Australian terror suspect 'would have launched attack'
A wanted Sydney terrorist suspect has threatened an attack on Australian soil and would have already taken action given the chance, a new report claims.
Khaled Sharrouf is believed to be fighting with the al-Qaeda linked ISIS after reportedly posting photos of himself holding severed heads last week.
Fairfax claims Sharrouf sent them his "first lengthy and revealing diatribe from the frontline in Iraq" outlining demands and threats on Australia.
According to the report, Sharrouf has demanded the release of 12 Muslim prisoners in Australia, including Ahmed Elomar of the Hyde Park riots.
"Tell them that if they don't leave my sister's alone and release my brother's (sic)... they will be attacked and tell them dont worry about thinking who or from where cause they will never know," he reportedly told Fairfax.
"They fight us and harm us we will retaliate we will dedicate our lives to your unrest."
Sharrouf also allegedly claims he "played the government like they were ignorant children" by pretending he was mentally ill while under ASIO surveillance.
"I seen them following me and I was working for Allah right underneath there noses," he wrote.
The Australian Federal Police issued an arrest warrant for the 31-year-old and Mohamed Elomar for suspected terrorist activity last week.
The pair have reportedly joined the Islamic State (formerly known as ISIL) insurgents fighting in Syria and Iraq.
Sharrouf's social media profile has shown him waving the organisation's flag and reportedly featured photos posted online of Elomar holding the severed heads of Syrian government soldiers.
"Should Sharrouf or Elomar return to Australia, these warrants authorise law enforcement to arrest them immediately," an AFP spokesperson said.
"Those photographs, if they were authentic, were of course abominable," Attorney-General George Brandis told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation late Tuesday.
"If they were authentic what they demonstrated was this man's participation in, and in fact promotion of violent crimes, probably war crimes."
ASIO has advised the Australian government that the Islamic State movement is attracting a large number of foreign fighters and is now one of the world's most deadly and active terrorist organisations.
Brandis said Australians shouldn't think terrorism was a problem that only existed on the other side of the world.
"The number of Australians who are participating in this war fighting in Syria and Iraq shows that this is a problem that exists and germinates within our suburbs," he told ABC TV.
