Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has aired a shocking expose claiming that father and son terrorists Sajid and Naveed Akram were radicalized years ago, despite Australian Security Intelligence Organisation's (ASIO) criticism. The program, part of the Four Corners investigation, alleges that Asio knew about the pair's radicalization but failed to act.
The claims were made by a former undercover ASIO agent, known as "Marcus", who worked undercover as a radical cleric and provided ASIO with detailed information about Naveed's associations with an Islamic State cell. However, ASIO has rejected these statements, calling them "unsubstantiated" and claiming that Marcus is an unreliable source.
According to the program, Sajid expressed support for ISIS when he met with ASIO in 2019, while also expressing admiration for a leading al-Qaida propagandist to another individual. The former agent claims that after this conversation, he believed Sajid was more extremist than his son.
The allegations have sparked controversy, with ASIO describing Marcus as "misidentified Naveed Akram". However, Marcus denies these claims and is willing to give evidence to a royal commission about the reported connections between the pair and ASIO.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, announced a federal royal commission last month to examine the prevalence of antisemitism, law enforcement responses to antisemitism, the circumstances surrounding the alleged Bondi attack, and strengthening social cohesion. The investigation into the alleged Bondi attack has been ongoing, with Sajid killed by police during the 14 December attack and Naveed in custody, charged with 59 offenses.
Independent MP Andrew Wilkie praised Four Corners for its reliability and quality journalism but acknowledged that the truth of the allegations remains an "open question". The royal commission will be able to examine the competing claims and counter-claims, providing a platform for further investigation into this shocking case.
The claims were made by a former undercover ASIO agent, known as "Marcus", who worked undercover as a radical cleric and provided ASIO with detailed information about Naveed's associations with an Islamic State cell. However, ASIO has rejected these statements, calling them "unsubstantiated" and claiming that Marcus is an unreliable source.
According to the program, Sajid expressed support for ISIS when he met with ASIO in 2019, while also expressing admiration for a leading al-Qaida propagandist to another individual. The former agent claims that after this conversation, he believed Sajid was more extremist than his son.
The allegations have sparked controversy, with ASIO describing Marcus as "misidentified Naveed Akram". However, Marcus denies these claims and is willing to give evidence to a royal commission about the reported connections between the pair and ASIO.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, announced a federal royal commission last month to examine the prevalence of antisemitism, law enforcement responses to antisemitism, the circumstances surrounding the alleged Bondi attack, and strengthening social cohesion. The investigation into the alleged Bondi attack has been ongoing, with Sajid killed by police during the 14 December attack and Naveed in custody, charged with 59 offenses.
Independent MP Andrew Wilkie praised Four Corners for its reliability and quality journalism but acknowledged that the truth of the allegations remains an "open question". The royal commission will be able to examine the competing claims and counter-claims, providing a platform for further investigation into this shocking case.
this is so messed up... if asio had info on these guys years ago why didnt they do anything? 
it's like they're saying they're above the law or something 
and now we have a royal commission but i'm not sure how much more will come out of that... seems like they'll just be trying to cover their own arse 
anyway, this whole thing is super disturbing...
and now we got Naveed in custody charged with all these offenses... how much of this stuff was planned before Sajid died? 
this royal commission is gonna be a wild ride, for sure. gotta keep an eye on what the truth comes out about Marcus' claims and whether he's just tryin to save his own skin or if he's really tellin the truth... 
. But at the same time, I'm also kinda grateful for Marcus, the former undercover agent, who came forward with this info - it's a big deal that someone is willing to risk their rep to tell the truth 
.
! I'm keeping an eye on this one for sure - it's like, a really complex web of secrets & lies, but maybe, just maybe, the truth will come out in the end 
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That doesn't add up.
... like if ASIO knew about their radicalization years ago but still did nothing 
I mean, the former agent's story sounds legit though 
. It would be great to get to the bottom of this and see what really happened with Sajid and Naveed 
...
what if they were planning something major and we're only finding out now because of this expose? i don't know much about ASIO or the whole thing, can someone explain to me how royal commissions work in australia tho? 
And I mean I get it, ASIO wants to protect its rep, but like if they did know & didnt act, thats a major fail 
. The thing is, the gov is supposed 2 b all about fairness & justice, so when this happens, u feel like theres been a huge miscarriage of justice 
. I'm def rooting for Marcus to get his chance 2 testify infront of the royal commission, maybe we'll finally get some answers 
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I don't know what to believe anymore 
I'm all for due process and fairness 
but let's not ignore the elephant in the room, shall we? 
What's going on behind closed doors that's making ASIO deny Marcus' claims? 
The royal commission is a good start, but can it really get to the bottom of this? 
. A royal commission is a good start, but I'm not holding my breath for the truth to come out 
.