Prime Minister Tony Abbott can’t promise there won’t be “hideous” attacks at home but insists Australia will prevail when it comes to fighting terrorism.
“I can’t promise that hideous events will never take place on Australian soil, but I can promise that we will never stoop to the level of those who hate us and fight evil with evil,” Abbott said in a speech to parliament on Monday.
Abbott said protecting Australians was the first duty of the government.
The prime minister will attend talks at the United Nations this week on how to tackle the Islamic State extremists.
On his return, Cabinet will consider the use of Australian military force to mount air strikes and provide advice to Iraqi forces to stop IS.
“Stopping and reversing (IS’s) advance will help the people of Iraq,” Abbott said.
“It should also reduce its magnetism for people from around the globe who are looking to join a fight.”
The prime minister said to call the group “Islamic State” demeans Islam and mocks the duties that a legitimate state bears to its citizens.
“It can hardly be Islamic to kill without compunction Shia, Yazidi, Turkmen, Kurds, Christians and Sunni who don’t share this death cult’s view of the world,” he said.
“Nothing can justify the beheadings, crucifixions, mass executions, ethnic cleansing, rape and sexual slavery that have taken place in every captured town and city.”
He said the extremists had issued an “ultimatum to the entire world”.
PM ABBOTT’S SECURITY STATEMENT
* The government will do whatever is possible to keep people safe
* Security measures at home and abroad are directed against terrorism, not religion
* Australians should always live normally because terrorists’ goal is to scare us out of being ourselves
* Can’t promise that hideous events will never take place on Australian soil but says Australia will never fight evil with evil
* New laws that are harder to beat on a technicality are a small price to pay for saving lives and maintaining an open, free and multicultural nation
* The September 11 attack predated America’s involvement in Iraq, just as the first Bali bombing predated Australia’s
* Abbott heads to New York for discussions about terrorism and foreign fighters at the United Nations on Wednesday
* After the UN meeting, cabinet will again consider the use of Australian forces to mount air strikes and to provide military advice in support of the Iraqi government
* An urgent review of Parliament House security recommended Australian Federal Police take control of internal as well as external security
* Extra ASIO and ASIS officers are being recruited and deployed
* More Border Force officers are being deployed to international airports and biometric screening will be introduced within 12 months.
READ MORE: Government to outlaw ASIO torture
