AVERT Commentary

The latest AVERT blogs and commentary analysing a variety of topics related to violent extremism, terrorism, radicalisation and countering violent extremism. 

Lydia Khalil Lydia Khalil

Islamic State terror attack in Moscow a grim acknowledgement of global power status Russia seeks

President Vladimir Putin has long sought to restore Russia’s global status after the personally and nationally humiliating defeat of the Cold War. One of the ways he has done so is through Russia’s involvement in the Middle East – highlighted by Russia’s 2015 military intervention in Syria but also evidenced in many other ways. By acting as a spoiler in Afghanistan, Putin also sought to accelerate and take advantage of the United States’ own humiliating withdrawal from the region to shore up Russia’s position as a major power.

Read More
J M Berger J M Berger

Lawful Extremism

Most contemporary research on extremism focuses on fringe groups that seek to overturn the status quo in a given society. Therefore, in the academic literature, we find a widespread, but not universal, belief that extremism is by definition a fringe behavior that runs counter to dominant social norms. In this paper, I make the case that regardless of whether the extremist group is fringe or dominant, extremist beliefs do not fundamentally change in character.

Read More
Greg Barton Greg Barton

Why government action to thwart neo-Nazi groups is far more difficult than it appears

GREG BARTON • May 18, 2023

“Hate and prejudice hold no place in our community and we will not tolerate any offensive and abhorrent anti-social behaviour.” This statement by a Victoria Police spokeswoman could not have been clearer. Hate and prejudice are most certainly not welcome in one of the world’s most diverse and successful multicultural communities.

Read More
Josh Roose Josh Roose

Would a law banning the Nazi salute be effective – or enforceable?

JOSH ROOSE • January 20, 2023

Amid the growing threat of far-right extremism in Australia, Victoria recently became the first state to ban the Nazi swastika (known as the Hakenkreuz). Publicly displaying the symbol is now a criminal offence and carries a penalty of up to $22,000, or 12 months of imprisonment.

Read More
Greg Barton Greg Barton

Is the terrorism threat over?

GREG BARTON • December 30, 2022

Eight years after raising the national terrorism threat level, Australia recently lowered it again – from mid-range (probable) to low-range (possible). Does this mean the threat from terrorism is over? Few are better placed to answer this than Mike Burgess, Director-General of Security and head of ASIO, Australia’s domestic intelligence agency.

Read More
Vivian Gerrand Vivian Gerrand

Terrorism is a communicative act: The way we report and comment on atrocities matters

VIVIAN GERRAND • December 20, 2022

Consider the following. A terrorist attack occurs. Journalist: “Quick, breaking news — better get on top of it to boost our traffic.” Researcher: “Not again — but this is relevant to my work, an opportunity to prove my research has impact!” It is truly terrifying to think that a terrorist attack can serve as a vehicle for meeting performance benchmarks in competitive work environments.

Read More
Helen Young Helen Young

Extremists use video games to recruit vulnerable youth. Here’s what parents and gamers need to know

HELEN YOUNG • December 10, 2022

Reports of far-right extremists trying to recruit young people through video games have raised concerns for parents, guardians and youth alike. In October, a statement from Australian Federal Police said officers had seen evidence of extremist groups trying to recruit young people through online games. In one instance, a teen had shared a video game recreation of the 2019 Christchurch attack.

Read More
Vivian Gerrand Vivian Gerrand

Cultivating pro-social resilience online in an age of polarisation

VIVIAN GERRAND • June 1, 2022

While algorithmic design is one critical component of supporting prosocial resilience to online polarisation, equally important is the kind of content delivered by such design. As a contributor to the latest BRaVE Special edition of First Monday, my article explores how alternative narratives online may be used to enhance resilience to societal polarisation and violent extremism.

Read More
Lydia Khalil Lydia Khalil

How will strategic competition influence counter-terrorism? The proxy warfare problem

ANDREW ZAMMIT • December 16, 2021

Australia’s current approach to national security has increasingly prioritised strategic competition between states, with ASIO suggesting that state-based threats such as espionage and foreign interference could become a greater concern than terrorism. In contrast, national security statements by the Abbott government and the Turnbull government emphasised counter-terrorism above other threats. 

Read More
Commentary ADI Commentary ADI

The Auckland attack and the politics of counter-terrorism

ANDREW ZAMMIT • September 14, 2021

The brutal stabbing of six people, by an Islamic State supporter in an Auckland mall, has spurred efforts to update New Zealand’s counter-terrorism laws. This is driven by concerns that the tragedy might have been prevented if there had been a specific criminal offence for plotting a terrorist attack.

Read More
Commentary ADI Commentary ADI

Australian connections to Islamic State in the post-“Caliphate” era

ANDREW ZAMMIT • August 5, 2021

What forms do Australian connections to Islamic State take, now that the movement has lost its territory in Syria and Iraq? The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security’s ongoing inquiry into extremist movements and radicalism in Australia has given long-overdue attention to the extreme-right, but also highlighted that Islamic State remains a serious security concern.

Read More
Blog ADI Blog ADI

What is the link between computer gaming and hate-based ideologies?

HELEN YOUNG & GEOFF BOUCHER • September 16, 2020

On 26 February this year, members of the extreme-Right group Atomwaffen Division in the United States were arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism. Alongside plans for the intimidation of journalists, including death threats, the group aimed to weaponise the coronavirus, maintaining that it was the “obligation” of white supremacists to spread it.

Read More
Lydia Khalil Lydia Khalil

Taking stock of terrorism amid uncertainty

ANDREW ZAMMIT • July 13, 2020

A new poll shows that Australians see terrorism as a less significant threat than they used to. In the Lowy Institute Poll 2020, which measures Australian attitudes on international affairs, 46% of respondents listed terrorism as a "critical threat" to "the vital interests of Australia". This was down from 66% just two years earlier, 68% the year before, and 73% when the poll began in 2006. More people listed issues other than terrorism as critical threats, such as climate change (59%), environmental disasters like bushfires (67%), economic downturn (71%), COVID-19 (76%) and drought (77%).

Read More
Lydia Khalil Lydia Khalil

In preventing violent extremism, words matter

MARK DUCKWORTH • May 19, 2020

In 2015 the Council of Australian Governments published a high-level strategy on counter- terrorism. A lot has happened since then.  The recent comments by the Director-General of Security in February 2020 make it clear that there needs to be a restatement about the best approaches to countering violent extremism, community engagement and building community resilience.

Read More
Lydia Khalil Lydia Khalil

COVID-19 and America's counter-terrorism response

LYDIA KHALIL • May 19, 2020

Ever since the Sept. 11 attacks, U.S. foreign policy and national security have been swallowed whole by counter-terrorism considerations, even as a number of counter-terrorism experts have cautioned against overemphasizing the terrorist threat.

Read More
Lydia Khalil Lydia Khalil

Coping with crisis: How much resilience is on display?

MICHELE GROSSMAN • May 19, 2020

“Resilience” has become a popular concept in 21st century life. In times of far-reaching social and economic change, with increasing stress and strain on both individual and group-level resources, “resilience” is often invoked as the thing that will see us through to emerge stronger and better able to cope in the aftermath.

Read More