Overview
- Mike Burgess said there is a realistic possibility a foreign government will attempt to kill a perceived dissident in Australia, with at least three nations assessed as willing and capable.
- ASIO disclosed it disrupted a foreign operation by intercepting intelligence officers at a planned third‑country meeting after they tried to recruit Australians for information on the economy, critical minerals and AUKUS.
- He noted regimes may hide involvement through proxies, citing Iran’s use of criminal cut‑outs in 2024 arson attacks on Jewish sites in Melbourne and Sydney.
- ASIO recently uncovered links between Australian pro‑Russian influencers and an offshore media organisation that almost certainly receives direction from Russian intelligence.
- Burgess warned AI and social media are accelerating radicalisation as extremist groups exploit protests, and he said ASIO with police partners is working around the clock to protect Australians; he did not name the three nations.