ANZAC Day in Australia and New Zealand

It is ANZAC day in Australia and New Zealand. it used to be a day to commemorate the fallen soldiers in two world wars, but is becoming, more and more, an opportunity to glorify war, including the 'war on Terror'

A side of fear mongering terrorism with your slice of ANZAC Day patriotism?

By Martyn Bradbury

the Daily Blog,

20 April, 2015

It seems some media have taken to scaring the bejesus out of NZers this ANZAC Day. Suddenly Terrorism is being served with our slice of ANZAC Day patriotism this year. It helps to not question why we threw so many into the mincer of war and why we are getting into another pointless re-invasion of Iraq on the side of dictators and butchers if we are all spooked that ISIS inspired fellow NZers will launch an attack while we are waving our flag around on War Cult Day.

IF there is a terror attack on NZ by ISIS inspired violence it will be because Key has set us up as a target for the 5 Eyes Club by reinvading Iraq.

IF there is a terror attack on NZ by ISIS inspired violence it will be because the media have helped generate the sense of isolation and alienation that generates this kind of radicalism.

IF there is a terror attack on NZ by ISIS inspired violence it will be because the Prime Minister has personally helped that alienation and isolation along by publicly naming numbers of suspects so that the could get his controversial mass surveillance laws passed.

IF there is a terror attack on NZ by ISIS inspired violence it will be because we have done bugger all helping those on the fringes of NZ mainstream culture feel welcome and heard and counted for in our country. Inequality and social isolation converts more to radicalism than ISIS can. If we have youth in NZ who are being radicalised by ISIS, that’s society’s fault for not being inclusive enough, blaming ISIS is a joke.

We should refuse to allow fear and hate to direct our decisions. We are a free liberal democracy, that is our strength, not more police powers and security crackdowns.

So this ANZAC Day we are fighting to spy for torturers and hiding the manner in which NZ soldiers die?

Martyn Bradbury

the Daily Blog,

18 April, 2014

While we stand at attention and bow our head solemnly to do our pious bit for ANZAC Day, what exactly are we fighting for this year?

Apart from siding with butchers and dictators who have helped create the new generation of Muslim fanaticism, it appears we are fighting to spy for torturers and the ability to hide how NZ soldiers die in battle.

Our need to worship the dead for some sense of identity has blinded us to the mistakes that drive war and that’s why we are silent on the outrageous hypocrisy of entering a new war to suck up to America.

Meanwhile, across the Tasman the Australians have had another "terror plot" with police raid

Anzac Day terror plot foiled by Melbourne anti-terrorism raids

Police spent Saturday searching the house after the raid.

Stuff,

18 April, 2014

Australian police have charged an 18-year-old man with conspiring to plan a terrorist attack following multiple raids across Melbourne on Saturday morning.

The man was one of two men arrested in counter-terrorism raids who police say were planning an Islamic State-inspired attack at a Melbourne Anzac Day event.

Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police executed seven search warrants on properties in Narre Warren, Hampton Park, Hallam and Eumemmerring from 4am on Saturday (6am NZT). Five men were arrested in the raids, the culmination of Operation Rising.

Police were keeping guard at the Melbourne house on Saturday.

Two 18-year-olds were arrested on terrorism-related offences.

Both men were "associates" but not relatives of Numan Haider, who was shot and killed by police in September 2014 after stabbing anti-terrorism officers at Endeavour Hills, Victoria Police acting Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said. 

The planned attack could have come "any time in the next week," Patton said.

Police have refused to disclose what Anzac celebration had been targeted.

"We have acted swiftly to disrupt an attack intended to bring harm to everyday Victorians going about their business," Patton said.

"During Anzac Day commemorations, we encourage people to continue with their plan, but remain vigilant.

"The plan related to activities that were in the Melbourne area and we are not going to go into specifics at this stage."

Police said the men's plans were "ISIS inspired" but there was no specific suspicion that they planned to carry out beheadings. ISIS is also known as IS and ISIL.

"At this stage we have no information there was a planned beheading," AFP acting Deputy Commissoner Neil Gaughan said.

"Some evidence that we've collected at a couple of the scenes - and some other information we have - leads us to believe that this particular matter was ISIS-inspired. But it's early days and we're not going into further details than that."

Police declined to comment on whether it was "retaliation" for the shooting death of Haider last year.

Gaughan said police were comfortable the threat was "fully contained".

"But obviously as the investigations continue we'll continue chase the rabbit down the hole and see what comes of it," he said.

The weapons confiscated were all edged weapons, not firearтms.

"There was a knife and there was a sword. There was suggestion of firearms but we have not seized any," acting Victoria Police Commissioner Tim Cartwright said. 

Police arrested five men in the raids, two of whom sustained minor injuries during the arrests. Another 18-year-old man, from Narre Warren, was arrested over weapons offences. Two other men, aged 18 and 19, both from Narre Warren, were also arrested and are in custody assisting police.

The five suspects were all "associates" of Haider, police said. The men had also frequented the al Furqan bookshop and Islamic centre in Springvale South, which was also linked to Haider.

Police continued to search several properties in the area.   

Four AFP officers are currently standing guard at a small tile-roofed house on a quiet suburban street in Hallam.

Police teams have removed evidence including a computer from the house. Boxes were labelled 'Operation Rising promise'.

The house is nondescript except for the front window which has had a hole smashed in it. It's not clear whether the damage was caused during this morning's raids. All the blinds on the property have been pulled shut.

Four cars, including a silver BMW, are currently parked in the house's driveway.

An eyewitness to the Hallam raid, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said she woke about 3.30am to the noise of an argument between two men. Police arrived soon after and made an arrest.

"They are pretty decent people," she said. "We have met them a couple of times. They have had a couple of fights and stuff."

Another neighbour said a family of six lived in the house. She said the mother and father were lovely and had taken good care of her.

Their four boys, however, had "had the usual trouble with motorbikes and cars that young boys get into", the woman said.

Gaughan said the entire community should be concerned about the young age of the suspects.

"This is an issue not just for law enforcement but the broader community," he said.

"We need to get better in relation to identifying young men and women that are involved in this type of behaviour at the very early stages and we need intervention strategies to ensure that they don't go down this pat