Sydney Opera House appears on cover of terror magazineThe Sydney Opera House has appeared on the website of a jihadist magazine, prompting concerns over the security of the world-famous landmark.
Sydney Harbour Opera House Photo: AP
By Bonnie Malkin, Sydney
3:30PM BST 21 Jul 2011
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The building was featured on the front of the latest edition of Inspire, an English-language magazine that has reportedly been linked to al-Qaeda and includes instructions on how to make bombs.
But Robert McClelland, the attorney general, said that the nation's terror threat level would not change as a result of the Opera House appearing in the magazine's regular bomb-making section, Open Source Jihad.
In the magazine, the section is described as "a resource manual for those who loathe the tyrants; includes bomb-making techniques; security measures, guerrilla tactics, weapons training and all other jihad-related activities".
"I have been advised this publication does not represent any change to the extent of the terrorist threat within Australia," Mr McClelland said in a statement.
"And I am advised it has not been accompanied by any specific threat in Australia or to Australian citizens."
The country's National Terrorism Alert Level currently sits at medium, which means a terrorist attack could occur. It has been at the same level since 2001.
Peter Dein, New South Wales's counter-terrorism commander, said there was no text in the magazine relating to the Opera House.
He added that it was hard to interpret what message it might be sending.
"It could simply be the fact that it's an icon that is well known around the Western world and may not really have any relevance that it is in Sydney," he said.
"What we are concerned about is the influences this particular magazine can have on vulnerable people in our community who are likely to be influenced by this extremist rhetoric."
The Opera House is under 24-hour surveillance, but that did not stop an anti-war protester from scaling its famous white sails to paint "No War" in red on the side of the building in 2003.
Earlier this year, security at another Sydney landmark, the Harbour Bridge, was breached when a former soldier climbed to the top of the structure to protest about fathers' rights.
Sydney Harbour Opera House Photo: AP
By Bonnie Malkin, Sydney
3:30PM BST 21 Jul 2011
================================================
The building was featured on the front of the latest edition of Inspire, an English-language magazine that has reportedly been linked to al-Qaeda and includes instructions on how to make bombs.
But Robert McClelland, the attorney general, said that the nation's terror threat level would not change as a result of the Opera House appearing in the magazine's regular bomb-making section, Open Source Jihad.
In the magazine, the section is described as "a resource manual for those who loathe the tyrants; includes bomb-making techniques; security measures, guerrilla tactics, weapons training and all other jihad-related activities".
"I have been advised this publication does not represent any change to the extent of the terrorist threat within Australia," Mr McClelland said in a statement.
"And I am advised it has not been accompanied by any specific threat in Australia or to Australian citizens."
The country's National Terrorism Alert Level currently sits at medium, which means a terrorist attack could occur. It has been at the same level since 2001.
Peter Dein, New South Wales's counter-terrorism commander, said there was no text in the magazine relating to the Opera House.
He added that it was hard to interpret what message it might be sending.
"It could simply be the fact that it's an icon that is well known around the Western world and may not really have any relevance that it is in Sydney," he said.
"What we are concerned about is the influences this particular magazine can have on vulnerable people in our community who are likely to be influenced by this extremist rhetoric."
The Opera House is under 24-hour surveillance, but that did not stop an anti-war protester from scaling its famous white sails to paint "No War" in red on the side of the building in 2003.
Earlier this year, security at another Sydney landmark, the Harbour Bridge, was breached when a former soldier climbed to the top of the structure to protest about fathers' rights.
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.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/8652490/Sydney-Opera-House-appears-on-cover-of-terror-magazine.html
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