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Thursday March 18, 2010

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Simon Overland slams newspaper

Posted by: By Ben Wise | 4 August, 2009 - 9:37 AM
Simon Overland Victorian Police Commissioner Simon Overland has lashed out at The Australian newspaper for putting officers conducting terror raids on Tuesday at serious risk by reporting on the terror raids even before they were carried out.

Four people are in custody today with more arrests a possibility - the alleged terror-plotters are of Somalian and Lebanese descent and linked with terrorist group al-Shabbab.

The raids were executed around 4.30 this morning in areas including Glenroy, Carlton, Meadow Heights, Preston, Epping and Colac, but Overland believes details of the raids were published in the newspaper - made available to the public much earlier.

"Obviously there was reporting of these raids in The Australian newspaper this morning and I am extremely disappointed the details of this operation have been leaked and I will be vigorously pursuing the leak from my end - and I expect the Federal authorities will be doing the same," Overland said on Tuesday morning.

"The AFP negotiated with The Australian newspaper as I am advised in terms of having this story run today. I am concerned that despite those negotiations copies of that paper – I am told – were available at 1:30am this morning, well before the raids were carried out."

"This in my view represents an unacceptable risk to the operation and an unacceptable risk to my staff. It's a risk I take extremely seriously."

Meanwhile, Overland has stressed the importance for people not to get carried away with the fact the terror suspects are Muslims.

"I also want to assure the broader Islamic community here in Victoria we understand that the overwhelming and vast majority of the Islamic faith are not terrorists. They do not support terrorism and they have successfully integrated into our community."

Major terror bust in Melbourne

"Police will allege that the men were planning to carry out suicide terror attacks on a defence establishment within Australia involving an armed assault with automatic weapons ... a sustained attack on military personnel until they themselves were killed." Read more.

Blog comments Your Say

  • There are obviously situations where confidential information relating to Police activities are leaked to the media, sometimes deliberately to facilitate an arrest. I am surprised that Police haven’t at least explored the option of charging the press with ‘hinder Police’, possibly because it involves a company rather than an individual. Surely there must be existing legislation relating to issues of National Security? I have no doubt fines starting in the vicinity of $250,000 and increasing in similar amounts for subsequent offences would be an adequate incentive to curtail the practice, along with an appropriate term of imprisonment for Newspaper editors/management.

    Lenny Thursday 6 August, 2009 - 2:02 PM

  • Mr Mitchell

    Self promotion & glorification.

    I feel nauseous

    RM Wednesday 5 August, 2009 - 10:36 AM

  • Every raid the Federal Police has made during the past two years or so seems to have been accompanied by either a TV camera and crew or a coincidental news story. Is the AFP so desperate for performance approval by the Senate estimates C'tee that it needs to do so via headlines?

    Paddywhack Wednesday 5 August, 2009 - 8:37 AM

  • Do you think the areas invaded actually had the intellect to read the Australian? I think not.

    Tamara Wednesday 5 August, 2009 - 8:25 AM

  • I actually made my first ever complaint about the media to Murdochs news.com.au today regarding similar concerns. The media coverage of all this has been appalling, today has shown some of the worst examples of corrupt journalism in Australia. I am extremely glad both the PM and Police Commissioner publicly voiced their opinions on this and exposed certain media outlets for the trouble they are causing, not only for police but also the muslim population and our society as a whole.

    Roy Wednesday 5 August, 2009 - 2:28 AM

  • Is this not typical of Murdoch?

    Rosemarie Jones Tuesday 4 August, 2009 - 8:57 PM

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