the Adass Israel Synagogue. The overseas investigations were confirmed after the Victorian Joint Counter-Terrorism Team (JCTT) on Wednesday arrested a Werribee man, 21, as part of an ongoing investigation into the firebombing in Ripponlea on December 6, 2024. Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Krissy Barrett said investigators were working with Australia's Five Eyes security partners to ensure 'our collective powers and capabilities are drawn upon', but would not answer questions about which countries they believed the attack's masterminds were based in. 'Our investigation is not limited to Australia. It involves exploring criminals offshore, and we suspect these criminals worked with criminal associates in Victoria to carry out the arson attack,' Barrett said. Five Eyes is a multinational intelligence-sharing network which includes Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand. Barrett also said authorities were investigating links to exiled tobacco kingpin Kazem 'Kaz' Hamad. 'That is a name that has come up in our investigation, and that remains one of our ongoing lines of inquiry,' she said. Hamad was deported to his home country Iraq in July 2023. He has been a central figure in Melbourne's so-called tobacco wars and spent extended time in prison. Victoria Police alleges the 21-year-old Werribee man was one of three individuals who broke into the Ripponlea synagogue and set the fire, but would not divulge if they believed he was involved in orchestrating the attack, or if he was a low-level criminal hired to carry it out.
SBS Australia
5 hours ago
- SBS Australia
Police arrest man over Melbourne synagogue firebombing; say overseas links being investigated
Police say overseas and local criminals are suspected of working together in the firebombing of a synagogue in Melbourne last year. They arrested one of three men they allege carried out the arson attack. A 21-year-old Werribee man was arrested in Melbourne's west during one of multiple search warrants carried out around the city on Wednesday. The man is yet to be charged. Two buildings belonging to the Adass Israel synagogue at Ripponlea in the city's south-east were destroyed in December 2024 , with the fire attack forcing two congregants inside preparing for morning prayers to flee the building. Australian Federal Police deputy commissioner Krissy Barrett told reporters she expected more people to be arrested in the future. AFP deputy commissioner Krissy Barrett (left) said there could be more arrests in the future. Source: AAP / Rachael Ward She said the complex investigation included exploring the involvement of offshore criminals, who are suspected of working with associates in Victoria. "The motivation is still being assessed and we will make further comments at an appropriate time about that," Barrett said. An AFP officer involved with the 21-year-old's arrest is in hospital after being bitten by an unrestrained dog, which has since been euthanised. Members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, as well as other international partners, have been involved in the investigation. Victoria Police deputy commissioner Wendy Steendam said there was no evidence to suggest any links between the Adass Israel synagogue fire and a long-running criminal war over illegal tobacco in Melbourne or a separate fire at an east Melbourne synagogue. "I want to reassure Victorians, particularly those in the Jewish community, that we remain relentless in our pursuit in finding all those responsible for this crime and holding them to account," she said. Police executed seven search warrants across Melbourne on Wednesday, seizing various items, including electronic devices, which will be forensically examined. In July, a 20-year-old man was arrested and charged over his alleged role in stealing a car linked to the Ripponlea synagogue fire. There had been mounting pressure for police to make further arrests, with CCTV footage released by counter-terror police showing three people in hoodies getting out of a car before police claim they damaged the synagogue's entrance. Investigators have urged anyone with further information about the car to come forward immediately. Daniel Aghion, president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, thanked police for their efforts and hoped further arrests would be made. "Only then will a deterrent be established against this sort of chilling behaviour."
