Australia's Spy Agency Shifted Focus Before Deadly Attack

Australia's domestic spy agency, ASIO, redirected resources from counterterrorism to espionage and foreign interference investigations a few years before a fatal attack. Mike Burgess, the director-general, stated this shift occurred after the defeat of the Islamic State group in the Middle East led to a reduction in terrorism activity. He testified that while counterterrorism remained a priority, the agency found more espionage and foreign interference needing investigation.

ASIO had lowered Australia's National Terrorism Threat Level from 'probable' to 'possible' in November 2022. However, following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, Burgess issued an unprecedented public warning about escalating language potentially leading to violence. ASIO observed increased threatening behavior towards Jewish Australians, which escalated to targeting businesses and places of worship. Consequently, the terrorism threat level was raised back to 'probable' in August 2024.

During a government inquiry, it was revealed that the Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, where 15 people were killed, was given the lowest security priority. Only four police officers were present when the attack began, with the father and son gunmen inspired by IS. Despite ASIO's resources being stretched by mounting antisemitic cases, Burgess stated that no known serious matters were left untreated.