Axios
5 hours ago
- Business
- Axios
Jeff Thornburg: U.S. and allies jeopardized by "broken" acquisition system
The current military model for trying and buying weapons and technology is the "biggest risk" to the U.S. and its friends abroad, according to Portal Space Systems CEO Jeff Thornburg. "The allied nations, Five Eyes, AUKUS, NATO, take your pick — the acquisition process is too slow and broken. Requirements development process? Broken," he told Axios in an interview. "It's taking too long to field systems the warfighters need right now, or they needed years ago." Why he matters: Thornburg is an industry veteran. He led development of SpaceX's Raptor engine and has ties to Stratolaunch, Ursa Major and Amazon's Kuiper. Q: When you hear "future of defense" what comes to mind? A: "All things space" is the shortest answer. But, really, there is not a single land, air or sea mission that doesn't require a space asset. Space programs, the Space Force and space missions, in general, are the future of defense for the U.S. and all allied nations. Q: What's a national security trend we aren't paying enough attention to? A: Quantum encryption and decryption is not something that people are keeping an eye on. But our adversaries are. Q: What region of the world should we be watching? Why? A: The obvious one is the South China Sea, just because of China's plans for Taiwan. But that's everybody's answer. We need to be looking at the engagements in the Middle East, Ukraine and South China Sea collectively, because China is watching the U.S. response in all of these areas and making calculations. In my opinion, there's not one region. But, collectively, we need to be paying attention to all these hot spots and how they're draining our military capacity, because that's going to be an indicator to our adversaries on when they should make their move. Q: How many emails do you get a day, and how do you deal with them? A: Probably well over 100. I like this question, because it's all a game of prioritization. I have a multifaceted approach to email. Obviously, I organize them as best I can. I never delete anything because I like the metadata searches for stuff. Part of it is my assistant helping me prioritize tasks. Sometimes there's a bit of an insurance company approach here. I know what's most critical for the business every week, and that's where I focus my attention. Q: What time do you wake up? What does the morning routine look like? A: Most of the time it's 6-6:30 am. My wife and I have a small little farm outside Seattle. So I wake up, I try very hard not to look at my phone, and take care of the animals. Then grab coffee and some time to chat about the day with my wife, and then, normally, start to get into meetings any time between 8 and 9 am. That kind of starts the day.
Winnipeg Free Press
5 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Police arrest suspect in Melbourne synagogue arson attack
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australian police say they have arrested one of three men they suspect are responsible for an arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue that marked a major escalation in antisemitic violence across the nation. A 21-year-old Melbourne man was arrested at a house on Wednesday on suspicion that he had set fire to the Adass Israel Synagogue in December, Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Wendy Steendam said. The predawn attack destroyed the synagogue and left a worshipper with minor burns. The arrest is a major breakthrough for investigators in the Victorian Joint Counter-Terrorism Team that is treating the attack as politically motivated. The team involves Victoria state and federal police as well as Australia's main domestic spy agency. More than 220 law enforcement officers have devoted more than 50,000 hours to the investigation. The suspect, who has not been named, was being questioned on Wednesday about offenses including arson, conduct endangering life and car theft, Steendam said. An arson conviction carries a potential maximum of 15 years in prison, while the other two offenses are each punishable by 10 years imprisonment. The suspect has yet to be charged. 'This investigation remains ongoing and we anticipate there'll be further arrests,' Steendam told reporters. 'I want to reassure Victorians, particularly those in the Jewish community, that we remain relentless in our pursuit in finding all those responsible for this crime and holding them to account,' she added. Police suspect international criminal links Police suspect offshore criminals had worked with associates in Victoria to orchestrate the attack, Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Krissy Barrett said. 'The motivation is still being assessed,' Barrett said. 'We are … working closely with our Five Eyes partners and international partners to ensure our collective powers and capabilities are drawn upon to help bring those responsible to justice,' she added. Five Eyes is an intelligence-sharing partnership that includes Australia, the United States, Britain, Canada and New Zealand. Barrett declined to say who the offshore suspects were or identify the countries they were operating in. Two weeks ago, a 20-year-old man was charged with stealing the car used in the synagogue attack. But that suspect has not been accused of being one of the masked men who used brooms to spread a liquid accelerant across the floor of the synagogue before igniting it. A wave of antisemitic attacks has roiled Australia since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas assault on Israel triggered the war in Gaza. The synagogue attack is the only incident that has been classified as an act of terrorism, a designation that increases the resources available to the investigation. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke welcomed the arrest in connection with what he described as a 'hate crime.' Sundays Kevin Rollason's Sunday newsletter honouring and remembering lives well-lived in Manitoba. Burke noted that his government had promised 30 million Australian dollars ($20 million) to rebuild the synagogue. 'This arrest cannot undo the pain and fear that it (arson) caused, but it does send the strongest message that this kind of hate and violence has no place in Australia,' Burke told Parliament. 'This attack was not simply an attack on Jewish Australians An attack on a synagogue is an attack on Australia and is treated as such,' he added. Daniel Aghion, president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the main advocate for the nation's Jewish community, hoped more arrests would be made and that the masterminds of the crime would be quickly brought to justice. 'Only then will a deterrent be established against this sort of chilling behavior,' Aghion said.
